When you suffer a loss, it’s important to understand the psychological, emotional, and physical effects involved. The extremes that you’re dealing with are understandable and manageable, and there are steps you can take to begin working through the grief.
The Compassionate Friends proudly supports a nationwide network of over 450 peer-led support groups serving bereaved parents, grandparents, and siblings after the death of a child, grandchild, or sibling. In communities across the country, from small rural towns to large metropolitan cities, these groups provide a safe and understanding place where grieving families can come together to talk, listen, share, and support one another.
Our support groups are not led by therapists or professional counselors. Instead, they are led by bereaved family members who understand grief firsthand. Every person in the room shares a common bond; the experience of profound loss and the need for compassionate connection.
Starting a Compassionate Friends support group in your community creates an opportunity for grieving families to find hope, understanding, and support close to home. Through shared experiences, members learn from one another, build lasting connections, and discover they do not have to walk this journey alone.
Within our groups, you will find people of all ages and backgrounds. Some are mourning a recent loss measured in days or weeks, while others carry decades of experience navigating life after loss. Some families are grieving an adult child, while others are mourning a child who never had the chance to take their first breath and even others are navigating the unexplainable pain of losing a sibling or grandchild. No matter the story, every loss matters, and every family deserves support.
By starting a Compassionate Friends support group, you can help create a compassionate space where bereaved families feel seen, heard, remembered, and supported.
Form a Chapter Find a Local Chapter
See our International Support page for TCF organizations around the world.
We know that support groups are not for everyone. But why not give it a try and see why it’s not unusual to hear people who attend one day say, “The Compassionate Friends saved my life.”
No one comes to judge another. You will find that children are being mourned who have died from all ages and all causes. The pain is the same—that of the loss of hopes and dreams that will never be realized.
Come and join with others who understand much of what you’re feeling—certainly not everything—but a lot more than most people, simply because we’ve been there. Know that there will be sadness and tears as we talk about our loss, but there will also be joy and laughter as we remember special times with our children. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, but you will certainly be given that opportunity.
We ask but one thing from you—that you attend at least three meetings before you decide if The Compassionate Friends is right for you.
Use the chapter locator to find out information about chapters in your area. Locate a Chapter by selecting your state and zip code.
