Our bereavement resources provide guidance, support, and education for individuals and families navigating the loss of a loved one. Explore articles and helpful links for adults, children, and teens, including expert insights on grief, family-focused resources, and practical tools. Whether you’re seeking local programs, online support, or ways to help your family cope together, our resources are designed to help you find comfort, understanding, and healing.
Bereavement Resources
- A Conversation About Grief with Greater Nashua Mental Health
- Local and Online Resources for Bereaved Adults
- Local and Online Resources for Bereaved Children and Teens
- Mourner’s Bill of Rights
Resources for Bereaved Adults
Resources for Bereaved Adults
Home Health and Hospice Care Bereavement support is available to those connected with hospice as well as community members. Our bereavement clinicians are available for support to anyone grieving the death of a loved one. Our program includes support groups, a local bereavement lending library, grief therapist referrals, and children’s grief resources. To connect with one of our bereavement clinicians for grief support & additional information, please give us a call at (603) 420-1919.
Grief Care Plan: A Foundation for Support
https://whatsyourgrief.com/a-grief-care-plan-your-foundation-for-support
Online Support
www.caringinfo.org – National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), a national organization with a wealth of information available about hospice, palliative care and grief/loss for families, patients and loved ones.
www.centerforloss.com – Center for Loss and Life Transition, an organization dedicated to helping people who are grieving and those who care for them. www.centering.org – Centering Corporation provides education resources and bookstore for caregivers and families.
www.grief.com – A website developed by a well-known grief expert and author, David Kessler, full of articles and information about grief and loss as well as podcasts and support group options.
www.whatsyourgrief.com – A great resource full of articles, podcasts and webinars about many different aspects of grief and loss presented in a relatable and real way for all people who are grieving.
www.optionB.org – Dedicated to helping people build resilience in the face of adversity, find information from experts on grief, loss and resiliency as well as support groups and a place to share personal stories.
www.dougy.org – A place to find grief resources for children, teens and young adults before and after a death.
Traumatic Death
Louis D Brown Peace Institute, located near Boston, serves as a center of healing, teaching and learning for families and communities impacted by murder, trauma, grief and loss. Call (617)-825-1917 or visit ldbpeaceinstitute.org
The Llost Foundation (Loss of loved ones to sudden tragedy) focuses on support family members, friends and loved ones after a sudden death. Visit www.llost.org
The National Organization of Murdered Children mission is to provide support and assistance to all survivors of homicide victims while working to create a world free of murder. Call (513)-721-5683 or visit www.pomc.org
Substance Related Death
GRASP (Grief support After a Substance Passing) is a national organization for people who are grieving a death from substance use or addiction. Call Grace Freje at the Manchester chapter (603)-533-7978 or visit www.grasphelp.org
Death From Suicide
The National Alliance on Mental Health New Hampshire has good resources and information for people grieving a death from suicide, as well as a list of support groups. Call 1-800-242-6264 or visit www.naminh.org
SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) is a national nonprofit group focused on awareness and support about suicide. They also offer grief support to people who are dealing with the death of a loved one from suicide. Call 1-800-273-8255 or visit www.save.org
Young Adults Grieving
Actively Moving Forward is a national network created in response to the needs of grieving young adults. Visit www.healgrief.org/actively-moving-forward
The Dinner Party is non-profit with a mission to transform life after loss from an isolating experience into one marked by community support, candid conversation, and forward movement using the age old practice of breaking bread. Visit www.thedinnerparty.org
Pregnancy/Infant Loss
Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support is a community for anyone who experiences the tragic death of a baby, parents, grandparents, siblings, other family members and the professionals who care for grieving families. There are local chapters in NH. Call (636)-947-6164 or visit https://nationalshare.org/
Death of a Child
The Compassionate Friends is a national organization with NH chapters providing support and hope to every family experiencing the death of a child at any age. Call (603) 391-5387 for NH chapter or visit www.compassionatefriends.org
Bereaved Parents of the USA was founded by a group of bereaved parents to offer support, understanding, and hope to fellow bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents after the death of a child at any age. Call Beth Hendershot for NH Chapter at (603) 887-4302 or visit www.bereavedparentsusa.org
Resources for Bereaved Children and Teens
Downloadable/Printable Resource
A Guide to Talking to Children About Death and Dying (from NAGC)
Local Programs
Friends of Aine: Center for Grieving Children & Families (Manchester, NH) offers support groups for children, teens and their families. For general information, call 603-669-1120; for the Good Grief program, call 603-668-1207. www.friendsofaine.com
The Compassionate Friends provides support for families who have experienced the loss of a child with local chapter in Manchester. www.tcfmanchester.org
Regional Centers
The Children’s Room, Arlington, MA www.childrensroom.org
The Center for Grieving Children, Portland, ME www.cgcmaine.org
National Websites
National Alliance for Children’s Grief nacg.org
The Dougy Center (Portland, Oregon) www.dougy.org
Coalition to Support Grieving Students is specific to grief in the school setting grievingstudents.org
Camps
Camp Comfort Zone, 3 day weekend camp for bereaved children and teens. www.comfortzonecamp.org
Camp Erin, The largest nationwide network of free bereavement camps for children and teens. www.elunanetwork.org/camps-programs/camp-erin
Camp Kesem, a free summer camp serving children who have lost a parent to cancer. www.campkesem.org
Camp Mariposa, an addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth (ages 9-12) impacted by the substance abuse of a family member. www.elunanetwork.org/camps-programs/campmariposa
Circle of Tapawingo, Sweden, Maine and Circle of Fleur de Lis, Fitzwilliam, NH, overnight, free, 6 day camp for girls ages 9-14 who have experienced the loss of a parent. www.circlecamps.org
Experience Camps, free one-week camps for boys and girls who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. https://experiencecamps.org/grief-camp-maine
On Belay, free, outdoor, adventure based program for children and teens, ages 8-18, dealing with a family member with cancer. www.on-belay.org
Outward Bound, outdoor, adventure based program for grieving teens. www.outwardbound.org/expeditions/grieving-teens
Mourner’s Bill of Rights
The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. centerforloss.com
Though you should reach out to others as you do the work of mourning, you should not feel obligated to accept the unhelpful responses you may receive from some people. You are the one who is grieving, and as such, you have certain “rights” no one should try to take away from you.
The following list is intended both to empower you to heal and to decide how others can and cannot help. This is not to discourage you from reaching out to others for help, but rather to assist you in distinguishing useful responses from hurtful ones.
- You have the right to experience your own unique grief.
No one else will grieve in exactly the same way you do. So, when you turn to others for help, don’t allow them to tell what you should or should not be feeling.
- You have the right to talk about your grief.
Talking about your grief will help you heal. Seek out others who will allow you to talk as much as you want, as often as you want, about your grief. If at times you don’t feel like talking, you also have the right to be silent.
- You have the right to feel a multitude of emotions.
Confusion, disorientation, fear, guilt and relief are just a few of the emotions you might feel as part of your grief journey. Others may try to tell you that feeling angry, for example, is wrong. Don’t take these judgmental responses to heart. Instead, find listeners who will accept your feelings without condition.
- You have the right to be tolerant of your physical and emotional limits.
Your feelings of loss and sadness will probably leave you feeling fatigued. Respect what your body and mind are telling you. Get daily rest. Eat balanced meals. And don’t allow others to push you into doing things you don’t feel ready to do.
- You have the right to experience “griefbursts.”
Sometimes, out of nowhere, a powerful surge of grief may overcome you. This can be frightening but is normal and natural. Find someone who understands and will let you talk it out.
- You have the right to make use of ritual.
The funeral ritual does more than acknowledge the death of someone loved. It helps provide you with the support of caring people. More importantly, the funeral is a way for you to mourn. If others tell you the funeral or other healing rituals such as these are silly or unnecessary, don’t listen.
- You have the right to embrace your spirituality.
If faith is a part of your life, express it in ways that seem appropriate to you. Allow yourself to be around people who understand and support your religious beliefs. If you feel angry at God, find someone to talk with who won’t be critical of your feelings of hurt and abandonment.
- You have the right to search for meaning.
You may find yourself asking, “Why did he or she die? Why this way? Why now?” Some of your questions may have answers, but some may not. And watch out for the clichéd responses some people may give you. Comments like, “It was God’s will” or “Think of what you have to be thankful for” are not helpful and you do not have to accept them.
- You have the right to treasure your memories.
Memories are one of the best legacies that exist after the death of someone loved. You will always remember. Instead of ignoring your memories, find others with whom you can share them.
- You have the right to move toward your grief and heal.
Reconciling your grief will not happen quickly. Remember, grief is a process, not an event. Be patient and tolerant with yourself and avoid people who are impatient and intolerant with you. Neither you nor those around you must forget that the death of someone loved changes your life forever.
