Community
6 August, 2024
Grieving support
CENTACARE FNQ has launched Pathfinders – a free, flexible and professionally-guided bereavement support service – to address the lack of grief support services in the Far North.
Pathfinders aims to draw on the strength of the community and sharing to build an innovative program that helps people navigate their personal experience with loss and grief.
The support group meetings are held weekly at Centacare FNQ’s health and wellbeing hub at 10 Thomas St and is free for anyone looking for respite and support from people who have or are experiencing loss as well.
Centacare FNQ resilience coach Daniel Gouge said Pathfinders was a productive program that drew from his experience of losing a loved one and, in the process, discovering a distinct lack of support in the region.
Mr Gouge lost his father in 2023 after a four-month battle with a rare form of cancer.
“At the time, I was balancing work and study, while trying to make sense of the healthcare system, the NDIS, and caring for Dad’s two bull terriers,” he said.
“The experience wasn’t just challenging. It was isolating.
“I longed for and searched for support to provide the guidance and the comfort I needed. I found nothing.
“Navigating grief is not something people plan for, and to have to go it alone, is overwhelming.”
Mr Gouge said Pathfinders successfully filled the gap and was a service proudly provided by Centacare FNQ, which addressed and navigated the painful journey of losing a loved one.
“Our mission is to provide a compassionate environment for sharing experiences with others who understand the pain and can ultimately assist finding solace,” he said.
“To do this, we provide a structured, yet flexible curriculum, focussing on the individual and holistic needs of those facing loss.”
Mr Gouge said in the Pathfinders meetings participants would address different moments from the process of grief and how to address them.
“Each week, we focus on different aspects of the grief process, educating participants on the psychological and physical impacts of grief and celebrating the lives of lost loved ones,” he said.
To register interest or find out more, contact 4044 0130 or email: reception@centacarefnq.org
