Grief seminar planned for parents left behind

The Northwest Arkansas Clinical Pastoral Education Institute will present an interactive grief seminar for parents and families who have suffered the loss of a child. The “Parents Left Behind” seminar is slated for April 5. The event will held at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale from 8 a.m. until noon. There is no charge for resident in Northwest Arkansas or the Fort Smith metro area.

The seminar, sponsored by Northwest Health System and The Grief Center at Circle of Life will begin with breakfast and then feature keynote speaker Susan Averitt MD, a local pediatrician and bereaved mother.  Averitt’s life was changed forever in 2006 when her five year old daughter Cameron was killed in a school zone accident. In the years after Cameron’s death, as Averitt grieved her loss and worked to rebuild her life, she was struck by the lack of support for parents on this difficult journey. 

This event will allow Averitt to share her experience with other bereaved parents as she continues her work to help others in honor of her Cameron’s memory. Participants will have the opportunity to attend one of four interactive breakout sessions including: Grieving Partners, Grieving Families, Forgiveness and Navigating Life.  Each session will be directed by specialists in counseling and/or bereavement. The event will close with a memorial ceremony honoring the memory of loved ones.

Register online here for the seminar.