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Bereavement support groups offer a good venue for grieving individuals to seek support. Grieving is often a lonely process, and some people find it extremely helpful to speak with others experiencing a similar loss. It helps to know that other people are going through what you’re going through. Bereavement groups help you explore and express your grief, and are a great alternative to, or supplement for, one-on-one bereavement counseling.

Why Bereavement Support Groups?

Every loss is different, but grief often leaves people feeling isolated. For many, feelings of sadness and loss are so overwhelming that it may seem as though friends and family can’t understand what they’re going through. Bereavement support groups provide a connection with people undergoing their own grief process, help you find validation, and ensure you are not alone. A bereavement group also helps you move through a block, processing your emotions when you get stuck or feel you aren’t making progress.

Express and Explore Your Grief

Bereavement groups are helpful for providing tools to express and explore your grief, such as:

  • Explore and express your grief through creative outlets, such as bereavement poems, journals, or collages.
  • Learn how other people deal with grief triggers in their own lives.
  • Find healing through faith and religious beliefs.
  • Discover new traditions and techniques that help you keep loved ones present in your memory and your heart.

Bereavement groups use one or more of these approaches. Select a group that most appeals to your personal preference and grief process.

Find the Right Bereavement Group for You

Bereavement support groups come in many styles. You might prefer a bereavement group led by a bereavement counselor or grief counselor with a more guided approach to your meetings. Or you might prefer bereavement groups that are just a collection of people all going through their grief process, where you simply share your stories and offer support. The Internet has become an increasing presence in our lives, and grieving people now join online support groups in addition to, or instead of, in-person bereavement groups.

How you deal with your grief process is very personal to you. Bereavement support is an invaluable tool to help you deal with your loss. Whether your support team consists of your friends and family, or an objective group of caring strangers who are going through something similar - find support. Examine all your options for bereavement services to find the right solution for you.

by: Dachary Carey