Our Programs

Safe & Supportive

Dougy Center’s programs are based on our peer support group model for bereavement, including our program for after a death, Esperanza, Pathways, and L.Y.G.H.T. All Dougy Center programs offer support to families at no cost. Groups meet every other week and are led by master's-level Group Coordinators and supported by Volunteer Group Facilitators. Esperanza offers support in Spanish. Pathways focuses on living with an advanced serious illness. L.Y.G.H.T. (pronounced ‘light’) is a Dougy Center program for youth living in foster care.

Dougy Center provides groups both in-person at our houses, and virtually through the Zoom platform.

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Our Bereavement Program

Dougy Center is world-renowned for our expertise and approach to childhood bereavement. Our peer grief support model is used by over 500 organizations worldwide. If you live near Portland, Oregon and would like to attend to a Dougy Center grief support group, please call us at 503.775.5683 to learn more.

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Our Pathways Program

At Dougy Center, our Pathways program consists of four peer support groups when a family member is living with an advanced serious illness. We have Pathways groups for

  • Children
  • Teens
  • Adults living with the illness
  • Adult caregivers

If you live near Portland, Oregon and would like to attend a Pathways group, please call us at 503.775.5683 to learn more.

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Common Questions

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Esperanza: Grupos de Apoyo en Español

Esperanza, the Spanish word for hope, is the name of our Spanish-English language support program at Dougy Center. If your child or teen is coping with a death, we have support and resources for them and your family.

El Dougy Center ofrece grupos bilingües de apoyo en duelo para niños, adolescentes y sus familias en nuestra comunidad Latina. Nuestro programa se llama Esperanza y esta ubicado en el sureste de Portland. Si usted desea obtener más información sobre el programa, puede llamar a el Dougy Center al 503.775.5683 o enviar correo electrónico al help@dougy.org.

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Common Questions

Experanza Group Flyer

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Our L.Y.G.H.T. program

Based on The Dougy Center Model, our Listening and Led by Youth in Foster Care: Grief, Hope, and Transitions (L.Y.G.H.T.) program is an evidence-based peer grief support group for youth in foster care.

Inspired by the youth themselves, the L.Y.G.H.T. program is a trauma-informed and grief-informed program specifically for youth in foster care who are grieving.

Currently, L.Y.G.H.T. is offered in South Carolina. To learn more or to start a L.Y.G.H.T. program in your community, email lyght@dougy.org or follow the link below.

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