therapy Archives

Healing with Horses Through Grief and Loss

June 20, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

Healing with Horses is a program of TRU Community Care and a part of our grief services for youth coping with death and loss. This week we sat down with Raegan Gyorffy, the Director of Grief and Volunteer Services, to gain insight into the immeasurable value of the program.

While describing the group and how the horses impact the participants’ lives, Raegan says, ”The group is truly special. Horses are large and intuitive, able to mirror emotions, and provide a conduit for conversation and a good alternative to traditional group talks.”

The program runs for an 8-week period in the fall and again in the spring. Each week the participants meet for themed sessions that pair conversation with interaction and care for the horses. Youth are partnered with one another based on the similarity of age, their stage of grief, and their type of loss. Additionally, they are matched with a horse for added support. Each program has eight youth and up to six adults to ensure the safety and care for everyone involved.

A coordinator of the program expresses her experience and perspective of the impact the horses have in the participant’s grief process by explaining that,

“The relationship with the horse offers connection that helps ground the kids and breaks down barriers. We often see kids who are silent during the talking circle and come alive and expand once they are with the horses. It seems to offer a non-threatening space for kids to open up, move their bodies, and engage their senses in a way that gives them access to their emotions and thoughts. Also, being outside, getting exercise and having fun are all healthy ways to cope with big emotions!”

She herself has learned from the youth participants how to cope with grief and loss, the power of connection and being understood, and the importance of the power of feeling seen in our grief. One father told her that his son says “grief camp” is his son’s favorite activity of all the things he does for fun.

Stories like these are truly why Grief Services and specialized programs like Healing with Horses are so crucial to the heart of TRU Community Care. We could not do it without the heart and dedication of our staff, volunteers, families, donors, and overarching community.

To learn more about Grief Services and how you can become involved with Healing with Horses, please visit our Services and Volunteer page.

TRU PACE Art Gallery Opening

May 28, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

Last week, more than 60 people joined TRU PACE to celebrate the opening of our art gallery featuring the works of PACE participants and visiting artist, Al Canner. The artwork created by PACE participants was produced through the therapeutic art program, Purple Art.

Al Canner, a fiber artist, is the chairman of the TRU Ethics Committee and our first featured community artist. We are grateful to have his intricate work featured with the works of PACE participants.

TRU PACE participants artist cards are available with a small donation in support of PACE programming by emailing LeslieMader@trucare.org.

If you were not able to come to the TRU PACE Art Opening and would like to view the pieces, showings are available by appointment only. Please make a scheduled viewing by contacting Leslie Mader at 303.665.0115.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the TRU PACE Art Gallery Opening a hit!

Stay in the loop for our next TRU PACE Art Opening and other events by signing up for our newsletter at https://bit.ly/2ZbzPdk.

The Threshold Singers

May 24, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

A melodic sound softly begins to rise as your tired eyes, bones, and heart begins to respond to life and feeling. The gentle voices of the Threshold Singers have the ability to awaken the soul and body, unlike any other healing process. It is entirely communal while simultaneously personal, and anyone in the presence of their music will benefit from their support in song.

“Threshold Choir’s mission is to sing for those at the thresholds of life. Their goal is to bring ease and comfort to those at the thresholds of living and dying. A calm and focused presence at the bedside, with gentle voices, simple songs, and sincere kindness, can be soothing and reassuring to patients, family, and caregivers alike.” – Threshold Choir

TRU Community care is fortunate to have the Threshold Choir volunteering as a service to our families and their loved ones. The Threshold Choir International (TCI) is a nonprofit with over 200 chapters globally, equalling about 2,300 members. Kate Munger, Founder of TCI, travels around the country to rally attention and support for Threshold Singers and in 2012 she hosted an event in Boulder, Colorado.

We had the opportunity to interview four of Boulder’s Threshold Singers, who often sing for the TRU Community. Sally Kornblith, Patricia Petersen, Linda Klein, and Brenda Rowe sat down to talk and sing for us in early May of 2019. After meeting Kate Munger at the event in Boulder, Kitty Edwards and Brenda Rowe co-founded the Colorado Chapter called the Boulder Threshold Singers with Patricia Petersen in 2013. They continuously have 13-25 members annually and serve communities throughout Boulder County.

Patricia Petersen, the co-Founder of The Threshold Singers, tells us how she came to know this was something she needed to do.

“In 2012, my partner, Robin, was dying of cancer. I and three other people would sing for her for hours every Sunday, and it was the only thing that would take away the pain. It was noticeable. Music was so important to Robin.”

Individual threshold members have written and created a large repertoire of hundreds of soothing, comforting non-denominational songs, perfect for bedside singing. From these, the Boulder Threshold Singers have learned 70 of those songs (to date) for their repertoire. They also continue to learn and add more songs. Singers are required to go through a vetting process that makes sure participants are capable of providing not only beautiful sounds but an experience that is soothing and supportive of their community. When they sing, they get close and create a supportive and gentle environment. They sing wherever they are needed – at homes and hospitals in Boulder County, wherever hospice patients are being cared for, and at TRU Community Care.

“People are uncomfortable with death, not knowing what to do with themselves. People often feel like they should take care of you, asking if you’d like something to eat or drink…trying to make a situation comfortable that just isn’t comfortable. So, we sing. The room begins to let go and able to breathe.” – Says Sally, describing a memorable Threshold moment.

Members of the Threshold Singers often find themselves a part of this singing community out of their own experiences with grief and death. They say their work is “a giving circle” and a form of reciprocity. They feel they are equally – if not more – benefiting from their songs as a form of healing. Their music tangibly fills the air with peace and freedom to let go of whatever anyone may be holding on to. We are grateful to have them as a part of our services and look forward to the stories that are built by their songs over the coming years.

A Day in the Life with Heidi, a Therapy Dog

May 9, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

On a cold and dreary April morning, Heidi, a shiny-eyed Golden Retriever, is ready for the task she feels made for. Her vigilance for the patients at TRU Community Care’s in-patient Care Center at Longmont United Hospital is unmatched. Heidi has found her joy and ultimate purpose in providing the care needed to support the patients and their loved ones. Every visit she brings a ray of sunshine onto the unit, as she struts off the elevator, ready for the task at hand.

TRU Community Care has provided pet therapy services to patients since 2010, and Heidi has been one of their star volunteers for several years. On this particular Tuesday morning, Heidi is going to be visiting with three patients. She pokes her nose into the first patient’s room without hesitation and then quickly backs up and retreats before Heidi’s human companion, Beth Risdon, can assess the situation. The patient is sleeping and Heidi seems to know that she isn’t needed in that room, or at least not yet.

Heidi looks to Beth, as Beth inquires with the nursing staff as to which patients Heidi should visit with next. As if she understands English, Heidi is up and walking toward room number 5 before the nurses have even finished giving Beth some details on the patient.

Heidi wags her tail as she walks down the hall, eagerly anticipating the visit ahead. Beth knocks and Heidi wags gently at the door. Together they walk in to approach the patient who is sitting facing the cloudy skies out of the window.

Without missing a beat, Heidi walks right up to the patient, who eagerly scratches her head and coos at her. She takes it all in and seems to know that this is what life is all about. After having immersed herself in the love and healing energy of Heidi, the patient looks up to see Beth standing there and begins to tell a story about her two dogs, one of which only knew French commands.

Heidi’s beginnings were on a farm in Nebraska. Her human got sick when Heidi was about two and had to abandon all the animals on the farm. She quickly found herself adopted by Beth’s family in Longmont, Colorado. It was shortly after Beth’s family brought her home that they realized that Heidi possessed the qualities of a great therapy dog. After some time, Heidi started going on walks with a group of retired me who all worked together at IBM, now retired. Bernie, their neighbor, comes to get Heidi and take her on these walks every day except Sunday for a 3.5 mile loop. Heidi is very aware that this walk is a part of her routine.

Her disposition is sunny and bright with a love for routine. Beth realized that Heidi was special and would make a great therapy dog. Two and a half years ago, Beth began the process of getting Heidi and herself certified and trained as a pet therapy team. Heidi was five and a half when she got certified; she is now eight years old. After Beth and Heidi’s final evaluation, Beth reached out to TRU Community Care to see if they would be interested in having the therapy session trainings. And thus, the idea of Heidi being a therapy dog for patients at the end of their life in need of this type of healing support, was born.

The first day on the job, Beth knew that TRU Community Care was going to be a good fit for Heidi. “She walked into a patient’s room and immediately knew what to do.” says Beth. The patient had breast cancer and asked if Heidi could join her on the bed. Beth checked in with the caretaking team and they gave the okay. With that, Heidi jumped up and plopped her head down right on the patient’s chest–where she knew her cancer lived. The patient looked up at Beth and said with a smile, “She knows.”

And that she does.

Now, they both have a weekly session every Tuesday morning at the care center. Beth and Heidi are available to anyone who wants to see them or be with them during this time. Heidi’s work with family members has been incredible. It varies in reaction, but if their loved one loved dogs or they miss their companion, then it can be a very emotional experience. Heidi becomes a vehicle for conversation, re-counting of their history, and ultimately creates an environment that they open up to.

At times, Heidi will come in when a patient has just passed away. Beth will introduce Heidi and she will lie down while everyone begins to pet and love on her. Gradually, everyone will begin to tell stories and open up about their experiences. Heidi is super clued into the emotion about the death and is able to provide a level of empathy that doesn’t come with words.

When Heidi’s therapy vest goes on, she can’t wait to get to the care center. She is all in, going every Tuesday for two years.

For more information about TRU Community Care’s Pet Therapy Program, please visit trucare.org.

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