Gaining insight from loss

A weekend retreat aims to help people move on from bereavement and break-ups, says Colette Sheridan

THE end of a relationship, whether through separation, divorce or death is one of life’s most devastating experiences. Psychologists say it usually takes about a year before someone feels ready to move on. But this can vary widely. After losing a partner, men are more likely than women to make a long-term commitment again. But people deal with loss in different ways.

Helping people to deal with the loss of a partner is the aim of Beginning Experience, a peer ministry which was established by a nun in the US and has been active in Ireland since 1987. While its programmes are rooted in the Catholic Church, it is open to people of all denominations and none. It is holding a residential weekend in the Emmaus Centre in Swords in Dublin on May 4-6 which costs €200.