Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and often difficult journey. These resources were compiled to help provide comfort and guidance during this challenging time.
Bereavement Support & Resources
Grief, Bereavement and Healing (UCSF Health)
UCSF Health provides an overview of emotional and spiritual support options for those grieving, including counseling and healing services.
ucsfhealth.org
Bereavement Resources and Services (UCSF Health)
A curated list of national and Bay Area organizations offering grief counseling, support groups, and other bereavement services.
ucsfhealth.org
Grief Support Resources for Every Griever (OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center)
OUR HOUSE offers educational resources and tools for understanding grief and navigating loss.
ourhouse-grief.org
Grief Services (Institute on Aging)
The Institute on Aging offers specialized grief counseling and support for older adults.
ioaging.org/services
Spanish-Language Resources
Provee Apoyo en Español Durante el Proceso de Duelo (Kara)
Kara offers compassionate grief support services in Spanish for individuals and families in the Palo Alto area, including peer support and education.
kara-grief.org
Ofrece Grupos de Apoyo al Duelo Para Adultos en Español (OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center)
OUR HOUSE provides grief support groups facilitated in Spanish to help Spanish-speaking individuals navigate the loss of a loved one.
ourhouse-grief.org
Duelo: Apoyo, Recursos y Grupos (Dougy Center)
The Dougy Center offers grief support materials and information in Spanish for children, teens, and families grieving a death.
dougy.org
Enfrentar la pérdida: Cómo ayudar a los niños durante el duelo (Hospice Foundation of America)
This fact sheet provides guidance in Spanish on supporting children as they cope with grief and loss.
hospicefoundation.org
Cómo Sobrellevar el Duelo / How to Cope with Grief (Hospice Foundation of America)
A bilingual resource that helps Spanish-speaking individuals understand and manage the grieving process.
hospicefoundation.org
Chinese-Language Resources
Chinese American Coalition for Compassionate Care (CACCC)
CACCC provides culturally sensitive end-of-life education and grief support services for Chinese Americans through community-based programs and resources.
caccc-usa.org
Chinese Language Resources (Hospice Foundation of America)
A collection of grief and end-of-life care resources in Chinese to help individuals and families better understand and cope with loss.
hospicefoundation.org
Asian Community Grief and Bereavement Resources (UCSF Geriatrics)
A list in Chinese compiled by UCSF Division of Geriatrics of Bay Area organizations offering culturally appropriate grief and bereavement support for the Asian community.
geriatrics.ucsf.edu
Understanding Grief – Chinese (Cruse Bereavement Support)
Cruse offers grief information in Chinese to help individuals understand and manage bereavement in a culturally informed way.
cruse.org.uk
Grief and Loss (Chinese) (Family Caregiver Alliance)
This resource provides an overview in Chinese of the grief process, common emotional reactions, and coping strategies for caregivers.
caregiver.org
What to Know About Grief (Chinese) (Hospice Foundation of America)
A Chinese-language fact sheet that explains what grief is, how it may feel, and how to seek help during the mourning process.
hospicefoundation.org
Podcasts Recommendations
It's OK that You're Not OK
Megan Devine's podcast "It’s OK that You’re Not OK" features deep, insightful conversations with guests from various fields about their often hidden struggles and the importance of being seen and supported during difficult times, emphasizing that it's okay to not be entirely okay.
Grief is my Side Hustle
Trauma therapist and podcast host Meghan Riordan Jarvis, after losing both parents, leads weekly discussions with guests who explore grief and loss, emphasizing the importance of open conversations about these often uncomfortable topics.
Book Recommendations
It's Ok that You're Not OK
In It's OK That You're Not OK, Megan Devine offers a compassionate and insightful guide on how to navigate grief, challenging societal expectations to "fix" it and instead encouraging people to build a life alongside their pain.
How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed
How to Carry What Can’t Be Fixed is a journal and everyday companion to help you enter a conversation with your grief, find your own truth, and live into the life you didn’t ask for―but is here nonetheless.
What's Your Grief?
In What's Your Grief?, mental health professionals Eleanor Haley and Litsa Williams guide you through the complex and universal experience of grieving various life changes, from losing a loved one to navigating breakups and relocations.
The AfterGrief
"The AfterGrief" challenges the misconception that grief should be time-limited, emphasizing that the loss of a loved one is something we never fully move beyond.
Tips and Support
Tips for Clinicians
- Embrace a grief-informed approach, paying close attention to signs that indicate the need for additional support.
- Instead of rushing to provide solutions, prioritize therapeutic listening and validation, as these are invaluable in supporting individuals through their grieving process.
- It is beneficial to maintain a list of local resources and seek feedback on their effectiveness.
- Furthermore, develop, test, and implement grief interventions tailored to the specific needs of your patient population.
Supporting Colleagues or Friends
- Prioritize validation over immediate solutions. Create a supportive environment by actively listening and acknowledging feelings.
- Extend specific offers of practical assistance tailored to your availability and expertise, such as drafting emails for rescheduling meetings or providing thoughtful gifts like gift certificates, notebooks, neck warmers, or tea.
- Additionally, offer intangible gifts by respecting communication preferences, sharing updates, sending personalized emails, and consistently reaching out to maintain a strong connection.
Supporting Loss/Grief with Policy
- Implementation of structured caregiving and compassionate bereavement leave policies
- Enhanced research efforts focusing on grief studies and effective interventions
- Integration of specialized grief training programs
- Expansion of training opportunities, increased funding, and diversified payment methods to enhance the accessibility and quality of grief support services.
Supporting Grievers with Systems
- Utilize services that specialize in grief to enhance support for employees.
- Ensure easy access and connection to grief groups for employees in need.
- Implement grief-informed leadership practices within the organization.
- Offer paid time off over the first two years to allow employees to grieve and manage death-related administrative tasks, or “dead-min”.
- Adjust job responsibilities to accommodate grieving employees for 1-2 years after bereavement
- Provide salary support as a form of assistance during difficult times.