The Grief Recovery Method®

The Grief Recovery Method® Program is conducted in association with The Grief Recovery Institute®. The method is a non-faith based or religious program designed to deliver grief recovery assistance to those navigating the pain of significant emotional losses. All of us are grievers-regardless of our faith experiences, and each of us has our own unique and individual faith experiences.

While most grief is associated with losses related to death or divorce, grief can be a real part of over thirty other identifiable causes such as the loss of a pet, relational breakups, career changes, declining physical health, and religious trauma. The Grief Recovery Method® is designed to help you complete your relationship to the pain, isolation, and loneliness caused by significant emotional losses.

Our culture tends to associate grief with weakness and seldom offers healthy paths out of grief's pain into freedom and peace. But grief is the normal and natural reaction to change or loss of any kind. We hurt when something important is lost to us. While grief is normal, it does not need to remain a part of our lives going forward.

The Grief Recovery Method® has proven helpful in bringing about emotional freedom from grief and is offered in two formats.

8 – week Group Support Program that meets weekly for 2 hrs. with a maximum of 15 participants.
7 – week One-on-One Personal Support Program 2 hrs. with some flexibly for scheduling.

Grief Recovery Testimonials

“The program is very good at what it does as a way to pull baggage out into the open. It has you dig deep into yourself in places you may not have wanted to and be surprised at what you may find. It gives a sense of realness to grief in whatever form it exists. It gets to the down deep part of what may have caused some of the buried grief feelings that are really there...like the sense of abandonment I was feeling and the reasons for feeling that after my husband died. The ease you can put people in is what made the program successful. The program may be the most wonderful thing on the planet (it is very good) but if the leader doesn’t have the heart for it like you do it won't help.” Jackie H.

Tom is a highly nurturing and most gentle, empathetic, and compassionate person. He is tremendously skilled & equipped as a Grief Recovery Model Specialist, and I assure you he'll take you to a depth of healing you'd never find trying to get there on your own. Tom is a hero guiding you through the dark waters of grief to the ultimate freedom awaiting you on the other side. I highly recommend Tom and the Grief Recovery Model to anyone looking for relief, peace & contentment in life. Lynne B.

“…Your own process through your journey with your dad was heartbreaking and your openness in sharing inspired me to be open and honest with my own experiences…I feel you were the best part of the grief recovery group. Thank you Tom for all you've done for me and my family, I know it comes from a heart motivated by the love of God.” Barb H.

“I thought the Grief Recovery Method book and group were extremely helpful. When I started the group I thought I was going to be dealing with one type of loss (that of my physical abilities and independence due to a chronic progressive medical condition) and discovered I needed to deal first with a loss of trust I experienced in my marriage (and really the idea of a 'more perfect' marriage). The material was easy to understand, and I thought the exercises/homework was incredibly valuable. The facilitator, Tom Polker did a great job creating a sense of community and modeled appropriate vulnerability to encourage us in this. I would recommend both this group and the facilitator, Tom to those grieving.” D.K.

"I can't recommend Tom highly enough to lead you through the Grief Recovery Method! To find a man not only skilled at his work, but connected to his heart enough to truly lead people into healing the way he is able... is a rare gift. You won't regret working with him." Rachel P.

Financial Information

(See my Financial Philosophy Page for further understanding the pricing structure.)

Grief Recovery Group Format

The average cost for the 8-Week Grief Support Group Format is between $500-$600 nationally.
I believe this to be excessive and limiting for people seeking help. I have assigned a value of $200 for the group format.
I charge a minimal non-refundable fee of $50 to enroll in the class to help ensure that each person is invested in the process.
Part of this fee covers the cost of the book used as curriculum for group.
After completing the program, each enrollee has the option to give any amount up to the $200 value on a purely voluntary basis.
Any amount given over the $50 enrollment fee will be viewed as a gift of appreciation.

Grief Recovery Individual One-on-One Format

The average cost for the 7-Week Grief One-on-One Individual Format is between $750-$1,000 nationally.
I believe this to be excessive and limiting for people seeking help. I have assigned a value of $250 for the individual format.
I charge a minimal non-refundable fee of $75 to help ensure that an individual is invested and intending to honor the time that is blocked out meetings.
Part of this fee covers the cost of the book used as curriculum for the one-on-one sessions.
After completing the program, the individual has the option to give any amount up to the $250 value on a purely voluntary basis.
Any amount given over the $75 enrollment fee will be viewed as a gift of appreciation.