When a loved one has been lost, sadness is felt even stronger at Christmas time, for that reason, the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) offers a four-session virtual course on grief management. The therapy consists of four sessions and will be held twice a week all this month of December, at 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. During the course, participants will exchange experiences with the experts who will give orientation in order to understand the loss process and face it with emotions that strengthen.
Grief is natural and must be assumed
Kleiber Rojas, head of services and social benefits of the Fund, explained that grief is natural and should be assumed as part of life experiences. According to Rojas, the accompaniment is relevant for those who recognize that they live their days with anguish or pain. It may also be appropriate for those who notice a habitual lack of energy, discouragement or that they do not enjoy activities the same as before.
“Paying attention to these states of mind is important because the loss of loved ones during the year generates a state of responses, emotions and feelings that are particularly difficult to cope with at Christmas, since the time is associated with family communion,” explained the head of CCSS social services and benefits. The instructor Ana Isabel Ramírez commented that living Christmas with grief will never give the same feeling of joy; however, “most people can find meaning in traditions again.”
Course has been successful in enrollment
The call to participate in the course has been successful according to registrations so far. People have expressed their request to participate, commenting on motivations such as: “Daddy left seven months ago and he was always was with me at Christmas”; “It will be my first Christmas without my husband”; “I’m grieving with anxiety and depression,” among others.
“There is no right or wrong way to grieve during Christmas, as it is a different and individual process. The important thing is to be able to face it in the best way, that is why the course makes it easier to discern what you enjoy and what limits you to interact with the party-tinged environment,” said instructor María Fernanda Vargas. “My first Christmas without you” still has spots available. To register, those interested must respond to the request in the CCSS link.
