Turner & Porter sponsors C.O.P.E.S. in Etobicoke and Mississauga several times throughout the year and the program is without cost to participants. The atmosphere is informal and you are welcome to bring a family member or a friend with you for extra support.

After a significant loss, people often feel isolated. The first days of sympathy quickly fade as life goes on for those less affected by the death. Some seen to expect that the person should “be strong”, and that life should go on as normal.

A support group that offers a combination of education and interaction creates an atmosphere in which grief is validated; where people may have felt were abnormal. In the supportive environment of a group, people feel understood. Their grief is given legitimacy. They find out it is ok to feel the way they do. They learn that grief is a natural reaction to loss.

Thus, free to explore their grief, the participant can work through the many emotions and tasks that lead to reconciliation and begin to move on.

Dr. Bill Webster
Facilitator of C.O.P.E.S.