In addition to our grief support groups, we offer the following resources for understanding grief and helping yourself and others cope with grief.
If you’re looking for a support group for adults, find a GriefShare group at a time and location that works for you.
Follow us on Facebook to join our community where we share inspiring, uplifting messages and grief support tips.
Understanding Grief
Grief can be surprising, confusing and difficult to understand. If you or a loved one is grieving, these resources may help navigate the experience:
Web Resources:
- Meditations on Grief and Time
- Normal Grief
- STUG (Sudden Temporary Upsurge of Grief)
- Letter to Family and Friends
- YouTube Video: The Grieving Process: Coping with Death
- YouTube Video: Grief and COVID-19: Mourning What We’re Missing
- Different Types of Grief
- Personal Support for Suicide Loss
Books available from most retailers:
- Beyond Grief: A Guide for Recovering from the Death of a Loved One – Carol Staudacher
- Getting Past What You’ll Never Get Over: Help for Dealing with Life’s Hurts – John F. Westfall
- The Grief Recovery Handbook, 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition: The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses including Health, Career, and Faith – John James
Comforting Poems, Quotes and Videos
In times of grief, it is sometimes helpful to turn to the words of others who have experienced grieving of their own – and to share them with others:
- “Turning Point”
- “I Don’t Know Why”
- “Falling Apart”
- “Grief Is Not Something to Overcome”
- Words to heal – quotes on Pinterest
- Poems on coping with anger
- YouTube Video: Guided Meditation for Accepting the Unacceptable
Resources for Families After the Loss of a Child
If you or someone you know has experienced the death of a child, these resources provide support and networks to help cope with this very specific type of grief.
- Compassionate Friends – Find a Local Support Group
- Compassionate Friends – Find an Online Support Group
- The MISS Foundation
Helping Others with Grief
A friend has experienced the death of a loved one. How can you help? The following resources provide many practical suggestions for helping others with grief:
- Helping a Friend in Grief
- Helping a Suicide Survivor Heal
- Helping a Grandparent Who Is Grieving
- Helping a Grieving Friend in the Workplace
- Helping Your Family When a Member is Dying
- How Do You Help a Grieving Friend
You can also send flowers to a friend or family member who is grieving.
Helping Yourself with Grief
Someone you love has died. You are now faced with the difficult, but important, need to mourn. Mourning is the open expression of your thoughts and feelings regarding the death and the person who died. It is an essential part of healing. The following articles provide many practical suggestions to help you move toward healing in your unique grief journey.
- Helping Yourself Heal When Someone Loved Dies
- Helping Yourself Heal When Your Child Dies
- Helping Yourself Heal When Your Spouse Dies
- Helping Yourself Heal When Your Parent Dies
- Helping Yourself Heal When a Baby Dies
- Helping Yourself Heal During the Holiday Season
- How to Deal With Unwanted Suggestions from Well-Meaning People
- Five Ways to Manage Your Grief and Loneliness
- Self Care: Meditation 101 – Daily Practice
- The Ed Lally Foundation
For and About Grieving Children and Teenagers
Children and teenagers have special needs following the death of a friend or family member.
PAWS for People is a local organization that supports children who are grieving.
The following resources provide wonderful insight in helping children and teens understand and express their grief:
- Helping Children Cope with Grief
- Helping Teenagers Cope with Grief
- Helping Infants and Toddlers Cope with Grief
- Helping Children with Funerals
- “It’s OK to be Sad” Grief Book Reading
Distinguishing Grief from Depression
Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish grief from depression. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that grief after loss of a loved one is a normal reaction to the loss and generally does not require professional mental health evaluation and treatment.
However, grief that is complicated and lasts for a very long time following a loss could lead to depression and may require treatment.
If you think you or a loved one might be depressed, seek evaluation and treatment from a mental health professional. You can find information about local mental health care providers on the State of Delaware website.
Learn more about depression from the National Institute of Mental Health.