Now Serving Individuals Ages 18-39
Since 2001, Tu Nidito’s Bereavement Support Group for Young Adults has existed to serve individuals who have experienced the death of a loved one. Following the expressed needs of our community, the Young Adult Bereavement program will now be expanded to serve individuals ages 18-39. Previously, the group served ages 18-29.
As the only grief support organization of its kind in Southern Arizona, Tu Nidito receives thousands of referrals each year from community members in search of programs and services following the death of a loved one or a serious medical diagnosis. In recent years, we have seen an increasing number of inquiries from young adults over the age of 30.
“These individuals may not be in their 20’s anymore, but they are still considered young adults for many reasons,” explains Serena Sahajian, Young Adult Group Coordinator, who was once herself a participant in this very group. “Consider people who are unmarried or unpartnered, without children in their home, maybe in an advanced degree program and living on their own. They don’t have a lot of the “ties” that other people their same age may have.” All this to say, young adulthood may not end on one’s 30th birthday.
When this niche group of 30-something young adults in our community call for support following the death of a loved one, there has historically not been a place for them to go. If they seek grief support groups from another agency, they often meet with a group of grievers in their retirement years, who are often in a very different place along their grief journey. They may not find the support they are needing from these other groups. What’s more, there are participants in the current Young Adult Group who are nearing their 30’s and are technically “aging out” of the program. But, what if their grief doesn’t feel manageable at this time? With the current expansion, they will have the option to stay in the program for years to come.
Whether a potential participant has experienced a death loss of a sibling, parent, friend, spouse or another significant loved one– all grief experiences are welcomed and validated within this group of accepting peers and trained facilitators. Young adults living in a culture that isn’t always understanding of their grief journey often describe deep feelings of isolation that they feel following a death loss. Isolation can give way to jarring pain and negative coping behaviors.
Those who find comfort in Tu Nidito’s support group often say that this is the only place they feel comfortable talking about their loss. One participant grieving the death of their mother puts it this way, “It’s really helpful to come here and talk about everything because things come up in group that I didn’t even realize I was struggling with until I hear others talk about them.” In a world that demands near constant busyness and attention to countless responsibilities, Tu Nidito’s Young Adult Bereavement Support Group is a rare, safe space.
Serena explains, “Sometimes participants are exchanging ideas of coping skills, and other times they simply create a giant soundboard for each other. This group is a huge tool for our community!”
To learn more about the Young Adult Bereavement Support Group, give us a call at 520-322-9155 or fill out this contact form.
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