Bereavement Support

My journey of grief and mourning the death of my loved one brought me to Gulfside Healthcare Services ... It was there I met Vanessa who was to become my counselor. Through individual sessions and now group sessions, she has helped guide me to a place of understanding. She allowed me the opportunity to navigate through challenging times and validate my feelings. Vanessa is a true professional who cares about the well-being of her clients. Her guidance has made a world of difference to both me and others.

I lost my son suddenly ... He will forever be 27. The help I received from Vanessa working through sudden loss and then being part of a group of others who also suffered sudden loss has helped me. I feel I learned some different ways to try to cope with this unthinkable loss. A big Thank You to Gulfside. But especially to Vanessa for her compassionate approach.

The emotional support and guidance provided by Bereavement Services were undoubtedly crucial for my teen son and I during our time of grieving the loss of our dear one. Between counseling, support groups, and referrals to community resources, we feel so lucky to have had these services extended to us. Didn't even know they existed! We are beyond thankful, as we honestly feel that we travelled down the grief road with a lot more ease because of them!

After my husband passed, I received a letter from the hospice for counseling. I was afraid, but I called and started the group sessions ... Kaitlin made me feel that I was in the right place to endure my journey. I kept doing one-on-one sessions and at first, I was in denial of my progress ... However, last Friday was the first year of his passing. I could finally see that I was strong, able to do the things we used to do together once again and even found a job. Kaitlin put my mind to work and taught me different ways to cope. I miss my husband, no doubt about it, but I am grateful that I embraced this journey. Lastly, I was never made to feel that I was wrong on any step of this roller coaster called grief due to this support. I know my husband is at peace, and I know he knows that I have been taken care of going through this counseling.

When I was informed that Gulfside provides bereavement counseling, I chose to receive the help as soon as possible. I knew that in order for me to regain my mental and physical well-being, I would need to seek an expert in this field that understands the complexities of the grieving process. I am blessed to have close friends, and family members that are very supportive; However, there is something extra special about a well-trained bereavement counselor that helps you navigate through this difficult time to develop new coping skills. I am fortunate to have Kaitlin Marquez as my counselor and I am deeply impressed with her clinical skills and her vast knowledge and keen understanding of grief. She is soft spoken, empathic, insightful, an excellent listener and knows exactly what to say at the right time with deep compassion and respect. Although I still grieve my husband, I am so much stronger and ready to move forward with my life, engaging with the world from a new perspective and appreciation for what I have. I am so grateful to Gulfside for including this vital service to those of us who lost loved ones, especially losing everything and everyone that came to care for our loved ones at home. When it comes to my time and I need hospice care, I would definitely request Gulfside.

When I was first told about grief counseling my first reaction was no, because I never thought I would need assistance; but how wrong I was until I met Counselor Kaitlin Marquez. She has skillfully and expertly led me through the darkest and most difficult period of my life on how to live without my beloved husband Michael. But with compassion, kindness, and empathy she has guided me to a place where I am not afraid of grief anymore … So here I am, in some form of reconciliation, where I can smile and laugh some, as I take my husband's wonderful memory along this journey.

My son and I ... both received counseling from Kaitlin Marquez and she has been instrumental in guiding (us) through the grieving process. Kaitlin is a very special person and an exceptional counselor. She is very understanding of what other people are going through and you can tell she cares and sincerely wants to help. She is very easy to talk to and connects to all age groups. Counseling has given us the support and tools we needed to help us get through one of the most difficult times in our lives. We thank Kaitlin and Gulfside Hospice for providing this service to families after the death of their loved one. 

One week before his 26th birthday, my grandson decided to end his life. This happy, compassionate, and loving young man with a successful career and promising future, left this world without any outward signs of the deep emotional pain he must have been feeling. How do I, who have been an important part of his life, move through this tremendous sense of guilt for not recognizing his pain? Overwhelmed with my grief, a friend brought me to our community hospice office to try and obtain the names of therapists and support groups that specialize in the loss of a loved one through suicide. Shortly afterward, I received a call from Kaitlin Marquez, a Gulfside therapist. Ms. Marquez has been guiding me through this darkness called "grief". She threw me a lifeline at a time when I felt I was drowning with guilt and emotional pain. Kaitlin is proof that God brings people into our life at a time when we need them the most. She has helped me understand that life can go on without hearing from my grandson each day. It goes on because I have been blessed with 26 years of happy memories. With my deepest appreciation to Kaitlin Marquez, the Gulfside Hospice Organization, and their Bereavement Department.