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Grief Support
The world has changed. Our mission hasn’t.
As you navigate the difficult experiences that come with grief and end of life, Wellspring is here to offer support. A variety of services and resources are available to aid in your healing journey, whether you’re looking to join a support group or access grief books and podcasts.
How to Maintain Self Care While Grieving
While it can be difficult, prioritizing self care during times of grieving is important to maintaining your physical and emotional health. Taking note of the following steps can help ensure you’re meeting personal needs while processing a loss:
- Participate in familiar activities. Try to engage in hobbies you enjoyed before loss, whether it’s doing a puzzle or reading a book, to remind yourself of the pleasures of your daily life.
- Keep a journal. Making a habit of writing about how you’re feeling can help organize your thoughts and release pent-up emotions.
- Spend time with others. It can be easy to isolate yourself while grieving, but surrounding yourself with friends and family can be uplifting and refreshing.
- Feel your emotions. Some emotions can be difficult to process, but it’s important to avoid bottling up your feelings. Instead, practice letting them out as they arise.
- Move your body. Physical activity can help reduce stress and relieve emotional pain by refocusing your mind on health and wellness.
- Rest often. Be gentle with yourself and listen to your body’s needs. If you’re feeling tired or drained, give yourself the space to rest and recharge.
- Seek out grief support. Engaging grief-specific organizations and with people who are experiencing similar struggles can help you feel less alone in your healing journey.
Groups & Organizations for Grief Support
Michigan Grief Support Organizations
- New Hope Center: Based in Northville, MI, this center seeks to bring hope and healing to all people grieving the loss of a loved one. They offer workshops, events, seminars, groups, and more to assist with grief support.
- GrieveWell: This organization located in Ann Arbor, MI cultivates a community for healthy grieving following a loss. Their goal is for adults to continue to live a full life following loss through peer support, workshops, resources, and more.
- Ele’s Place: With bases in West Michigan, Ann Arbor, Greater Flint, and the Capital Area, this organization serves grieving children and young adults across Michigan. Weekly peer support groups provide kids with a support system as they navigate loss.
- The Children's Grief Center of the Great Lakes Bay Region: This organization’s several locations throughout Mid-Michigan serve grieving children ages 5-18 alongside others their own age. They also offer a family group on-site for adult family members, and all services are free of charge.
- CrossRoads Counseling Ministries: A Christian counseling organization based in Frankenmuth, MI, this location hosts a number of therapists who specialize in faith-based grief and loss support for individuals, couples, or groups.
National Grief Support Organizations
- Center for Loss & Life Transition: Dedicated to supporting people dealing with loss or caregivers for those who are, this organization provides resources and guides for processing grief and the healing process.
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization: Specifically for hospice and end of life caregivers, this organization seeks to expand person-first healthcare and create a space for dying patients that is comfortable, peaceful, and dignifying.
- The Dougy Center: This national group provides children and teens with support in the grieving process. They offer peer groups, training, and more to assist with healing.
- The National Institute on Aging: A branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this organization leads scientific efforts to understand aging and promote health during end of life with resources, events, and health information.
Grief Support Help Lines & On-Demand Assistance
- Crisis Text Line provides those in need with free 24/7 support from a volunteer crisis counselor via text, online chat, or WhatsApp. Whether you’re dealing with grief, anxiety, loneliness, or something else, their team is trained to offer a listening ear.
- NAMI HelpLine volunteers can help answer questions, offer support, and provide next steps for those struggling with mental health. Between 10am-10pm EST Monday-Friday, people in need can call, text, email, or chat for live support.
- Teen Line is a nationwide resource and support system for struggling teens. From 6-10pm PST daily, teens can text or speak with a professionally trained teen counselor on a variety of mental health concerns.
- The Compassionate Friends offers a variety of live chat rooms for parents, grandparents, and adult siblings who are specifically grieving the death of a child. People can join different chat rooms specific to their grief situation at different days/times each week.
Content on Grief Support & End of Life
Books & Articles
- Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief, Dr. Joanne Cacciatore: This book guides adult readers through the healing process following a loss, outlining how grief can reveal connections, compassion, and humanity in ways we never imagined.
- The Invisible String, Patrice Karst: Recommended specifically for children struggling with grief and loss, this picture book explains the unbreakable connections between people and what love means, no matter someone’s physical presence.
- Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, David Kessler: With a goal of moving through grief by honoring our loved ones, this book for adults outlines how readers can remember those they’ve lost with more love than pain.
- It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand, Megan Devine: There’s nothing wrong with grief, and that’s what this book is trying to teach its adult readers. Rather than simply trying to return to normal, this book shares how a new approach to healing can be a far healthier path.
Videos & Podcasts
- Grief Out Loud is a podcast normalizing the act of talking about grief. People who have dealt with loss share their stories in each episode, and encourage listeners to have the courage to talk about their own struggles out loud.
- End of Life University is a podcast offering educational information and resources about the various aspects of end of life. However you’re coping with a loss, these episodes offer valuable learning opportunities.
- Griefcast is a podcast for those seeking to cope with loss through humor. Each episode features a comedic guest who, alongside the host, examines their experiences with life following the death of a loved one.
Grief Support Services at Wellspring
At Wellspring, we offer a variety of behavioral health services that address the healing process and offer you or your loved ones support during times of grieving.
Grief Counseling & Support Groups
We provide both individual and group grief counseling at select Wellspring locations. Our free adult grief support group meets in Frankenmuth, MI on the third Sunday of every month, and a variety of our therapists throughout Michigan specialize in bereavement help.
Learn About Grief Counseling at Wellspring
Camp Hope
Specifically for children and teens aged 6-17, Camp Hope is a free 3-day program for those coping with the death of a loved one. This opportunity helps kids process loss and connect with others who are experiencing childhood grief.
Learn About Wellspring’s Camp Hope
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