Forest Lake highlighted
With All Souls’ day just a few weeks away, Filipinos are preparing to visit the final resting place of their departed loved ones. It is during this time that feelings of longing, grief, and sadness increase as the holidays are fast approaching.
For Forest Lake, the largest total death care provider in the Philippines, emotional healing is an integral part of dealing with loss. Death care is more than just coffins and memorial services, and death care providers have the power to challenge the stigma and shift perspectives on grief.
“It’s not enough that death care providers offer just coffins and services – we also need to foster a caring and holistic experience for those who are grieving, as well as pave the way for a more sympathetic society. Helping people understand grief is one of the ways we can start this movement,” Forest Lake Managing Director for Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Chapel Services Alby Xerez-Burgos said.
In June 2020 the company started Creating Better Days Webinar Series which aims to provide not only emotional support but also break the stigma against grieving and coping with loss. Since then, the company has organized six webinars under the Creating Better Days Webinar Series.
To continue Forest Lake’s commitment to providing total death care to Filipinos, the company has partnered with Atma Prema Well-Being Group to conduct a series of free grief webinar sessions to help bereaved loved ones cope with loss.
Titled, “Creating Better Days Webinar Series,” the three part-series began on September 24, 2022, and will be followed by two more sessions on October 22 and November 26 respectively. Creating Better Days is available to all Filipinos and is held online via Zoom for free.
The Anatomy of Grief
The first session for 2022 was led by Charity Marohombsar, a renowned end-of-life doula and internationally certified grief counselor, joined by Atma Prema founder Dr. Lia Bernardo and bereaved TV actress Marissa Sanchez.
Hosted by Christine Babao, the webinar titled “The Anatomy of Grief” tackled how grief affects one’s physical, emotional, and mental health, the broken heart syndrome, as well as advice on how to move forward after a loss.
“We never really move on. We move forward with them,” says Marohombsar. The life doula also emphasized that we grieve as much as we love the person whom we have lost, and that grief is an expression of this love.
A “mood check” was conducted at the beginning and end of the webinar to gauge how the participants felt. A word cloud showed that at the beginning of the session attendees felt sad, anxious, and other negative feelings. Another word cloud showed at the end of the webinar that the participants indeed felt comforted, grateful, empowered, supported, understood, lighter, and more hopeful because of the session.
Surviving Loss: The Healing Power of Self-Love During Grief
Charity and Dr. Lia will return this for the second session titled “Surviving Death: The Healing Power of Self-Love During Grief” on October 22, 2022, at 10 AM. TV host and news anchor Karen Davila will join as the host and life coach Chinkee Tan will join as the celebrity guest.
Those who are interested may join the webinar for free through this Zoom Link.
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g9WoCYJYSBK-zRwQgamsOA.