Providing support in grief

For many, the hardest part of bereavement begins after the funeral, when family and friends return to their routines and the newly bereaved are left facing the silence of absence.

Hospice Waikato provides more than just medical care for palliative patients. Their psychosocial team includes social workers, kaiāwhina and counsellors who work throughout the Waikato region, including regularly visiting Thames and the surrounding district.

At the heart of this work is a monthly bereavement support group held at Thames Community Centre. Counsellor and facilitator Adam Bruce says he never underestimates the bravery it takes for someone to walk through the door.

“Courageous is the word I use when I welcome new members,” he says. “I honour people’s bravery to attend a group that no one wants to qualify for. But once stories begin to flow, there’s a sense of recognition—nodding, empathy, tears, and often laughter. Each person discovers they’re not alone in their grief.”

This sense of community is also reflected in the annual Hospice Remembrance Service, now in its third year in Thames. The ceremony brings families together to honour loved ones with music, poetry, and reflection. A poignant moment comes when photographs of loved ones are displayed, celebrating lives well lived. Candles are lit to symbolise love, loss, and the enduring bonds that remain.

The next remembrance service will be held at 2pm on Sunday, October 19, at St James Church, Pollen Street, Thames.  Those wishing to attend either the support group or the remembrance service are asked to register by phoning Hospice Waikato on (07) 859 1260.

Pictured:  Members of the Hospice
Waikato psychosocial team:  Candida
Monkley (Kaiāwhina, Ngāti Maru/Ngāti
Mahuta as I Whakapapa to Hauraki Rohe), Adam Bruce (Counsellor) and Gaylene Yates (Social
Worker).