Camp Sol: Healing the Family Heart

1. Camp Sol: Healing the Family Heart The 14th Annual National Alliance for Grieving Children Symposium June 25, 2010

2. “ I've been struggling with religion, I try to go to church, but I feel nothing. I bow my head in prayer like the rest of the congregation, but I don't feel a thing”

3. “ Whether your family was prepared for the death or not, the unthinkable has happened…your beautiful, precious child is dead”

4. “ I’m in the middle of a hurricane, in a tiny life raft. My raft’s leaking badly; some days I’m sure it will go down”

5. “ I can’t imagine my life without my brother - my whole life has changed. I have never known such sadness. When I look around, everyone in my family is sad too. It’s not fair. Why did he have to die? Why?”

6. “ We sit at dinner, and it’s like we’re lost in this fog; nobody hears, and nobody can touch each other”

7. “ I kept searching for something. I wasn’t sure what it was. All of a sudden one day in the kitchen, I spontaneously got out my kitchen scales and started weighing fruits and vegetables. I realized I was trying to find something that had the identical weight that the baby did”

14. Family’s Response to Death Support Services Disconnected Family Unbalanced family unit Parent(s) Surviving Children

16. Camp Sol, Inc. Mission To assist in healing the family heart through a supportive, warm environment where grieving families share experiences and participate in a variety of nurturing activities specifically designed for families, adults and children

21. Music Therapy at Camp Sol, Inc. Music therapy is the clinical and evidenced-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional.

22. Camp Sol, Inc. Programming

31. The memory goes on, remember me when I am gone When you’re sad & alone, think of all the fun times Even though I’m gone, you will live on ‘ Cause I know we’ll meet again here in Heaven You can call my name, I’ll be watching over you No matter how hard it gets, something’s better here for you Even though I’m gone, you will live on ‘ Cause I know we’ll meet again here in Heaven

33. Family’s New Response to Death Camp Sol, Inc. Balanced Family Functioning as a balanced family unit Parent(s) Child

34. A Ray of Hope “ We will all experience changes in our lives, many bring devastating losses along with them. Navigating grief loss and change can be done haphazardly or can be done with awareness, intention and willingness to transform oneself into a kinder, more loving and compassionate human being. As a result of this healing of self, there is a corresponding healing of the planet.” - a bereaved parent

35. Lesley Lingnell, MS, MEd, LPC, RPT Children’s Medical Center-Dallas Camp Sol, Inc. 214-456-8115 [email_address]