The LightHouse Arabia launches Raymee Grief Center

New York Times bestselling author of "Motherless Daughters" - Hope Edelman, was keynote speaker at the event that hosted a discussion titled "HOPE FOR GRIEF - Understanding the Impact of Parent Loss".

Raymee Grief Center is based on The Dougy Center grief service model and aims to educate and raise the community's awareness on the grief process. The Center's mandate is to increase people's confidence in expressing their feelings and experiences about death as well as help change people's perception about how difficult it is to engage in conversations with grieving people.

Dr. Saliha Afridi, Managing Director of LightHouse Arabia commented: "We are launching the Raymee Grief Center as a place of healing and growth through what is one of the toughest life experiences a person goes through. Research has shown that grief that is bottled up and unprocessed can result in major depression, anxiety, insomnia, relationship problems, coping problems, social withdrawal, and feelings of loneliness that can start in childhood and extend into adulthood."

"Our goal at Raymee Grief Center is to create a community in which people can come to listen to their own grief, support others in their pain, and take control of their healing," she also added.

Carey Kirk, Program Coordinator at Raymee Grief Center commented: "Healthy grieving is not just important for the bereaved but is important for the entire community. Raymee Grief Center is a place where mutual support is offered and acceptance is practiced through listening and sharing. We believe that the healing happens best when individuals are provided with a safe environment where they can express and explore their experience of grief and that is what we help provide at the Raymee Grief Center."

Raymee Grief Center is run by three highly experienced and licensed mental health professionals and supported by a group of dedicated volunteers. It offers free grief support groups for individuals who have been impacted by the death of someone close to them. These groups are divided by age and developmental level and include groups for adults (age 18+), "Littles" (children age 3 - 5 years), "Middles" (age 6 - 12), and teens (age 13 - 18).
Raymee Grief Center also holds regular educational talks on subjects related to death and grief where attendance is free and open to anyone in the community.