author: Tali Beesley, IGC, EWC, MLS
Grief support groups—whether in person or online—can offer something that individual therapy and personal support networks often cannot: the company of people who truly understand. This guide helps you find the right type of group for your loss, know what to expect, and trust your instincts about fit.
There is something quietly profound about being in a room—or a video call—with people who do not need you to explain yourself. People who understand what it is to carry this particular weight. Grief support groups, at their best, offer exactly that: a community of shared understanding that doesn’t require you to manage other people’s discomfort about your loss.
But knowing that a group might help and knowing how to find the right one are two different things. If you’ve typed “grief support groups near me” into a search engine and felt overwhelmed by the results—or found very little—this guide is for you.
Why Grief Support Groups Can Help
Grief can be profoundly isolating. Well-meaning friends and family often don’t know what to say, or they grow uncomfortable as time passes and grief continues. Support groups offer a different kind of presence—one that doesn’t flinch, doesn’t try to fix, and doesn’t quietly signal that it’s time to be “over it.”
Research supports what many bereaved people already know intuitively: peer support in grief can reduce feelings of isolation, offer practical coping strategies, and help people find meaning in loss. Hearing that someone further along in grief has found a way to live alongside it can offer real hope.
Support groups are not the same as therapy, and they don’t replace professional support when that’s needed. But they can be a meaningful complement to it—and for some people, the right group is the most helpful thing they find. If you’re also wondering whether individual grief therapy might be right for you, that’s worth exploring too.
Types of Grief Support Groups
Peer-Led vs. Professionally Facilitated
Some grief support groups are facilitated by a trained therapist or counsellor. Others are peer-led, run by volunteers who have experienced loss themselves. Both can be valuable, but they offer different things.
Professionally facilitated groups tend to follow a more structured format and can better support members who are in significant distress. Peer-led groups often have a more informal, community feel—which many people find more accessible, particularly if the idea of therapy feels too clinical.
Loss-Specific Groups
Many groups are organised around a specific type of loss, because the experience of grief varies enormously depending on who you lost and how. A parent grieving a child has a different—though equally valid—experience to someone grieving a spouse, a sibling, or a friend.
If your loss is specific, seek out a group that reflects that. Some of the most established loss-specific organisations include:
- The Compassionate Friends – for parents, grandparents, and siblings who have lost a child (www.compassionatefriends.org)
- Soaring Spirits International – for widowed people of all ages and circumstances (www.soaringspirits.org)
- Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors – for those bereaved by suicide (www.allianceofhope.org)
- Pet Loss Support – many humane societies and veterinary schools offer pet bereavement groups; the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (www.aplb.org) is a good starting point
It’s also worth noting that disenfranchised grief—grief that others don’t validate, including pet loss, pregnancy loss, or grief over a non-traditional relationship—deserves exactly as much support as any other loss. If your grief has felt minimised by others, a group that specifically acknowledges that loss can be particularly healing.
Online Grief Support Groups
Online grief support has grown enormously in recent years, and for many people it is genuinely more accessible than in-person options. It removes geographic barriers, makes it easier to participate during difficult moments, and can feel less exposing for people who are private about their grief.
Some well-established online options include:
- GriefShare (www.griefshare.org) – faith-based video series with discussion groups, available online and in person
- Grief In Common (www.griefincommon.com) – an online community and support resource
- Reddit communities – r/grief and r/GriefSupport offer peer support 24/7; they are unmoderated in the clinical sense but provide genuine community
- The Dougy Center (www.dougy.org) – resources and groups specifically for children and teens, and their families
Many hospices and hospitals have also expanded their bereavement programmes to include online options. If your loved one received hospice care, the organisation may offer ongoing bereavement support—often free of charge.
In-Person Grief Support Groups
In-person groups offer something online cannot fully replicate: physical presence, the particular comfort of being in a room with other people. If in-person connection matters to you, here is how to find groups locally:
- Contact your local hospice or palliative care organisation – most offer bereavement support groups, often at no cost
- Ask your GP, doctor, or healthcare provider for a referral
- Search the Psychology Today therapist directory and filter for grief support groups in your area
- Contact your local hospital, funeral home, or place of worship – many run or know of local groups
- Check with community grief organisations in your area, which sometimes appear under “bereavement support” rather than “grief support”
How to Know If a Group Is Right for You
Finding the right group can take some trial and error, and that’s okay. Here are a few things to consider.
Is the Group a Good Fit for Your Loss?
A group specifically oriented to your type of loss—or at least to grief broadly, without assumptions about relationship type or cause of death—will likely feel more immediately resonant than a general group. It matters to be with people who genuinely understand your specific experience.
Does the Format Suit You?
Some groups are structured around education and sharing in turns. Others are more conversational. Some follow a programme over a fixed number of weeks; others are open-ended. Neither is better—but one may suit your preferences and personality better than another.
Is There Clear Facilitation and Ground Rules?
A well-run group—whether peer-led or professional—will have clear expectations about confidentiality, respect, and how time is shared. If you join a group and it feels chaotic, uncontained, or dominated by one or two voices, it’s fine to try a different one.
Give It a Few Sessions
It is very common to feel awkward, self-conscious, or uncertain after a first group session. The first session is often the hardest. If you feel even a small sense of connection or recognition, it is worth returning a few more times before deciding if the group is right for you.
What to Expect in Your First Session
Different groups have different structures, but in most grief support groups you can expect:
- A welcome and brief explanation of how the group works
- An opportunity to introduce yourself and share a little about your loss (though you are never required to share more than you want to)
- Time for others to share their own experiences
- A sense that you can simply listen, without pressure to speak
Many people feel emotional in their first session—sometimes for the first time since their loss. This is very common, and it’s safe. You will not be the first person to cry, and you will not be judged for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find a grief support group near me? Start with your local hospice, hospital, or GP—they often run or can refer you to local bereavement groups. The Psychology Today directory allows you to search for grief groups by location. Loss-specific organisations like The Compassionate Friends have local chapters across the US and many other countries. If nothing is available locally, online options are a genuinely effective alternative.
Are online grief support groups effective? Yes. Research and clinical experience both suggest that online grief support can be as effective as in-person support for many people. The key factors are the quality of facilitation, the sense of community, and whether the group reflects your specific loss. Online groups also offer accessibility that in-person groups cannot always match.
How long should I attend a grief support group? There is no set timeframe. Some people attend for a few months and find what they need; others return to the same group for years. Grief does not follow a schedule, and neither should your support. You are welcome to step away when you feel ready and return if you need to.
What if I don’t feel comfortable sharing in a group? You are never required to share more than you want to in a grief support group. Many people find it helpful simply to listen in early sessions. A good group facilitator will make space for quieter members without pressure. If you feel consistently pressured, that is worth raising with the facilitator or considering a different group.
Is a grief support group the same as grief therapy? No—though both can be valuable. Grief support groups, even professionally facilitated ones, are not the same as individual therapy. They offer peer connection, shared experience, and community. Individual therapy offers a private, personalised therapeutic relationship. Many people benefit from both, at different times or simultaneously.
You don’t have to carry this alone. If you’re supporting someone else through grief, our guide on how to support a grieving friend may also be helpful—as well as our piece on what not to say to someone who is grieving. Whatever stage you’re at, connection is always available.
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