Grief Support

    Holding a funeral or memorial service for your loved one is a positive first step in the grieving process. Family members and friends get a chance to say their goodbyes, and at the same time, they get to share strong feelings with one another.

    In the days, weeks and months following the service, people continue to need others to lean on for understanding, encouragement and guidance. For that reason, many local and national support groups have formed. These groups provide a common place and a comforting environment for expressing emotions through each phase of the grieving process. To learn more, click on the links below, or discuss grief counseling and support options with your funeral director.

General Grief Resources

• AARP Grief & Loss: a collection of resources and an on-line support community.

• National Funeral Directors Association: Frequently Asked Questions about grief.

• American Cancer Society - Support to cancer patients, family and friends.

• Growth House - Discusses hospice care, dying with dignity, terminal illness, grief and bereavement.

• GROWW.org - message boards, resource listings and secure chat rooms for the grieving.

• WidowNet - an information and support resource for, and by, widows and widowers.

• Crisis, Grief and Healing - Webhealing.com, the first interactive grief website on the internet, offers discussion boards, articles, book suggestions, and advice for men and women working through every aspect of grief. The site’s founder, Tom Golden LCSW, has provided book excerpts and contact information to help those healing from loss.

• GriefNet - With nearly 50 internet support groups plus a wide range of online resources, GriefNet provides support for those dealing with all types of loss. Their companion site, kidsaid.com, helps children and their parents deal with grief and loss in an appropriate and safe environment.

• Willowgreen - Willowgreen offers support and information for those dealing with life transition & aging, illness & caregiving, loss & grief, and hope & spirituality. The site offers advice, products, and inspirational materials.

• Grief and Loss - The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) website contains a Grief & Loss section with grief-related articles and information.

• Growth House -Growth House is an award-winning website that offers international resources for life-threatening illnesses and end of life care. The site features hypertext topic pages that explain major issues across the spectrum of hospice and home care, palliative care, pain management, grief, death with dignity, and quality improvement. It also offers disease-specific guides, an online bookstore, and even their own radio station.

• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization - The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s website provides a host of information and resources for people facing a life-limiting illness or injury and their caregivers. Webhealing.com, the first interactive grief website on the internet, offers discussion boards, articles, book suggestions, and advice for men and women working through every aspect of grief. The site’s founder, Tom Golden LCSW, has provided book excerpts and contact information to help those healing from loss.

Grief Resources For Parents

• National SIDS and Infant Death Program Support Center - provides research, education, and support for families dealing with SIDS.

• Bereaved Parents USA - a nationwide organization designed to aid and support bereaved parents and their families.

• The Compassionate Friends - supports families who have experienced the death of a child.

• SHARE Pregnancy & and Infant Loss Support - provides support to those whose lives are touched by the tragic death of a baby through early pregnancy loss, stillbirth or newborn death.

Grief Resources For Children

• Fernside Online - an online resource for grieving children.

• The Dougy Center - the first center in the United States to provide peer support groups for grieving children. They provide support and training locally, nationally and internationally to individuals and organizations seeking to assist children in grief.