This is an online grief support site offering inspirational stories, poems, quotes and forums about the grief process after the death of a loved one. Free and nondenominational.
The Association for Death Education and Counseling is an international, professional organization dedicated to promoting excellence and recognizing diversity in death education, care of the dying, grief counseling and research in thanatology.
Created by widowed people for widowed people, this website provides a wealth of information about weekend gatherings of widowed people from across the country and around the world.
The center is an educational and training center for bereavement caregivers, with resources also for those who are grieving. A bookstore, newsletter and online articles provide helpful information. The Center is directed by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, known worldwide for his compassionate messages of hope and healing in grief.
This site features just a few of the resources available through the Centering Corporation, a family-owned and operated business that is dedicated to serving the needs of those healing from loss.
The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive. The Compassionate Friends is a national nonprofit, self-help support organization that offers friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings. There is no religious affiliation and there are no membership dues or fees.
The Dougy Center was the first center in the United States to provide peer support groups for grieving children. They share with you what they have learned from more than 13,500 children, teens and families that they’ve served since 1982.
The Family Lives On Foundation’s mission statement is to bring joy and comfort to grieving children, teens and their families by helping them continue cherished family traditions. Family Lives On supports hundreds of children/teens and their families in continuing cherished traditions, once a year, each year until the child/teen turns 18-years-old.
This site offers support and advocacy to grieving families who have experienced a death. Although direct services are not offered in this area, the website has a newsletter and other materials for professionals and families to guide and support those grieving or working with grieving individuals.
Gift From Within is a non-profit organization dedicated to those who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), those at risk for PTSD, and those who care for traumatized individuals. It develops and disseminates educational material, including videotapes, articles, books, and other resources through its website and maintains a roster of survivors who are willing to participate in an international network of peer support.
Granite Recovery Centers strive toward a fulfilling life of purpose where every person has an opportunity to make a contribution that is meaningful. Their centers are all about physical and spiritual rebirth towards a new life. The center has two excellent handouts for individuals grieving an overdose loss – Bereavement and the Psychology of Addiction and How to Grieve After Losing a Loved One to Overdose.
Provides many topic specific articles about grief as well as Grief Healing Discussion Groups. The discussions are facilitated by a professional grief therapist and the website offers a wealth of helpful grief information.
An international organization dedicated to holding local support group meetings for working through grief, with interactions from attending seminars with experts on grief to walking through your grief with others in your community from a non-denominational, biblical perspective.
The Grief Toolbox is an all-encompassing place for grief tools: a singular area where a person can find all the resources they need to help them with that grief that neither time nor money can solve.
This website was created to provide bereavement resources, memorial products and links to help you through your personal loss. It also serves as an education tool for all who travel down the road of grief.
The Hospice Foundation of America is a nonprofit organization that promotes hospice care and works to educate professionals and families on issues relating to caregiving, terminal illness, loss and bereavement.
The M.I.S.S. Foundation provides support to grieving families through online support groups and a discussion board for children. The site also has information for bereavement professionals. The site includes articles, a newsletter, MISSing Angels and a downloadable funeral planner.
Mesothelioma.com understands how devastating it is to lose a loved one to cancer. Mesothelioma support groups help patients, families and caregivers throughout the cancer journey. Various organizations provide in-person and online forums where individuals can connect and share experiences. By participating in a support group, patients may improve emotional wellbeing and quality of life.
The National HopeLine Network provides crisis information for those who are contemplating suicide, and counselors available at all times to listen and offer assistance with obtaining local counseling help. 1-800-442-4673
Committed to advancing care at end of life, NHPCO also can assist you in finding bereavement resources and counseling services during the illness of someone close, or following the death. Information also is available in Spanish.
National Widowers’ Organization was founded by a group of widowers who found solutions in their grief through a men’s support group. The satisfaction from this process led to the creation of this site and a national advocacy for programs that support men in bereavement. The website has sections on what you can expect to encounter, resources, frequently asked questions and information on where to find male support groups.
This website provides the opportunity to create a unique, online memorial for your loved one. You can add memories, photos, or videos and invite others to contribute. Memorials are displayed online or you may print it as a poster. Free as well as expanded paid options available.
This support organization was created to help women and their families whose lives are touched by the tragic death of a baby through early pregnancy loss, stillbirth or in the first few months of life.
Created by a mom after the death of her daughter, the Sweet Pea Project offers comfort, support and gentle guidance to families who have experienced the death of a baby.
TAPS is a national, nonprofit organization serving the families and friends of those who have died while serving in the armed forces. Services include a military survivor peer support network, grief counseling referral, caseworker assistance and crisis information.
This site offers discussion boards for individuals to chat about topics related to a personal loss, or grieving in general. There also are articles of related interest and a page where you can journal in honor of someone you have lost.
Resources and support for parents of school age children. Based at the University of North Carolina cancer hospital, they are also researching the experiences of widowed parents to better serve other families.
An information and support resource for, and by, widows and widowers. Topics covered include grief, bereavement, recovery and other information helpful to people of all ages, religious backgrounds and sexual orientations who have suffered the death of a spouse or life partner.
Young Survival Coalition (YSC) strengthens the community, addresses the unique needs, amplifies the voice and improves the quality of life of young adults affected by breast cancer, locally, nationally and internationally.
For additional grief-related websites, click here.
For General Information on Grief · AARP’s Grief and Loss Offers articles, discussions, resources and tools for coping with grief and the loss of a loved one. · HOPE for Bereaved, Inc. Provides hope, support and services for the bereaved. · OptionB An online community that collects and shares stories of adversity to help people build resiliency and find joy.
For Death from AIDS · CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's primary reference, referral and publications distribution service for HIV and AIDS information. The services are aimed primarily at professionals.
For Death of Armed Forces or Law Enforcement Personnel · COPS—Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. Nationwide nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing resources to assist in rebuilding the lives of the survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, as determined by federal government criteria. · TAPS—Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc. National nonprofit organization made up of, and providing services to, all whose loved ones have died while serving in the Armed Forces.
For Death of a Child/Children · Compassionate Friends Grief support after the death of a child.
For Homicide Survivors · National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) NOVA is the oldest national victim-assistance organization of its type in the United States and is the recognized leader in victim advocacy, education and credentialing. · POMC (Parents of Murdered Children) POMC’s vision is to provide support and assistance to all survivors of homicide victims while working to create a world free of murder.
For Life-Challenging Illness · American Cancer Society Information on cancer, including coping with a long-term illness and dealing with grief and loss after death from cancer. · Candelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation A national nonprofit membership organization with a mission is to educate, support, serve and advocate for families of children with cancer, survivors of childhood cancer and the professionals who care for them. · The Hospice Foundation of America Nonprofit organization that provides leadership in the development and application of hospice and its philosophy of care. · Cancer Care National nonprofit organization providing free professional help to people with all cancers. · National Cancer Institute This patient summary on loss, grief and bereavement is adapted from the summary written for health professionals by cancer experts. · The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization National organization dedicated to advancing the art and science of end-of-life care.