Announcing the closing of our Grief Healing Discussion Groups, effective January 1, 2025
To all those who visit our Grief Healing Discussion Groups sister site:
Unlike other self-help forums for the bereaved, this site has been privately administered, closely monitored and professionally moderated to ensure the highest level of quality, safety and security for our participants. Every post is reviewed and read by myself: a nationally certified grief counselor who visits the site several times a day, and who feels a deep personal and professional responsibility to monitor the site in a way that encourages understanding, growth and healing.
Our site has been described by the caregivers and bereaved who come here as a lifeline ~ a safe place to land when you need to be with others who “get it” and who understand. I know from your unsolicited comments and continued active participation that this is an important and valued service.
Still, it costs money to sustain and many hours a month to administer and moderate the site. Since 2013 I have relied on donations to keep us going, and I am deeply grateful to our regular donors and to all who have contributed over the years. And while it’s been a labor of love for me to donate so much of my own time and effort in administering the site and moderating our forums all these years, I am no longer able to sustain this level of commitment. It is for these reasons that I am announcing the closing of our Grief Healing Discussion Groups, effective January 1, 2025. I want to alert you to this decision now, so you’ll have ample time to prepare.
Since our launch over two decades ago, many changes have happened in the online world, including the emergence of alternative grief support platforms, offering many different ways for the bereaved to connect with one another online. As a result of this mass migration toward public-facing social media channels like Facebook, members can now look to additional channels to grow and express themselves ~ and I humbly encourage you to do so now. I’ve included a list of suggested resources at the base of this post. (As always, if you've found a site not listed that you'd like to recommend, please let us know in the Comments section below.)
Note that readers of this blog can still find links to all the articles I've written on the topics of bereavement, grief and loss listed here. Just click on one of the tabs you'll find at the top of this page: Marty's Articles; Children, Teens & Grief; Coping with Special Days; Pet Loss and Voices of Experience.
DayNew: Two widow founders launched this social platform for people dealing with grief and trauma.
Tender Hearts Grief Groups: Grief Support Community with David Kessler @ $34 a month.
Widowed Parent: – “We began our first support group for widowed parents in 2010, and have been running them ever since. The opportunity to connect with - and support - other parents has been instrumental in their healing and moving forward with their lives.”
Grief Refuge: Subscription fee
Untangle Grief: "The app for grievers, by grievers. Your one place for all things grief support. Tips, tools, community."
Actively Moving Forward (AMF) App: The AMF App provides grieving individuals an opportunity to join a virtual community, providing a platform to connect and share with other like-minded individuals grieving or supporting those who are. Set up as a “closed” membership, registration is required. Registered members have access to:
Finally, to our GHDG members: I hope that each and every one of you will take great pride in what's become of this website since you first joined it, whether that was recently or several years ago. This special place belongs to all of you. It would not be what it is today without your watchful presence, experienced input, fierce loyalty, loving compassion and ready willingness to accompany (and so often guide) those who've come after you on this difficult journey of grief. I cannot think of a more meaningful way to honor your departed loved ones. They must be so proud of you. You are very, very dear to all of us, and most especially to me. ♥
Read more of this announcement here: Time to Say Goodbye
Other Online Grief Support Platforms:
Soaring Spirits International: Soaring Spirits provides widowed people with the chance to meet socially and to create a local community of widowed friends through our Regional Social Group program. Groups are led by our awesome volunteer facilitators who plan meetings twice a month in their geographical area, and in some cases virtually. Membership offers an opportunity to support Soaring Spirits programs with a monthly donation in an increment that works for you. Membership is never required for access to our services.
Grieving.com: Grieving.com is a community of people supporting each other. The forum is supported through donations and advertising. We have an amazing group of people from over 100 countries.
HealGrief: HealGrief® is a social support network that is there when everyone else goes away and the real grieving begins. Everything we do is inspired by our core belief that no one should ever grieve alone. HealGrief® provides the tools and resources to guide one’s journey with grief into healthy personal growth.
Alive Good Mourning Group: Start your day with support from others who understand what you’re going through. This group provides casual connection and practical tips to get you through the week. The group meets virtually each Wednesday.
Men’s Grief Network: The Men’s Grief Network® is a project of the National Widowers' Organization, a non-profit organization founded originally in 2009. It emerged from the experiences of widowers who became passionate about helping other men avoid the challenges they encountered. Over time our experience enabled us to help men dealing with grief from other losses. Our vision is to make appropriate groups available nationwide to all grieving men that seek support.
Journeys with Grief: Content from leading grief experts about love, life and loss, this Facebook page provides self-help tips for those who are grieving and guidance about what to expect following a loss. Page information provided by Hospice Foundation of America.
Soaring Spirits International: Soaring Spirits provides widowed people with the chance to meet socially and to create a local community of widowed friends through our Regional Social Group program. Groups are led by our awesome volunteer facilitators who plan meetings twice a month in their geographical area, and in some cases virtually. Membership offers an opportunity to support Soaring Spirits programs with a monthly donation in an increment that works for you. Membership is never required for access to our services.
Grieving.com: Grieving.com is a community of people supporting each other. The forum is supported through donations and advertising. We have an amazing group of people from over 100 countries.
HealGrief: HealGrief® is a social support network that is there when everyone else goes away and the real grieving begins. Everything we do is inspired by our core belief that no one should ever grieve alone. HealGrief® provides the tools and resources to guide one’s journey with grief into healthy personal growth.
Alive Good Mourning Group: Start your day with support from others who understand what you’re going through. This group provides casual connection and practical tips to get you through the week. The group meets virtually each Wednesday.
Men’s Grief Network: The Men’s Grief Network® is a project of the National Widowers' Organization, a non-profit organization founded originally in 2009. It emerged from the experiences of widowers who became passionate about helping other men avoid the challenges they encountered. Over time our experience enabled us to help men dealing with grief from other losses. Our vision is to make appropriate groups available nationwide to all grieving men that seek support.
Journeys with Grief: Content from leading grief experts about love, life and loss, this Facebook page provides self-help tips for those who are grieving and guidance about what to expect following a loss. Page information provided by Hospice Foundation of America.
DayNew: Two widow founders launched this social platform for people dealing with grief and trauma.
Tender Hearts Grief Groups: Grief Support Community with David Kessler @ $34 a month.
Widowed Parent: – “We began our first support group for widowed parents in 2010, and have been running them ever since. The opportunity to connect with - and support - other parents has been instrumental in their healing and moving forward with their lives.”
Grief Refuge: Subscription fee
Untangle Grief: "The app for grievers, by grievers. Your one place for all things grief support. Tips, tools, community."
Actively Moving Forward (AMF) App: The AMF App provides grieving individuals an opportunity to join a virtual community, providing a platform to connect and share with other like-minded individuals grieving or supporting those who are. Set up as a “closed” membership, registration is required. Registered members have access to:
- Facilitated Virtual Support Groups,
- One-on-One with a HealGrief Coach,
- Book Clubs and Workshops,
- Daily Supportive Quotes of Inspiration,Interactive Community Comment Boards,
- Supportive Tools and Resources, Readings and Videos,
- Direct Messaging and Group Chats with Community Members.
GriefWorks: The Grief Works app was created to help you navigate your grief after the death of a loved one, soothe your pain and build your strength over time. While every experience of grief is unique and different, Grief Works includes guided advice from UK's leading grief expert Julia Samuel to help you find your "new normal." Available on Google Play and Apple App.
Other Online Grief Counseling Services:
Other Online Grief Counseling Services:
- BetterHelp: Online grief counseling service
- Brightside: Online grief counseling service with Medicare
- Talkspace: Online grief counseling service with insurance
- Online-Therapy.com: Affordable online grief counseling service
- Zocdoc: Grief counseling service for online and in-person sessions
- Sesame: As-needed online grief counseling service
- Calmerry: Text-based online grief counseling
Your feedback is welcome! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question, or share a tip, a related article or a resource of your own in the Comments section below. If you’d like Grief Healing Blog updates delivered right to your inbox, you’re cordially invited to subscribe to our weekly Grief Healing Newsletter. Sign up here.
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