Submitted by Nancy Forgrave, Bruce Peninsula Hospice
On Thursday March 13th, Dr. Bill Webster will be providing two in-person events for the benefit of our community. Both talks will be open to the public and will be at no cost to attend and will be hosted by Bruce Peninsula Hospice’s Bereavement Committee. Refreshments and complimentary booklets on the topic will be provided at both events.
Why Me? will be held at 1:00 pm at the Friendship Centre in Lion’s Head. This seminar will focus on Anticipatory Grief and how we can cope with losses relating to an experience of serious illness.
Grief: The Unwelcome Journey will be of interest to anyone who has had a grief experience and will be held at 6:30 pm the Wiarton Propellor Club.
Bruce Peninsula Hospice is a community hospice providing in-home visiting and grief support in Tobermory, Sauble Beach, Lion’s Head, Wiarton and surrounding rural areas.
Dr. Bill Webster is the founder and executive Director of the Centre for the Grief Journey. He brings a unique blend of personal experience, academic education and many years of practical application to his work.
Bill was widowed in 1983 and struggled to come to terms with his own loss, as well as with the task of bringing up his two sons, who were 9 and 7 when their mother died. After graduating from the University of Toronto with his doctorate in 1990, Bill began establishing and facilitating grief support programs in many communities.
Dr. Bill has authored numerous books and has an innovative website at www.griefjourney.com. He also conducts many professional seminars and educational programs on the topics of grief and loss both in North America and in Britain.
In 2024, Dr Bill was awarded the British Empire Medal by King Charles at Buckingham Palace in recognition of the work he has done over 25 years in helping local communities organize and facilitate local community grief support programmes in the UK and in Canada.
Why Me? A Seminar on Anticipatory Grief
Death is not the only significant loss that causes grief. A life-threatening situation produces many losses that cause grief, and this is often known as anticipatory grief. All losses in such a situation need to be acknowledged, validated and legitimised, regardless of the eventual outcome.
Dr. Bill comes to discuss some new perspectives on grief and grieving, confronting death and dying, facing fears, dealing with guilt blame and anger, as well as suggesting strategies of help and support. This seminar will also involve group discussion and a case study.
Grief: The Unwelcome Journey
Dr Bill Webster has experienced pain from painful personal experiences after the loss of his wife and more recently his son.
Bill quickly found people saying, “Let the healing begin” expecting that as a grief counsellor he would get through it more easily. But he discovered that first you hurt, and then you heal, and that unwelcome process usually takes longer than we expect.
Dr Bill will share some of the strategies he utilized to get through his own grief process; together with some of the ways he was able to take a whole new look at life and how it can still be meaningful even after a loss.
2025 marks 30 years of Bruce Peninsula Hospice volunteers providing caring service for local individuals and families at no cost. For over 12 years, the organization has facilitated Bereavement Support Groups using materials developed by Dr. Bill Webster.
