The loss of a loved one can be an emotional roller coaster, filled with an intense and sometimes debilitating mix of emotions such as sadness, relief, anger, depression, worry, and loneliness. For adults grieving the loss of a loved one, St. Mary's Health Care System offers Life After Loss, a free bereavement and grief support group, on the first, third, and fifth Thursdays of each month from 7-8 p.m. at St. Mary's Hospital on Baxter Street.

Life After Loss is designed to help those who are experiencing the loss of a loved one work through their experience, express their feelings, and find support among others facing a similar loss. People can attend as many sessions as they wish and no registration is required. At each meeting, facilitator Rev. Jessica Chicken will help pose thoughtful questions and guide discussion of healthy and meaningful ways to cope with grief.

Rev. Chicken is a critical care and palliative care chaplain with St. Mary's who holds master's degrees in divinity and thanatology, a field focused specifically on grief and loss. She has more than six years of experience as a hospital chaplain, including extensive work with grieving families. Rev. Chicken is also a certified therapy dog handler who often works with her trained Schnauzer, Ollie.

"We offered a six-week trial version of Life after Loss last fall and it was well attended," Rev. Chicken said. "We have made the group permanent so that we can continue to assist people in learning healthy and effective ways to cope with the loss of someone they love."

Life After Loss is free and open to any adult who would like to attend. Meetings are held in the Lobby Conference Room of St. Mary's Hospital, 1230 Baxter St., Athens. The meeting room is easily accessible from the hospital's parking deck and main entrance.