Adult Services

What is Peer Support?

Peer support is the help and support that people with lived experience are able to give to one another. At The Christi Center, it means you will attend groups with others who have experienced similarities in their losses.  Our adult groups are facilitated by trained volunteers, many of whom have also experienced a loss.

Peer support can be very effective in the healing process because group members not only empathize with and validate individual experiences, but also share their lived experience, knowledge and information, encouragement, and support.

What does it cost?

Where are your groups located?

Where can I park?

Do you offer any services in Spanish?

Yes! We offer an adult loss group in Spanish, and our Kids Who Care program welcomes Spanish-speaking and bilingual families.

What loss-specific groups do you offer?

We have adult loss groups for Loss of a Child/Grandchild, Loss of a Partner/Spouse, Loss of a Parent, Sibling, or other Significant Loved One (Mixed Loss Group). We also offer specific groups for Loss to Suicide, Loss to Overdose, and Loss to a Crime. These groups provide space to process the trauma around the cause of death in addition to the grief of losing the loved one.

How do I get started with a peer support group?

In order to begin attend groups, we ask that you call before attending or arrive 30 minutes before a group to complete a required intake. Call us at 512-467-2600. We will talk with you about your loss, your current support system, and help you find the right group to start with. We will also talk through what to expect the first time you attend a group.

How often and for how long do I need to attend?

Support groups at The Christi Center are open-ended. This means we trust you to decide how long and how often to attend. As a new member, we recommend that you come at least 3 times –it can take that long to find connection. And over time, if you stop attending, know that our doors are always open to you. The grief process has many ups and downs, and sometimes you just need to connect with your peers.

My teen is really mature. Can they attend the adult group?

We offer a teen group for youth ages 13-18. (Teen Info) While it’s possible that your teen might be able to handle adult conversations, the other adults might not feel as free to share. Most importantly, we believe that the greatest benefit to peer support is connecting with others who share some similarities, like going to high school while grieving.

Do you have childcare?

No. We do offer our Kids Who Care program which offers play and activity-based grief support for kids 5-12, and has a concurrent group for the child’s parents/caregivers.

Who facilitates the groups?

Our adult groups are facilitated by trained peer volunteers and co-facilitated by clinical interns pursuing a master’s degree in social work or professional counseling. Many facilitators came to The Christi Center as a group member after their own loss, and wanted to give back by helping others.