"Remember a time … feeling as though a train has roared through your heart, splitting it into a million pieces. Feeling as though happiness is a complete luxury that you will never be able to afford again, when everything that you breathe, feel, sleep, dream and think is grief and pain. It covers you like a shroud … it invades your lungs and your brain and your bones and your joints. It makes you feel completely alone. And suddenly you see a break in the bleakness, almost like sunshine, or you hear a small peaceful song … that is my definition of the Wendt Center and their staff."
—Wendt Center Client
Welcome
With nationally recognized expertise in grief, trauma and mental health, the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing helps adults and children in the Greater Washington region rebuild a sense of safety and hope after experiencing a loss, life-threatening illness, violence or other trauma.
The Wendt Center is a premier resource for restoring hope and healthy functioning to adults, teens and children who are coping with grief, loss and trauma. We provide mental health counseling, training and education, crisis response and case management services to ease the impact of illness, loss, and traumatic events. We respect individuals and their experiences, understand the pain of loss and trauma, and support people in their healing journey.
The Wendt Center understands the need to reach out for help when the stress associated with illness, traumatic events or life threatening illness is overwhelming. We also understand that not everyone has the means to pursue professional or peer assistance and people often feel lost among the countless support options now available. We have created this web site in an attempt to provide useful, practical and accessible information for those interested in learning more about the process of healing.
VOICES OF NOW: Giving a voice to grieving youth
The Wendt Center and Arena Stage have formed an exciting partnership that will give a voice to grieving children in our communities.
Rehearsals begin in January 2012 and will take place on Monday evenings from 6-8PM at Arena Stage in SW, Washington DC. The resulting dramatic work will be choreographed and performed on stage by these teens in May, 2012 as part of Arena Stage’s Voices of Now festival. If you would like more information about the criteria for participation in this project, know of a potentially suitable candidate, or just want to learn more and download an application, please click here.
COMING SOON!
Camp Forget-Me-Not/Camp Erin 2012 Session
This year's grief camp for young people (6-16 years old) will be held on Friday, June 8 through Sunday, June 10, 2012. Applications will available online Thursday, March 1, 2012. For more information please click here.
The 36th Anniversary
Benefit
A Benefit Evening Not Soon Forgotten
"The best ever!" said attendees of our 2011 annual benefit. Keynote speaker Victoria Kennedy
spoke before a rapt audience of 350 about how she has dealt with grief in her life. Special honoree Carol Pensky, who has devoted over 25 years to caring and supporting the Wendt Center, received several poignant tributes, including a serenade by the a cappella group Reverb, and was featured in a moving video about the Wendt Center and her critical role in its development. [click here to download video].
To view the 2011 Benefit slideshow Click here
News and Events
Join our Lights of Hope Team
The Lights of Hope Program provides candle light vigils for families in the Washington Metropolitan area regardless of cause of death. To learn more, Click here.
Grief Therapy Groups
Enroll Now!! Most of the groups are on-going for all ages. For more information click here or contact our Intake Coordinator at 202-204-5021.
2012 Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities
Click here for more information.
Washington Window
Article about the Wendt Center
Click here to read the article about the Wendt Center (page 7) in the Newspaper of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.
RECOVER Program
The Kojo Nnamdi Show
Dr. Bruce Sklarew and staff member Stephanie Handel were on the Kojo Nnamdi radio show discussing the Wendt Center’s RECOVER program. Dr. Sklarew was integral to the creation of the RECOVER program and is a longtime supporter of the Center. The program aired May 19, 2011 on 88.5 WAMU. Click here to listen to the show.
United Way and CFC Campaigns
The Wendt Center is one of the charities you can designate if you participate in the annual United Way Campaign.
Our agency code is #8345 and CFC Code is #17145.
Thank you for remembering us!
