The Dougy Center offers ongoing peer support groups for children and teens (3-18), young adults, and their family members in three locations throughout the Portland metro area. Our groups are free of charge, ongoing, and meet every other week for 1.5 hours. The groups are open to children and teens who have experienced the death of a parent, primary caregiver, sibling, or in the case of teens, a close friend. There are also groups that meet at the same time for the adult caregivers who bring children and teens to The Dougy Center. The Young Adult group is open to people between the ages of 19 and 30ish who have experienced any significant death.
Our groups provide participants with a safe, open place to be with other children and teens who have experienced a death. The groups are divided by age, so children 3-5, children 6-12, middlers 11 - 14, and teens 13-18 meet together. The groups offer a mix of opportunities for children and teens to share their experiences with grief and loss. Whether it’s talking about the death with other participants, using our art room, playing in the dramatic play room, or using our big energy areas, children and teens are encouraged to discover what works the best for them. All participants, regardless of age, are able to use the “I Pass” guideline, which means they get to decide when, and how much they wish to share with the rest of the group.
In order to join one of our groups in either Portland, Hillsboro, or Canby, please call us at 503-775-5683 to schedule an orientation appointment. This is a chance for your family to visit the program and decide if one of our groups is a good match for your needs.
At The Dougy Center we realize that:
If you are an adult and want to know how to help a grieving child or teen, check out our Help for Adults pages.
If you work with students, check out the When Death Impacts your School page listed under Help for Adults.
If you are a young adult ages 19 to 30, check out our Help for Young Adults pages.
If you are a teen, check out our Help for Teens pages.
If you are a child, check out our Help for Kids pages.