Our Services

"I worked with my Wendt Center counselor and not only did I learn a lot about how to deal with and accept loss, I learned about myself. I found joy from within and I stopped feeling alone."

— WENDT CENTER ADULT CLIENT

Adult Counseling

Our professional, experienced counselors work with children, teens, and adults individually, as families and in support groups. We believe there are many paths to healing, but they all begin with providing support to people in times of illness, loss and death. We offer counseling in our main office in Northwest Washington, DC or in our satellite offices in SE and NE Washington.

C.H.I.L.D. Program

We offer a continuum of care for children and youth impacted by trauma and grief through our C.H.I.L.D. Program's wide array of services. Wendt Center teams of therapists, interns and volunteers provide services at our offices for individual and groups of children and their families. Our staff also train professionals in local schools, community centers, and other social service agencies throughout the metro area.

Camp Forget-Me-Not/Camp Erin DC

Camp Forget-Me-Not/Camp Erin DC is a free weekend, sleep-away grief camp that gives children an opportunity to enter a safe space—away from their everyday lives—to gently explore the normal process of grief. At Camp Forget-Me-No/Camp Erin DC, each Camper is paired with an adult Buddy for the entire weekend. With a mixture of traditional camp-like activities and grief work, Camp Forget Me-Not provides a safe and enjoyable environment where each child’s self expression is heard, valued and honored.

Crisis Response

Wendt Center counselors serve as a steady support to children, adults, families and caregivers affected by local and national crises. These have included September 11, the sniper killings in the fall of 2002, workplace and school crises, the 2009 metro rail accident and Holocaust museum shooting and neighborhood violence.

Lights of Hope Program

The Lights of Hope Program provides candle light vigils for families in the Washington Metropolitan area regardless of cause of death. Team members are trained in facilitating vigils, onsite coordination and providing practical support to those in attendance. To learn more, contact Kecia Hill at 202-204-5025.

Crime Victim Services

Through the Wendt Center’s HOPES Program we provide comfort and support for families, individuals, and communities coping with crime-related grief and trauma. Services are provided by licensed clinicians, program staff, and carefully trained volunteers with expertise in the areas of traumatic loss, crime victimization and violence. Through our HOPES Program, we provide comfort, information and practical assistance to people of all ages mourning the death of a loved whose life was taken by homicide or to those who are survivors of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual violence or other crimes. Our caring and compassionate staff understand the road towards healing and offer expert guidance and support.

Friends Volunteers

Our dedicated Friends Volunteers receive training so they understand grief and loss. Friends provide emotional and practical support to individuals and families affected by life-challenging illness, loss or grief and assist in facilitating support groups and other activities for children.

RECOVER Program

Seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year, Wendt Center counselors are at the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the morgue, to provide counseling and support to families who must come to complete the identification process of their deceased loved one. Many of the deaths are unexpected and are all-too-often the result of violence. Our counselors provide emotional and practical support with a special emphasis on including grief care for the children affected by these deaths. When needed, our Crisis Response Team provides follow up home based services.

Training and Education

Our Training and Education Program offers workshops, conferences and other educational forums on a variety of topics related to loss, bereavement, and trauma.