Free help to deal with grief during the holiday season
ZANESVILLE, OH- The holidays can be challenging for those experiencing loss but a free program in Zanesville aims to help. It’s called “The Grief Recovery Method” and it’s offered through the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department and the Muskingum County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board. The evidence-based program runs all through 2025 and focuses on various forms of grief.
Participants learn skills to move through their grief. They can choose an eight-week group session of two hours each week, or a seven-week one-on-one program. Both options create a space where people can work through their feelings.
“Around the holidays I think one of the best things that folks can do for other people is just to reach out, be a listening heart with ears for them, I think too often do people avoid reaching out to their family and friends who have experienced loss because it is uncomfortable or they don’t know what to say or they’re scared they’re going to upset them, so just reach out, give them a safe space to freely express themselves, to share how they’re feeling,” said Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department Social Worker, Kassandra Settles.
The program differs from traditional counseling because it’s specifically tailored to grief, allowing more openness between facilitators and participants.
“It is really important that it focuses specifically on grief, there is counseling, there are other amazing resources in the community, but this is specifically related to grief and really helps them work through it, so one of the things that I like about this program is that it lets me be open and vulnerable with participants and that’s not typical for another counseling setting, usually you have to have firm boundaries and you can’t really give any of your story to other people that you’re working with, but it’s nice that I can open up and they can kind of see how The Grief Recovery Program has also worked for me,” said Settles.
It’s a way to find comfort, understanding and healing during the holidays and beyond. Those interested can sign up anytime throughout 2025 by calling (740)-454-9741, extension 240, or visiting Kassandra Settles, MSW, LSW – The Grief Recovery Method.
