Training grieving together
Getting over the loss of a parent, partner, sister, brother, or friend can be a daunting task. Grief and loss can also be experienced in the context of health issues, being away from your homeland or loss of future perspective. Students who deal with a loss can benefit from extra attention and support to cope with their situation.
We offer students a safe space to grieve by creating a student support group, led by the university chaplain. Students will realize that they are not alone in this process and will find support from their fellow students, who are in a similar situation. They learn to rely on their emotions and other natural resources in dealing with grief and loss. The goal of the training is not to acquire a particular (philosophical or religious) hypothesis for life, but to learn a method for integrating grief into one’s entire human experience.
Aim of the training
Grief is a natural and meaningful reaction to experiencing loss. Finding support in a small group setting can make the process more manageable. In this training, you will get a better understanding of the process of grieving and how this applies to your own situation. We create a safe space for you to give room to your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a light and non-judgmental way.
Set-up of the training
In this training, we will cover the following topics:
- Meeting 1 – Looking for Comfort, Asking for Help
- Meeting 2 – Feelings of Mourning in Body and Mind
- Meeting 3 – Curse or Resource: Sorrow’s Significance
- Meeting 4 – Resilience and Hope
The training will consist of four meetings, which will take place every two weeks. Before the start of the training, you will be invited for a short individual intake with the chaplain, so you can share your individual story before the start of the training itself, and to find out together if the training is suitable for your individual situation.
Working method
The training consists of four meetings of 1.5 hours each in a small group setting (4 – 10 participants). Participants are expected to attend each session. The sessions are given by Fr Michael Peeters, the university chaplain, who is a Catholic priest. To be sure, the sessions do not presume any specific religious background and do not intend to impose any ideas on anybody. A safe space is provided to stand in a human way in front of loss, without censoring anything, giving space to what happens in us; making use of our own natural resources and of the shared experience of each participant.
Training information in short
| Target group | All students, registered at Tilburg University (any study phase) |
| Duration | 4 sessions of 1.5 hours each on October 17 and 31 and November 14 and 28, 2024. Time: 15:45 - 17:15. Deadline for registration: Monday, 7 October 2024. |
| Where? | Maranatha, Professor Cobbenhagenlaan 19 (next to the Sports Center) |
| Trainer | Michiel Peeters |
| Costs | Free of charge (but if you have registered and do not show up without a good reason, the real cost may be charged). |
| Number of participants | At least 4, no more than 10 |
| Language of instruction | English |
Interested?
The next training group, which will start on October 17, is now open for registrations. If you are interested in taking part, please send an e-mail to the course coordinator, Ms. Anita Linders. E-mail: A.J.H.B.Linders@tilburguniversity.edu
Please note that the registration deadline is Monday, 7 October 2024. After receiving your expression of interest by e-mail, we will invite you for a short online intake with the trainer, Michiel Peeters. These intakes will be scheduled on Thursday October 10 and Monday October 14 between 09:30 and 12:00 noon.