I lost a loved one recently and need help learning to cope. Where can I find a grief support group?

We are so very sorry that you have lost a loved one and are grateful that you’ve reached out to us for resources. Many grief support services are offered through organizations at the community level. A good place to start is to contact your local NAMI Affiliate, which you can find by clicking on your state through the Find Your Local NAMI menu. Additionally, you may find the following resources to be of help: 

In-person support groups

• Most local hospices offer free or sliding scale grief therapy or can refer individuals to grief support in their area. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Association maintains a Directory of Hospices across the U.S. 

• The Compassionate Friends is a self-help organization with over 600 chapters serving all 50 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam, that offer grief support to bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents, and other family members during the natural grieving process after a child has died. 
• The Hospice Foundation of America educates the public and health care professionals about death, dying and grief. Their website offers a section on finding grief support groups. Spanish-language resources are available on the website. 
• The National Widowers Organization provides information, resources and an in-person and online support community for men coping with the loss of a loved one. Offers a “Find a Support Group” function on its website and can also be reached by phone at (800) 309-3658. 
• Many communities offer in-person support groups hosted by local agencies. You may have success funding such groups by contacting your local doctor’s office or hospital system, reaching out to your local library, or checking your local newspaper and online bulletin boards. You can also try dialing 2-1-1 to ask about grief support groups offered in your area. 

Online support groups

• Psychology Today maintains search function on its website where individuals can filter their search to find grief support in their area. Groups are facilitated by a trained clinician, and cost will vary by geographic location, facilitator and health insurance participation status. 

Other grief support services

• What's Your Grief maintains a website that provides education, practical and specific suggestions for moving forward, suggestions for self-exploration and self-expression, ways to honor and remember deceased loved ones and a supportive community. Similarly, the website of Modern Loss provides resources and tips for coping with grief.  
• Carson’s Village is a free service to assist families in managing practical details following the sudden loss of a loved one. Provides free peer advocacy to help families plan/navigate details from loss to funeral. The organization is currently serving 18 states. 
• Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc. has a resources page on its website which provides an extensive list of grief support services. 
• DIY Doula is an organization which provides information regarding self-care before, during, and after an abortion. 
• My Grief Angels provides an extensive directory of grief support resources organized by type of loss experienced. They also provide 24/7 access to a variety of social services and human services, free grief online course/resources, a mobile app, and an online volunteer community of people that have experienced or are also experiencing grief. 

Loss from suicide

• The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers referrals to in person support groups for those who have lost someone to suicide, and those who have attempted suicide.  

• SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) provides resources about suicide and finding help for yourself or others. They also host support groups for Suicide Loss Survivors and helpful resources for Suicide Attempt Survivors. 

For Children/ Teens

• The National Alliance For Children's Grief provides information on supporting children through grief, including a national database of in-person grief support programs, camps, and community resources. 

• Rainbows for all Children is an international support group network that provides in-person peer support programs for children, teens and young adults as they navigate grief and heal from loss – whether from death, divorce/separation, deployment, deportation, incarceration or other trauma. Rainbows for all Children partners with communities to offer support through channels of peer support with volunteer adult facilitators. 

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