Grief has a story that wants to be told, seen and healed. Grief does not have a time limit, nor an end, but it does have a reconciliation to a state of well-being. Different grief styles call for different support, whether it be educational, individual or group. Understanding your grief journey is an important part of healing. Finding the support that works for you can help you embrace hope and encounter the presence of your loss.
At St. Peter's Health, we understand everyone’s grief journey is different and having easily accessible resources can make all the difference. We offer individual sessions with certified grief specialists, monthly grief newsletters, 7-week grief education and support groups, and day-long support groups to help people address grief and self-care for well-being during loss.
Upcoming Support Groups
Contact Leslie at laldrich@sphealth.org or Karissa at kjbennett@sphealth.org for more information or to register for a group.
Write from the Heart
Friday, March 15, 2024 1-4 p.m.
An afternoon journaling group focused on grief processing through writing facilitated by hospice bereavement staff.
Grief Education and Support Group
7-week closed group | Thursdays from 5:30 - 7 p.m.
March 28 - May 9, 2024 (registration available now)
Facilitated by St. Peter's Health Hospice, this 7-week bereavement education support group is for adults who have experienced the death of a loved one. The groups will provide participants the opportunity to learn about the grief process and strategies for coping and healing. Group members will also be able to discuss their thoughts, feelings and experiences with others living with a significant loss. Topics of information and discussion include:
- The individual and unique pathways of grief
- The emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of grief
- Strategies for healthy self-care
- Exploring the opportunities for personal growth and transformation in the grief process
Bereavement Blog
Guilt in Grief
Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death. It can be a common yet complex emotion in grief. Guilt does not always have to be rational to be real. Even when we realize our guilt is not based on reality we may still experience it. Two researchers, Margaret Miles and Alice Demi, identified six different types of guil
Surviving Suicide
Denied usual sources of comfort, a suicide survivor can be left feeling isolated and alone in their grief. While your life will forever be changed by the loss of a loved one to suicide there are healthy ways to cope with the pain.
Learning to Grieve
Dr. Mary Frances O’Connor has studied grief for over two decades and seeks to understand what happens to our brains when we grieve. Her findings point to grief as a kind of “learning,” where we work to understand our new reality without our loved ones.
Six Steps for Attending to Your Grief
We cannot heal without mourning or expressing our grief outwardly. Attending to your grief brings back a sense of well-being. Denying grief, stuffing grief, running from grief or minimizing grief only complicates and prolongs healing. This blog contains education on grief and the process of healing a broken heart.
16 ways to help children grieve
It's important to know there are ways we can model effective grieving and support the children we care about as they grieve. This list provides some starting points and evidence-based considerations for how to support a grieving child.
Book List
The following books have been helpful to many grieving people.
Felber, M. Finding Your Way After Your Spouse Dies, Ave Maria Press, 2000.
Fine, C. No Time to Say Goodbye: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One, Main Street Books, 1999.
Grollman, E. Living When A Loved One Has Died, Beacon Press, 1977.
Levy, A. The Orphaned Adult: Understanding and Coping with Grief and Change After the Death of Our Parents, Perseus Book Group, 2000.
Lewis, C.S. A Grief Observed, Seabury Press, 1963.
Rando, T. How To Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies, Lexington Books, 1988.
Westberg, G. Good Grief: A Constructive Approach to the Problem of Loss, Fortress Press, 1986.
Wolfelt, A. Healing Your Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas, Companion Press, 2001.
Wolfelt, A. The Journey Through Grief: Reflections of Healing, Second Edition, Companion Press, 2003.
Wolfelt, A. The Paradoxes of Mourning: Healing Your Grief with Three Forgotten Truths, Companion Press, 2015.
Wolfelt, A. Understanding Your Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart, Companion Press, 2003.
Zunin, L. The Art of Condolence: What to Write, What to Say, What to Do at a Time of Loss, Harper Perennial, 1992.