New Initiative Offers Free Mental Health Support to People Navigating Parental Loss in Chicago Area

Health

New Initiative Offers Free Mental Health Support to People Navigating Parental Loss in Chicago Area

Eunice Alpasan | September 12, 2024, 3:55 pm

Remember Him Remember Her founder Paris Jackson, center, speaks with Nave Wellness Center therapists Alisha Lewis, left, and Alaina Harris, right, during a grief support group session on Aug. 17, 2024. (Courtesy of Raven Fisher)

Paris Jackson was reminded of her late father when she purchased her first condo two years ago in the South Loop.

“What most people would celebrate as a milestone was really one of the saddest days of my life,” said Jackson, whose father was killed in 1997 when she was six years old.

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Jackson was approaching 33 years old, the same age her father was when he died.

Upon reflecting on her experiences with grief throughout her life, she sought to create a supportive space for others navigating the complexities of grief and parental loss, a topic she said doesn’t get talked about enough.

Jackson created the nonprofit Remember Him Remember Her at the start of this year to provide that supportive space.

The organization is now partnering with Nave Wellness Center in south suburban Frankfort to provide a free monthly grief support group for youth and adults experiencing parental loss. Sessions are led by an on-site licensed mental health professional.

“Grief is stigmatized, and I want to destigmatize it because most of us experience it, especially growing up in Chicago,” Jackson said. “It’s truly unfortunate just how many funerals I went to in my life and how many people I’ve known who’ve lost their parent … just knowing how many people it affects and how many people don’t even realize that they are actually grieving.”

In offering a free grief support group, Jackson said she wanted to address financial barriers people might face when seeking mental health services. The monthly sessions, held at Nave Wellness Center, are also offered virtually for those unable to make it in person.

The nonprofit Remember Him Remember Her and Nave Wellness Center in the south suburbs are partnering to provide mental health services to people navigating parental loss through free monthly grief support groups. (Courtesy of Raven Fisher)

Raven Fisher is a licensed clinical professional counselor and owner of Nave Wellness Center, which celebrated its grand opening in August.

On top of financial barriers to seeking mental health care, Fisher said another barrier is people not giving themselves the space to work through issues.

“We, as a society, are often just taught, ‘You just got to pull up your bootstraps, just knuckle your way through it,’ whatever it is that people say about how we need to just be independent and figure it out and keep it moving,” Fisher said. “I get where the spirit of that comes from, but that’s also so detrimental because we’re not creating the space to let ourselves work through the hard things that are existing.”

Attendees of sessions can expect to be in a space that is safe and confidential, Fisher said. Sessions include an education portion on topics of grief and loss in addition to opportunities for attendees to share their feelings and experiences.

In a group therapy setting, there isn’t a pressure or expectation to show up a certain way, Fisher said, adding that people do not have to share things they may not feel comfortable sharing.

“Just by choosing to engage with this group, we’re acknowledging that we’ve gone through something and that something was life-changing, and it’s beautiful to acknowledge,” Fisher said. “It’s not sustainable for us to live life as if we’re in a silo and to just be completely independent and do things entirely on our own. It’s so helpful for us to acknowledge community and let ourselves be part of community.”

Jackson said her experiences with navigating grief have evolved since losing her father as a young girl. Jackson remembers her father, Floyd, as someone who she’d listen to music with, would crack jokes, owned multiple businesses, dressed nicely, played softball and had an affinity for cars, boats, four-wheelers and motorcycles.

“I did my best to hold on to memories that I shared with my father, and my mom really emphasized that growing up, to make sure we continue to keep his memory alive,” Paris Jackson said. “As my grief has evolved, I look at it as love now.”

Founder Paris Jackson, center, during Remember Him Remember Her’s first memorial event on Father’s Day on June 16, 2024. (Courtesy of Osiris Johnson / 2nd Shooter Media)

In June, Remember Him Remember Her hosted a Father’s Day memorial event at 31st Street Beach for those with a late father to be able to honor and celebrate his life.

Remember Him Remember Her is currently funded by donations, said Jackson, who aims to find a financial partner and other funding opportunities to help reach more people. Jackson said she hopes to offer more resources in the future like financial planning services, wellness workshops, youth-focused services and events and a structured program for those in need of emergency support.

Jackson described therapy as a game changer in her life as she navigated grief.

By holding a support group for those experiencing parental loss, Jackson said she hopes that people can feel reassured and empowered and know what it’s like to be in an inclusive, nonjudgemental environment.

“Revisiting grief isn’t always sad,” Jackson said. “It’s a celebration of life as well. … Sometimes you could be there just to hear a funny story about someone or just to sit there and be silent, and know that if you want to just sit there, you can do that, no one is going to judge you.”

The next grief support group session is set for Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to noon. Sessions are scheduled every third Saturday of the month through June 2025. Sign up here.

Below is the upcoming schedule: