Grief resources: crisis lines, support groups and people who can help

Call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night. It is free and confidential, and you can also chat online at chat.988lifeline.org. If you prefer texting, Crisis Text Line is available by texting HOME to 741741. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 right away.

Yes. You can text 988 as well as call it, and you can chat online at chat.988lifeline.org. The 988 Lifeline says it is available 24/7 and that conversations are free and confidential. Spanish speakers can text AYUDA to 988. Texting can be easier if saying the words out loud feels like too much right now.

No. The 988 Lifeline describes itself as being for everyone, including people dealing with emotional distress, mental health struggles, or who simply need someone to talk to. Overwhelming grief after losing a parent is a reason to reach out. You do not need to be in danger or have a plan to call, text, or chat.

Those thoughts deserve help now, not later. Call or text 988 any time to talk with someone, and tell a person you trust what you are feeling. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Thoughts like these can come with deep grief, and with support, they can ease. You do not have to carry them alone.

Yes. The 988 Lifeline says it is available 24/7, 365 days a year, and Crisis Text Line says it is available 24/7, so both are open on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and every other holiday. Some non-crisis lines keep shorter hours; the NAMI HelpLine, for example, is closed on federal holidays. In an emergency, call 911.

Yes. Most grief groups welcome people at any point after a loss, whether it was last month or many years ago. Grief often resurfaces around milestones, holidays, or becoming a parent, and those are good times to look for support. When you contact a group, mention when your parent died and ask whether that is a good fit.

Some groups focus on parent loss, though many mix different kinds of loss. Ask local hospices, hospitals, and community centers whether they run a group for adults who lost a parent. Online, Modern Loss organizes essays by type of loss, including parents. Even a mixed group can help, especially if a few members are grieving a mom or dad.

A grief group offers connection with other grieving people, usually led by a facilitator and often free. Grief therapy is one-on-one care with a licensed clinician who can assess what you are going through and treat problems like depression or prolonged grief. Many people use both, and either one is a reasonable place to start.

Either can help, so choose the one that matches how you want to talk about loss. Faith-based groups, like GriefShare, weave belief and scripture into the conversation. Secular groups, often run by hospices or community centers, do not. If you are unsure, ask what a typical session looks like before you go, or try one meeting and decide.

Start with a directory like Psychology Today, which lets you search for therapists who list grief as a specialty near you. You can also ask your primary care doctor or your insurance plan for referrals, or check whether your employer offers counseling through an employee assistance program. Ask any therapist how much of their work involves grief.

A licensed therapist, such as a psychologist, clinical social worker, or licensed counselor, is licensed by the state and can assess and treat mental health conditions. The title grief counselor is used more loosely: some grief counselors are licensed clinicians, and others are trained facilitators or volunteers. It is fine to ask anyone about their license and grief training.

Sometimes. Many plans cover therapy with a licensed, in-network provider when it is billed for a covered mental health diagnosis, but coverage varies widely. Call the number on your insurance card and ask what your plan covers. If therapy is not covered, ask therapists about a sliding scale, and look into free hospice and community groups.

Free grief support often comes from hospice bereavement programs, community and church groups, and employee assistance programs. The Hospice Foundation of America notes that some hospices open grief support to anyone in the community, even if their loved one was never in hospice care. Many GriefShare groups are free, and some online grief communities offer free webinars.

Often, yes. Many employee assistance programs offer a few free, confidential counseling sessions, and some can refer you to a grief specialist. Look in your benefits materials or the company intranet for the EAP phone number, or ask HR without sharing more than you want to. EAP counseling is designed to be confidential, so your manager does not need to know.

Start with the Dougy Center, which offers free toolkits for kids and teens and a directory to find grief support near you. Eluna runs Camp Erin, free grief camps for kids, teens, and families. Your child's school counselor can also help during the school day. Our Helping Children With Grief section has guides for talking with kids at home.

Sesame Workshop offers free, bilingual grief resources for young children, including videos, storybooks, and printables made for toddlers and preschoolers and the adults who care for them. The Dougy Center also has free tip sheets for caregivers. For the youngest children, short, honest words and lots of reassurance tend to work better than long explanations.

Ask them directly and calmly whether they are thinking about suicide, and take their answer seriously. Listen without judgment, stay with them if you can, and call or text 988 together. If they are in immediate danger, call 911. Remove anything they could use to hurt themselves if it is safe to do so.

Look for holiday programs at local hospices, Longest Night or Blue Christmas services at churches, and online grief communities. GriefShare offers a Surviving the Holidays program. The 988 Lifeline and Crisis Text Line stay open through every holiday. Our holiday grief support guide covers these options in more detail and is worth reading before the season starts.

Yes. General grief groups, hospice bereavement programs, and grief therapists all welcome people whose parent died during the pandemic. Losses from that time often came with hard goodbyes and small or delayed services, and it is fine to name that when you join a group. You deserve support, no matter how long ago your parent died.

Yes, it is completely okay. You do not have to be in danger to reach out, and missing your mom so much that it feels unbearable is a real reason to talk to someone. The 988 Lifeline says it is for everyone, including people who simply need someone to talk to. Call or text 988 any time.