Individual and Family Psychological Support

For children and families who are facing the loss or imminent loss of a loved one due to lung cancer. This service is suitable for:For children and families who are facing the loss or imminent loss of a loved one due to lung cancer. This service is suitable for:

• Children and adolescents up to 18 years old
• Parents and all those who play a significant role in the child’s life

Individual counseling support includes an average of 8 one-hour sessions, which take place in the course of 2-3 months.

Support Groups for Children and Adolescents

The support groups are for children of different ages who have lost a loved one. Through participation in the group, the child processes their loss and finds peer support so that they do not feel alone, as they share their experiences with children of the same age who are experiencing similar losses. The group is a safe space, where children feel free to share their story; to express questions, thoughts, and painful feelings in creative ways; to keep the memory of the deceased parent alive; and to discover constructive ways to manage the difficulties that arise after the loss.

Each group consists of up to 10 children. There are 10 meetings over a period of about 3 months. Each meeting lasts one hour and a half (90 minutes) and is coordinated by two psychologists.

Support Groups for Parents

Parent support groups are for parents who are grieving the loss of a partner, with children up to 18 years old. In these group sessions, parents process their grief and are empowered in their parenting role to adequately support their children to adjust to the new reality after the loss. In the safe space of the support groups, parents are able to acknowledge the loss, express their grief, support themselves in the emotional and practical difficulties they are experiencing, and maintain their bond with the partner they have lost.

Each group includes a maximum of 10 parents. There are 8 meetings over a period of about 3 months. Each meeting lasts one hour and a half (90 minutes) and is coordinated by two psychologists.

Psychological support hotline

Merimna will also provide counselling by phone to parents whose partner is facing lung cancer or who have lost a partner. The specialized psychologists of Merimna’s two Bereavement Support Counseling Centers, in Athens and Thessaloniki, will be available to answer questions and provide support to parents.

The telephone lines are open from Monday to Friday as follows:

Support Hotline – Athens: 210 6463622
Working days 10:00am – 17:00pm for residents in central and southern Greece and the Cyclades.

Support Hotline – Thessaloniki: 2310 510010
Working days 10:00am -18:00pm for residents in northern Greece, the Ionian Islands and the Dodecanese.

More information can be found on the website: https://merimna.org.gr/