Grief & Bereavement Resources

You don't have to navigate this alone

If you are reading this, you may have recently lost someone dear to you. We are deeply sorry. There are no words that can make this better, and we will not pretend otherwise.

Grief can feel like the ground has disappeared beneath you. Everything that was familiar may suddenly feel foreign. You may be exhausted and unable to sleep. You may forget things, feel unable to concentrate, or find yourself going through the motions without really being present. You may feel nothing at all, or you may feel everything at once. All of this is a normal response to an abnormal amount of pain.

If you are also facing the task of planning a funeral or making arrangements, the weight of practical decisions on top of emotional devastation can feel unbearable. We want you to know: you do not have to figure this out alone, you do not have to make every decision right now, and asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is one of the bravest things a person can do.

This page gathers grief support resources in one place -- crisis lines if you need someone to talk to right now, guidance on finding a counselor, information about support groups, and help for the unique challenge of making funeral decisions while grieving. Take what is useful to you. Leave the rest. Come back whenever you need to.

Understanding grief

Grief is not a problem to be solved. It is the natural, human response to losing someone you love. It is the price of attachment, and it is evidence that the person you lost mattered deeply. Understanding what grief looks and feels like can help you recognize that what you are experiencing -- however painful or confusing -- is not a sign that something is wrong with you.

Grief has no timeline

You may have heard about the "stages of grief" -- denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. While these stages can be a useful framework, they were never meant to describe a linear process. Grief does not move in a straight line from pain to healing. It comes in waves. Some days will feel manageable; others will knock you down without warning. A song, a smell, an empty chair at the table -- anything can bring the full weight of loss crashing back.

There is no "right" amount of time to grieve. Some people begin to feel a gradual shift after several months. For others, the most intense grief may last well over a year. Both are normal. The people who tell you it is time to "move on" usually mean well, but grief moves at its own pace, not anyone else's.

Common grief experiences

Grief affects your entire being -- your emotions, your body, your thinking, and your behavior. Knowing what to expect can help you feel less alone in what you are going through.

• Emotional responses: Sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, loneliness, yearning, relief (especially after a long illness -- and feeling guilty about that relief), numbness, or feeling emotionally disconnected.
• Physical symptoms: Fatigue and exhaustion, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, appetite changes, tightness in the chest or throat, headaches, body aches, nausea, or a weakened immune system. Grief is physically demanding. Your body is processing something enormous.
• Cognitive effects: Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty making decisions, preoccupation with the deceased, or a sense of unreality -- as if this cannot actually be happening.
• Behavioral changes: Withdrawal from others, crying at unexpected moments, restlessness, avoiding places or activities associated with the person, or searching for the person in crowds or familiar places.

All of these are within the range of normal grief. They do not mean you are "falling apart." They mean you loved someone, and they are gone, and your whole system is trying to make sense of a world that has fundamentally changed.

When grief may need professional support

Grief is not the same as clinical depression, though they share many symptoms. In grief, painful feelings usually come in waves and are often mixed with positive memories of the deceased. In depression, mood is more consistently low, and feelings of worthlessness or self-loathing may be present.

Consider reaching out to a mental health professional if you experience any of the following:

• Persistent feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness that do not lift
• Thoughts of suicide or self-harm
• Inability to perform basic daily functions (eating, hygiene, going to work) for an extended period
• Increased use of alcohol or drugs to cope
• Intense guilt about things other than actions taken or not taken at the time of death
• Prolonged numbness or emotional disconnection lasting many months
• Feeling that life has no meaning or purpose without the deceased

Seeking help is not a failure of grief. It is an act of care toward yourself -- the same kind of care your loved one would likely want for you.

Immediate support and crisis resources

If you are in crisis right now -- if you are having thoughts of harming yourself, if you feel you cannot go on, or if you simply need someone to talk to in this moment -- please reach out. These services are free, confidential, and available around the clock.

Types of grief support

There is no single "right" form of grief support. What helps one person may not resonate with another, and what you need may change over time. Here is an overview of the main types of support available, so you can find what feels right for you.

Individual therapy and counseling

One-on-one sessions with a licensed therapist or counselor who specializes in grief and loss. This is often the most personalized form of support. A grief counselor can help you process complex emotions, develop coping strategies, and work through any complications in your grief -- such as unresolved conflict with the deceased, traumatic circumstances of death, or concurrent life stressors.

Sessions typically last 45-60 minutes and may be weekly or biweekly. Many therapists now offer virtual sessions, which can be especially helpful when leaving the house feels overwhelming.

Support groups

Grief support groups bring together people who are going through similar experiences. There is something uniquely powerful about being in a room -- physical or virtual -- with others who truly understand what you are feeling without needing an explanation.

• In-person groups: Offered through hospices, hospitals, churches, community centers, and organizations like GriefShare. Typically meet weekly or biweekly.
• Online groups: Available through platforms like GriefShare Online, The Dinner Party (thedinnerparty.org), and various grief-focused communities on social media. These can be especially helpful if you live in a rural area, have mobility limitations, or are not ready to attend something in person.

Hospice bereavement programs

This is one of the most underutilized resources available to grieving families. Most hospice organizations provide free bereavement support for up to 13 months after a death -- and in many cases, you do not need to have been connected to the hospice beforehand. These programs may include one-on-one counseling, support groups, phone check-ins, memorial events, and educational resources. Contact hospice organizations in your area to ask about their bereavement services. This support is typically provided at no cost.

Faith-based grief support

Many churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and other faith communities offer grief support programs, pastoral counseling, prayer groups, or companionship programs for bereaved members. Some of the most well-known programs, like GriefShare, are faith-based but welcome people of all backgrounds. If faith is part of your life, your religious community may be a source of both spiritual comfort and practical support during this time.

Online communities and forums

For some people, the anonymity and accessibility of online communities make it easier to share and connect. Platforms include:

• Reddit communities: r/GriefSupport and r/Widowers are active, compassionate communities where people share experiences and support one another.
• The Dinner Party: A platform (thedinnerparty.org) for people in their 20s-40s who have experienced significant loss, offering peer support through table gatherings and virtual groups.
• Alliance of Hope: An online community specifically for survivors of suicide loss (allianceofhope.org).

Grief coaching and companion services

Grief coaches and companions are not licensed therapists, but they can provide structured guidance, accountability, and emotional support as you navigate life after loss. They may be especially helpful for people who do not feel they need clinical therapy but want dedicated support from someone trained in grief. If you choose this path, ask about their training, experience, and approach to make sure it aligns with what you need.

Finding a grief counselor

Finding the right grief counselor can feel like one more overwhelming task when you are already stretched thin. Here is a straightforward guide to help you navigate the process.

What credentials to look for

When searching for a grief counselor, look for licensed mental health professionals with specific training or experience in grief and bereavement:

• Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW): Master's-level clinicians trained in therapy and often specializing in grief, trauma, and family systems.
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT): Specialize in relational dynamics and can be especially helpful when grief is affecting the whole family.
• Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC): Master's-level counselors with broad therapy training who may specialize in grief.
• Psychologists (PhD or PsyD): Doctoral-level clinicians who can provide therapy and may specialize in complicated grief or trauma.
• Certified Thanatologists (CT): Professionals with specialized certification in death, dying, and bereavement from the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC).

Questions to ask a potential grief counselor

• What is your experience working with grieving clients?
• What therapeutic approach do you use for grief? (Common evidence-based approaches include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Meaning Reconstruction, and Complicated Grief Treatment.)
• Have you worked with people who have experienced a loss similar to mine?
• Do you offer virtual or in-person sessions?
• What does a typical session look like?
• How frequently do you recommend meeting?
• What are your fees, and do you accept insurance?

Insurance and affordability

Grief counseling is often covered by health insurance when provided by a licensed mental health professional. Under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, most insurance plans must cover mental health services comparably to physical health services. To understand your coverage:

• Call the member services number on your insurance card and ask about mental health or behavioral health benefits.
• Ask specifically about out-of-network benefits if the counselor you prefer is not in your plan's network.
• Ask about your deductible, copay, and how many sessions are covered per year.

Low-cost and sliding-scale options

If cost is a barrier, several paths may help:

• Hospice bereavement programs: Free to the community in most cases, regardless of whether the deceased was in hospice care.
• Open Path Collective: A nonprofit network of therapists who offer sessions at reduced rates ($30-$80) for clients with financial need.
• Sliding-scale fees: Many therapists adjust their fees based on your income. It is always okay to ask.
• Community mental health centers: Federally funded centers that provide therapy on a sliding-scale basis.
• University training clinics: Graduate programs in psychology and counseling often operate clinics where supervised students provide therapy at reduced rates.
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): If you or the deceased were employed, your employer's EAP may provide several free counseling sessions.

Grief and funeral planning

There is a painful irony in grief: at the very moment when you are least equipped to make major decisions, you may be asked to make dozens of them -- and many of those decisions involve thousands of dollars. This intersection of acute grief and financial decision-making is one of the hardest parts of losing someone, and it is something we think about constantly on this site.

Making financial decisions while grieving

Grief significantly affects your ability to think clearly, evaluate options, and make decisions. Research in cognitive psychology confirms what grieving people already know: acute grief impairs concentration, judgment, and the capacity to process complex information. This is not a personal failing. It is a neurobiological reality.

This matters because the funeral industry requires you to make decisions quickly -- about services, caskets, burial plots, and fees -- often within hours of a loss. Some funeral homes are compassionate and patient. Others may take advantage of your emotional state, either intentionally or simply because their sales process is not designed for people in crisis.

Ask someone you trust to help

If there is one piece of practical advice on this entire page, it is this: ask a trusted friend, family member, or advisor to help you with funeral arrangements. This person does not need to make decisions for you, but they can:

• Make phone calls to funeral homes and request General Price Lists
• Compare prices across providers so you do not have to
• Be present during meetings to take notes and ask questions
• Serve as a buffer when you feel pressured
• Remind you that you do not have to agree to anything on the spot

Asking for help with this is not burdening someone. The people who care about you are often looking for a concrete way to help -- and this is one of the most meaningful things they can do.

Why comparison shopping matters, even now

We know this may feel impossible. The idea of calling multiple funeral homes when you can barely get through the day may seem absurd. But the reality is that funeral costs vary enormously -- the same services can differ by $3,000 to $5,000 between providers in the same city. Even a single additional phone call, or having someone make that call on your behalf, can prevent significant financial strain during an already difficult time.

Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral homes are legally required to provide you with an itemized price list. You have the right to choose only the services you want. You are allowed to bring your own casket. You do not have to accept a package deal. These rights exist specifically to protect families during their most vulnerable moments.

Permission to take your time

In most situations, you have more time than you think. While the body needs to be transported to a funeral home or other care facility relatively soon after death, the funeral or cremation itself typically does not need to happen for 3 to 5 days. Some families take longer.

If anyone pressures you to make immediate decisions -- about the type of service, the casket, add-on services -- it is okay to say: "I need more time to think about this." A provider that respects you will give you that time.

Resources for specific types of loss

While all grief shares common threads, certain types of loss carry unique challenges. The organizations and resources below specialize in supporting people through specific kinds of bereavement.

Loss of a spouse or partner

Losing a spouse or life partner changes every dimension of daily life -- your routines, your finances, your identity, your future plans. The loneliness can be especially acute.

• Modern Widows Club (modernwidowsclub.org): A national peer-support organization for widows and widowers, offering local chapters, retreats, and online community.
• Soaring Spirits International (soaringspirits.org): Provides peer-based support including the Camp Widow program.
• AARP Grief and Loss Resources: Provides practical guidance for widows and widowers, including navigating finances after a spouse's death.

Loss of a parent

Losing a parent, whether expected after a long illness or sudden, changes your relationship to the world in a fundamental way. Adult children who lose a parent often feel a disorienting shift -- as if the safety net they always assumed was there has vanished.

• Hospice bereavement programs often have groups specifically for adults who have lost a parent.
• The Dinner Party (thedinnerparty.org) serves young adults navigating significant loss, including the death of a parent.

Loss of a child

The loss of a child -- at any age -- is among the most devastating experiences a human being can endure. Grieving parents often describe feeling as though part of themselves has died. If you are a parent who has lost a child, please know that specialized support exists for you.

• The Compassionate Friends (compassionatefriends.org): A national organization offering peer support for families who have lost a child of any age, including chapters in most cities, online support, and an annual national conference.
• Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support (nationalshare.org): For parents who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death.
• MISS Foundation (missfoundation.org): Provides counseling, advocacy, and support for families grieving the death of a child.

Loss of a sibling or friend

The grief of losing a sibling or close friend is sometimes called "disenfranchised grief" -- not because it is less valid, but because society often focuses its support on spouses, parents, and children, leaving siblings and friends feeling as though their grief does not fully "count." It does. Your loss is real, and you deserve support.

• The Dinner Party (thedinnerparty.org) welcomes people grieving any significant loss, including siblings and friends.
• GriefShare groups (griefshare.org) are open to anyone who has experienced any type of loss.

Sudden or traumatic loss

When death comes without warning -- through an accident, violence, medical emergency, or other sudden cause -- grief is often compounded by shock, trauma, and an acute sense of injustice. You may experience intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, hypervigilance, or difficulty accepting that the death really happened.

• If you are experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress alongside grief, a therapist trained in both trauma and grief can help. Look for clinicians who use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) or trauma-focused CBT in addition to grief therapy.
• National Center for Victims of Crime: 1-855-4-VICTIM (1-855-484-2846) for support after violent loss.
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD): Provides victim services and support for families who have lost someone to a drunk driving crash.

Loss from suicide

Losing someone to suicide carries a unique burden of grief. In addition to the devastating loss itself, survivors often wrestle with guilt, unanswerable questions, stigma, and a painful sense of "what if." If you have lost someone to suicide, please know: it was not your fault. You could not have prevented it. And you are not alone -- suicide loss affects millions of families.

• Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors (allianceofhope.org): An online community providing connection, support, and healing for people who have lost someone to suicide.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) (afsp.org): Offers local support groups for suicide loss survivors, educational resources, and the annual International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day.
• The Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group Directory at afsp.org/find-a-support-group lists in-person groups by state.

Books, organizations, and helplines

The following resources have helped many families navigate grief. We include them as starting points, not endorsements. What resonates with you is personal, and it may take time to find the resources that feel right.

Books on grief

• It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine -- A direct, compassionate book that validates grief rather than trying to fix it. Written by a therapist who lost her partner suddenly. Widely recommended by grief counselors.
• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion -- A memoir of grief after the sudden death of her husband. Praised for its unflinching honesty about what grief actually feels like.
• On Grief and Grieving by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler -- Applies the well-known stages framework specifically to the grief of those who have lost someone.
• Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief by David Kessler -- Kessler, who lost his own son, explores how finding meaning after loss can be a path through (not past) grief.
• When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi -- A neurosurgeon's memoir written after his terminal cancer diagnosis. Profound for both the dying and the bereaved.
• The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O'Connor -- A neuroscientist explains the science of grief and why your brain responds the way it does to loss. Helpful for understanding the cognitive and physical symptoms of grief.

National organizations

• National Alliance for Grieving Children (childrengrieve.org): Raises awareness and provides resources for children and teens who are grieving.
• The Dougy Center (dougy.org): The National Grief Center for Children and Families, providing peer support and resources.
• Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) (adec.org): Professional organization that can help you find credentialed grief counselors.
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (nhpco.org): Can help you find hospice bereavement programs in your area.
• Funeral Consumers Alliance (funerals.org): A consumer education organization that can help you navigate funeral costs and rights.

Helplines

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (24/7)
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (24/7)
• SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (24/7)
• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 (for children in grieving families who may be at risk)
• Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 then press 1, or text 838255 (for veterans and their families)
• Dial 2-1-1: Connects you to local services including grief support, financial assistance, and community resources

For those supporting a grieving person

If someone you care about is grieving, you may feel helpless. You may worry about saying the wrong thing. You may not know what to do. The fact that you are reading this section means you care enough to try, and that matters more than you know.

What helps

• Show up. Your presence matters more than your words. Sometimes sitting with someone in silence is more healing than any conversation.
• Say their name. Say the name of the person who died. Grieving people often fear that their loved one will be forgotten. Hearing their name spoken aloud can be a gift.
• Be specific in your offers to help. Instead of "let me know if you need anything" (which puts the burden on the grieving person), try: "I'm bringing dinner on Thursday -- is there anything your family can't eat?" or "I'd like to help with phone calls to funeral homes. Can I do that for you?"
• Listen without trying to fix. You cannot fix this. Do not try. Just listen. Let there be silence. Let there be tears. Let the person talk about their loved one as much as they need to.
• Keep showing up. The first two weeks after a death, support often pours in. Then it stops. The grieving person is still grieving. Check in at one month, two months, six months. Mark the anniversary on your calendar. Send a text that says, "I'm thinking of you and [loved one's name] today." Those later gestures often mean the most.

What to avoid

• Platitudes: "Everything happens for a reason." "They're in a better place." "At least they're not suffering anymore." "God needed another angel." Even if well-intentioned, these phrases often minimize the person's pain. They can feel dismissive.
• Comparisons: "I know how you feel -- my grandmother died last year." Every grief is unique. Comparing losses, even gently, can feel like you are redirecting the conversation to yourself.
• Timelines: "It's been six months -- don't you think it's time to start moving on?" Grief has no expiration date. Suggesting otherwise can make a grieving person feel broken for still hurting.
• Silver linings: Resist the urge to find something positive in the situation. Sometimes there is nothing positive, and that is okay to acknowledge.

If you are unsure what to say, this is always safe: "I don't know what to say. But I'm here, and I care about you."