Join an EPL Group
EARLY PARENT LOSS - PHONE COACHING
We meet as a group, by phone, so that this shared experience can be mutually explored. Although each EPL Group member’s experience of their loss, and life afterward, is unique, we look at some of the commonalities as well — ways we see people and events in life (family, school, career), behaviors (habits, tendencies, emotions), all with an eye to learning about ourselves in relation to the loss and assisting each other in that task.
How EPL Groups Work
Up to five members meet via conference call once a week for five weeks. These are structured group phone coaching sessions, focusing on various aspects of EPL each week.
For EPL Group purposes, we use the identifying code created by Leslie Simon and Jan Johnson Drantell in their 1988 book on early death of a parent, The Music I No Longer Heard. I am identified as Jim, F-11 (or Jim, who lost his father when he was 11 years old). During group calls, each person will be encouraged to keep a chart that would look like the one above: just the name and that one bit of information about each person in the group. With these basic, but momentous, facts, we begin the exploration.
Over five weeks, we learn much more about each other as we share this life-changing event. While each of our losses were unique, we will find commonalities in how we coped at the time, our grieving process, how we see people and events through life, our behaviors, tendencies and emotions.
My goal is that in sharing our common experience of losing a parent in childhood, we might gain understanding, develop insight, and receive support – all of which may have been in short supply through the years. It's never too late to talk about that which affects us so deeply, and has been a large part of how we define our lives.
It is important for each group member to make every effort to attend each of the five structured sessions, for group cohesion and building trust, and so that all members are able to keep up with each others’ stories and provide appropriate feedback.
Why Group Sessions May Be More Effective than Individual Coaching
There are numerous studies supporting the worth of group sessions in counseling, psychotherapy and addiction recovery. Putting people with similar characteristics or afflictions together to share experiences and their efforts at improvement is very often the key to on-going understanding, progress and recovery.
Almost all of my work over the past three years have been over the phone counseling, a medium I've found to be productive and rewarding. People with shared interests or challenges, from all over the country, are able to meet and learn together by phone. Counseling by phone is becoming more popular and practical because it erases all geographical limitations and enhances the diversity of the people served.
Cost of the Program
The cost is $250 for five sessions.
GETTING STARTED
Step 1
Complete the contact form below so I can get in touch with you. Your contact info is kept completely confidential, and it will never be shared with anyone for any reason.
Step 2
We'll arrange a one-on-one phone call, so you can ask any questions about the program, and we can determine what group you'll be placed in, based on your schedule. This call is free, and there's no obligation to continue onto group sessions.
Step 3
I'll email you a confirmation, and a link to the Registration page to pay for your for your EPL Group Sessions securely online with PayPal. The cost for five sessions is $250.
Step 4
You'll receive a toll-free call-in number and an access code so you can join the call at the scheduled date and time. You won't need any special equipment, and you don't have to download any software. All you need is your phone.