December is the festive season and is considered a universal time for the gathering of family and friends.

However, Christmas is not always a happy occasion, especially when grieving the loss of a loved one.

To help manage this grief, a free workshop for people in need of extra support will be held in Dungog leading up to Christmas.

The workshop will provide an opportunity to discover strategies for coping with grief during the Christmas season as well as other significant times of the year, like birthdays and anniversaries.

Dungog Community Health Social Worker Kylie Minors said meeting together can help reduce the sense of isolation that people often feel at Christmas time.

“Some of the strategies that we teach can also be used during other significant times of the year, like birthdays and anniversaries,” Ms Minors said.

The workshop presenters are social workers who work with people who have experienced grief and loss.

Over the past four years, similar workshops have been held in Maitland, Cessnock and Kurri Kurri and have received overwhelming responses.

The workshop will be held at the Dungog RSL Club on Monday 19 November from 9.45am to 12.30pm. 

Registrations are essential and can be made by contacting Kylie Minors on (02) 4995 7000 (Monday and Wednesday).

Contact: Tanya Carlyle

Phone: 0428 112 028