OhioHealth Offers Support for Grieving Children this Summer in Marion and Delaware Counties
In 2021, Kelly Brooks, a grief counselor at OhioHealth, noticed an issue within her community. She recognized that there was a lack of support for students in the summer who were experiencing grief and decided to collaborate with Marion County schools to provide counseling opportunities.
In 2022, she began offering individual summer counseling for students. The following year, she started to offer the Summer Grief Workshop for families.
The workshop provides families with an activity to honor their loved one who has passed before separating adults and students to have their own counseling session with peers. The workshop and counseling are free for all families.
When recognizing that a child is grieving, it can be more challenging to identify. Brooks recently told Marion Star reporter, Abby Bammerlin, that some people think because a child is not visibly showing that they’re grieving externally -- they are doing okay internally. Brooks said that this is not true, and the signs are often seen in a child’s behaviors. This grief may show through a loss of interest in things that they would have enjoyed in the past and distancing themselves from others.
"Often, they might be withdrawn. They might have anxiety that they're experiencing. Sometimes they are reluctant to be away from home because they want to be close with their loved ones,” said Kathy Butler, student affairs supervisor at Marion City Schools.
As reported by the Marion Star, Marion City Schools saw 116 students specifically referred to school-based mental health partners, like OhioHealth, for grief counseling in 2024-2025.
Brooks said that the counseling has been significantly influential for students who are grieving to see their peers experiencing similar emotions in a group atmosphere.
"They see that they're not alone," Brooks said. “They might be sitting next to someone who they normally would have never met anywhere else, and they're like, 'oh my gosh, you're also missing someone. And I feel that same way.' And then they start communicating like, 'well, this is what helped me. This is not what helped me. Or have you ever felt this way?' And suddenly this bond is created.”
OhioHealth offers individual grief counseling for children and teens in the summer.
To receive individual grief counseling in Marion County for children and teens during the summer, please contact Kelly Brooks at (614) 309-3710 or kelly.brooks@ohiohealth.com.
To receive individual grief counseling in Delaware County for children and teens during the summer, please contact Grace Whistle at 614-309-7170 or grace.whistle@ohiohealth.com.
Upcoming Workshop Information
On Wednesday, June 25, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. children ages 5 to 15 have the chance to work through their emotions, share their experiences and learn more about grief and coping strategies to aid in proper healing. This workshop will be hosted at the Marion Family YMCA and is open for students and their families to attend.
The deadline to register for this workshop is Wednesday, June 18, 2025. To register, call Kelly Brooks at 614-309-3710 or email kelly.brooks@ohiohealth.com.
Adult caregivers are welcome to stay and participate in a support group led by an adult bereavement counselor, where they will learn similar information about grief and tools to cope with their loss.
