In-Person Grief and Loss Support Groups for Teens in Centreville, VA
Grief and Loss Support Group
Led by Beth Lang, Licensed Professional Counselor | VA LPC #0701006399
When Someone They Love Is Gone and You Can See It Changing Them
At first, you thought they were handling it. They were quiet for a few days, or they seemed to bounce back faster than you expected. You told yourself they were okay.
Then something shifted.
Maybe the grades started slipping. Maybe they stopped wanting to see their friends. Maybe they started snapping at everyone over nothing. Or maybe it is something quieter. A flatness that was not there before.
You have tried bringing it up. And they gave you the same answer they always give. I'm fine.
You know they are not fine. You just do not know what to do about it.
Where Kids Learn Social Skills and Then Practice Them for Real
This is a two-phase program. That is what makes it different from most social skills groups.
- Phase one is the training. Six to eight kids meet once a week on Saturdays for one hour. We sit around the table and work through real social skills together. Sentence starters. How to keep a conversation going. How to ask a follow-up question. How to read the room when something is not landing. It is interactive. We use games and activities, and I coach them through it in the moment so they are learning by doing, not just listening.
- Phase two is where it gets real. Every two weeks, the same group comes back for a social gathering. Pizza night. Game night. Cards. An hour and a half of actual socializing in a low-pressure setting. The difference is that now they have the skills. And I am still there, still guiding, but stepping back a little more each time.
You have to learn the skills before you can practice them. That is the whole idea. The training gives them tools. The gatherings give them a place to use those tools with kids who are working on the same things. Over time, they get more comfortable doing it on their own. That is the goal.
Is This Group Right for Your Child?
This group is for young people who have gone through a real loss and are struggling with it, even if they will not admit it. You might recognize some of this in your child.
- They lost a parent, grandparent, close family member, or friend
- They lost a pet who was part of their everyday life
- Your family went through something major and your child has not been the same since
- They have pulled away from friends or things they used to enjoy
- They are angry or irritable in ways that do not match what is actually happening
- They tell you they are fine but everything about their behavior says otherwise
- You have tried to bring up the loss and they shut down every time
If any of that sounds like your child, what they are going through makes sense. And there is a way to help that does not involve forcing them to talk before they are ready.
Group Details
Three separate groups, organized by age. Every group meets weekly on Saturdays, in person, at our Centreville office.
Ages 10-12
Ages 13-15
Ages 16-18
You do not have to have it all figured out. If you are wondering whether this group could help your child, that is worth a conversation. After the initial six weeks, the group can choose to keep meeting monthly. That is completely up to the kids. Nobody is pushed to keep going, and nobody is cut off if the connection still matters to them.
What a Session Looks Like
Each session is one hour, and every week follows the same rhythm. I do that intentionally. Your child has already had something unpredictable happen in their life. The group should feel like solid ground.
When you arrive:
Why This Group Matters to Me
Beth Lang, LPC | Licensed Professional Counselor | Centreville, VA
I spent years working in schools, and the kids who stayed with me the longest were the ones carrying grief.
Middle schoolers and high schoolers who had lost a parent during their school years. Kids who had no idea what to do with what they were feeling and nobody around them who had been through the same thing. They felt alone in it. That was the part that got to me.
I started running groups in the school setting because I wanted those kids to sit across from someone their own age who understood. Not someone who could fix it. Just someone who could say, yeah, I know what that is like.
One family changed everything for me. A mom in hospice. Two kids trying to hold it together while their world fell apart. I worked with them through the loss and through the long stretch of grief that came after. That family is the reason I opened this practice.
Those kids are grown now. One is becoming a psychologist. They came back and told me that without the support they got during that time, they never would have had the courage to do what they are doing today.
I carry that into every group I run.
Questions Parents Often Ask
If you are thinking about this group for your child, you probably have a few things you want to know first. Here is what other parents have asked me.
Does my child have to talk about their loss in front of the group?
No. And I understand why that is the first thing parents ask. The group is set up so your child can participate at whatever level feels right for them. Some kids share on day one. Some take a few weeks. Some express themselves through activities instead of words. I never push a kid to share before they are ready. What I do is create a space where, over time, they start to want to, because they realize the other kids in the room actually get it.
My child's loss was not a death. Is this group still right for them?
It can be. A pet who was the center of their routine. A home that burned down. A best friend who disappeared from their life. A family that came apart. What qualifies your child is not the type of loss. It is how the loss is affecting them. If they have changed since it happened, they may benefit from being around other kids working through something similar. If you are unsure, reach out. We can talk it through.
How do I know if my child needs a grief group or individual therapy?
It depends on the kid. Some do better processing grief alongside peers because it breaks the isolation. They hear someone their age describe exactly what they have been feeling and something clicks. Other kids need one on one support first, especially if the loss is very recent or there is trauma layered on top. If you are not sure, that is a perfect reason to book a free consultation. I can listen to what you are seeing at home and help you figure out the right starting point.
What happens after the six sessions are over?
The group gets to decide if they want to keep meeting monthly. Some cohorts continue because the connection matters to them. Others feel ready to move on. Both are good outcomes. If your child needs more support beyond the group, we figure that out together. The goal is to give them tools and connection so they can carry their grief without being crushed by it.
Register Today
Reaching out about your child's grief is one of the harder things a parent can do. It means sitting with the reality that you cannot take this away for them. But you can make sure they do not go through it alone. Or Find us on the Life Groups and Classes Directory
