grief group?
I need to find an in-person grief group. My closest friend of 30 years has died. I'm need the support but I'm a little apprehensive that my loss will seem unimportant in the context of family and partner losses. Is there even such a thing as a friend grief group?
Thank you in advance for your replies.
Oct 26, 2023
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Grief is grief… could be friend, family, pets or celebrities! (Robin williams death rocked my world with grief) you belong with your grief wherever you choose to seek help! May light and support surround you!
I don't have any group recommendations but my biggest take away from my grief group was the lack of any external hierarchy to measure the depth and extent of grief within a person's life. I also looked for a specific shared experience only to find that it didn't matter.
I'm so sorry for your loss. A friend of mine found support for a similar situation at Kara. I wish you comfort and peace as you move forward in your life while holding your grief.
First of all, I'm so sorry for your loss. Our best friends are often someone as close to us as our own partners (if not closer!), please do not feel apprehensive about seeking help - no one will judge you. My best friend of 10 years died tragically, and I know that this kind of loss is immense. There are many grief support groups through local houses of worship - if you are a part of a spiritual community, or through health care providers, like Kaiser. Many independent counselors and/or therapists also offer this kind of support. I wish I could direct you to someone, but hopefully this is a place to start, and another poster may have a more specific recommendation.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m not personally aware of friend grief groups, but I would suggest reaching out to a Sutter Health Bereavement program located near you and giving them a call. They offer bereavement counseling and groups to Sutter members and non-members alike, usually donation based. If they don’t have a good fit for you, at the very least they may have some referrals to offer.
I had a wonderful experience participating in Joan Monheit’s Writing Through Grief group years ago, and some group members were grieving a close friend loss. I’m not sure what her current offerings are, but here’s the website:
http://www.joanmonheitpsychotherapy.com/
You can also try searching for therapists specializing in grief counseling through the Psychology Today online directory. Many therapists offer individual grief counseling as well as run grief groups depending on need etc.
Best of luck, and wishing you time for reflection and reflection extra self care, especially as the holidays approach <3
So sorry for your loss..made more difficult because you feel there isn't anyone to talk with about the loss of your dear friend. Have you explored "Hospice East Bay"? One of the few NON-profit hospices around, they offer an ongoing bereavement group--to anyone, not just family/friends of one of their patients.
https://www.hospiceeastbay.org/services/grief-support/
All the best in your journey to deep healing.
I am so sorry for your loss.
The Grief Recovery Institute has a wonderful network of specialists who do both 1:1 and Group support. I found a wonderful community when I was grieving losses of my own and one of the things I loved is that everyone loss is treated as equal, as we all feel grief 100%, regardless of the loss.
You can see if there is a local group here.