Welcome To Ottawa Funeral Peer Support
“The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect.”
– Peter Levine.
Our mission at Ottawa Funeral Peer Support is to provide a safe place in our community for funeral professionals and those in the death industry alike. It’s an evening to get together with other industry professionals to discuss and support the unique work that we do.
It is a time where we share hope, inspiration, and empowerment, as well as an opportunity to help others. We strive for a compassionate, authentic, and confidential environment whenever, and wherever you are with us.
Our Charter
In the funeral industry, professionals – licenced and not – are exposed daily to the tragedies and illnesses of their communities, along with the social discontents that follow such events. For many in this profession, while bearing witness to distressing incidents may cause no physical harm to any individual, the scarring imprints left on the psyche of the industry, combined with far too few formal organized supports, have become too great to ignore.
Funeral professionals are tasked with being spectators to the gory, the messy, and the feral, all while keeping what is seen and heard confidential out of professional duty; they see the worst of humanity, then keep its secrets. While many see this as noble, without the proper outlets and support, if left unchecked, these secrets can haunt and torture funeral professionals for a lifetime. Combine that with a proud, stiff-upper-lip mentality that pervades the industry, and that leaves slim chance for those who need help the most to seek it.
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Ottawa Funeral Peer Support operates on a NOT-FOR-PROFIT basis
and is not publicly funded.
This is a free service offered to licensed, non-licensed, and retired Funeral Professionals in the Ottawa Region.
*Disclaimer: We are not licensed therapists or counselors,
please visit our Distress Line page for resources pertaining to
Mental Health Professionals