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Those who have recently lost loved ones are typically in a fragile state of mind and need support and therapy in order to begin recovery from their loss. Fortunately, there are many groups and agencies that provide relief for those who have lost a loved one. There are support groups for those who have lost someone to addiction, automobiles, aircraft, law enforcement, wars, miscarriage, and suicide. There are also groups who help those who have lost a sibling, parent, spouse or partner, pet, and a child, or grandchild. While these groups are quite specific in who they aid as each situation is very different, there are also general loss groups that support those who have lost someone, regardless of how they died or who they were. AARP is one such agency and provides general support for those who are dealing with a loss. The National Alliance for Grieving Children and Camp Erin support children who have lost a parent or otherwise close person, such as a friend, grandparent, or sibling.

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Grief is a journey you must endure after the loss of a loved one. It's easy to become overwhelmed as you work through the phases and tasks of grief so it's important to remember to care for yourself.

Tips for Caring for Yourself in Times of Grief

Everyone grieves differently, with no one "right way." Here are 10 tips, collected from people who have traveled this road before you, to help you along this journey. But note that these are not must-dos or absolutes:

1. Seek and Accept Support: You cannot travel this path alone. You need the support and care of others. Call on a trusted family member or friend, church clergy, or professional counselors. Call your local hospice agency or community grief center for advice to get you started.

2. Accept Your Grief: Don't try to run and hide from your grief. You need to experience the pain and sorrow to be able to move past it and on toward healing.

3. Find Role Models: You are not the first to travel the road of grief. Discover how others have coped with loss before you. This will provide you with a model to base your own healing on and remind you that you are not alone. Read books on grief and meet others who have worked through grief at support groups.

4. Learn About Grief. The more you know about grief and dispel the myths surrounding it, the more you will realize that your grief is normal. You also might discover warning signs that your grief is complicated and that you need more help to cope. Either way, knowledge is power.

5. Express Your Grief: Grief cannot stay hidden deep within you. The best way to work through grief is to let it out. Cry, scream, and yell if you need to. Express your feelings through music, art, poetry, or journaling. Whether you express your grief with a safe person you trust or let it out in complete privacy, expressing your feelings is the only true way to honor your grief and begin to work through it.

6. Accept Your Feelings: Grief can bring many different feelings to the surface-some very intense. Acknowledge these feelings and accept them as part of the natural grieving process. Don't hold in anger, sadness, or longing. These are important feelings that, once expressed, help you heal.

7. Pace Yourself: Grief can be exhausting. It takes a lot of energy to feel so intensely. Allow yourself plenty of time to do everyday activities and don't over-schedule yourself. Rest when you need to and offer yourself some grace.

8. Get Involved in Something: Getting involved in work or some other activity you enjoy can keep you focused and offer a welcome distraction from your grief. If that activity is especially meaningful or helpful to others, you might find it also raises your spirits.

9. Have a Little Fun: Sometimes grieving people won't allow themselves to have any fun-as if sharing a laugh with someone is somehow dishonoring the memory of their loved one. The truth is, laughter is excellent medicine. A great way to have some genuine fun is to surround yourself with children or animals.

10. Keep the Faith: Remember that intense grief doesn't last forever. One of my favorite sayings goes, "Faith is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to go on when fear is present." Keep the faith that you will one day heal and be whole again.

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Explore These Self-Help Tips for Working Through Grief

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Explore these 10 tips to help yourself through times although it's easy to become overwhelmed as you work through the many phases of grief.

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When a loved one or one who has no family to bury them dies, funeral costs are a major problem. Funerals on average cost from about $7,000 to $9,000, not including the cost of a headstone (Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage). In the United States, many states offer financial assistance for those who cannot afford these funeral costs. Presumably, this aid is dependent on your Federal social security status, so all might not be eligible, but many can benefit from this aid from the government when burying someone they know. This aid reaches both California and nationwide, so this would help those local and far away.

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Many states have programs for helping those who cannot afford a funeral or burial get help. Levels of assistance vary and in most states application must be made at the county or municipality level.

When applying for aid through the state, county, or local township you should be mindful of your status regarding Federal programs such as social security and veterans benefits. In many cases, Federal assistance supersedes local aid. Local programs may also take into consideration the amount received from other programs in determining eligibility.

To help you find resources in your area we have compiled a list of programs by state. The summary for each state includes information on where you can go for further information.

We update the listing as information becomes available but from time-to-time, we miss a revision to a state or county policy or a change in contact information. If you find a link that does not work or find a listing that is incorrect, please let us know.

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Getting State Assistance for a Funeral or Burial - Funeralwise

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Many states have programs for helping those who cannot afford a funeral or burial get help. Levels of assistance vary and in most states application must be made at the county or municipality level. When applying for aid through the state, county, or local township you should be mindful of your status regarding Federal programs such as social security and veterans benefits.

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Kenyon International Emergency Services is an agency that searches for and recovers the bodies of those lost in natural disasters. The agency also covers morgue processes and forensic disaster victim identification, which is a process that uses DNA profiling to identify victims in order to provide closure to their families. The agency also stores and return the bodies and remains to their families. This agency would be crucial in recovering those who have been lost in fires (like the recent California fires), tsunamis, hurricanes, and the like, as well as war zones as well.

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Search and Recovery of Dead Bodies | Kenyon International Emergency Services

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When operations turn from search and rescue to search and recovery Kenyon teams can coordinate with local authorities to arrange for locating and recovering the deceased. Capabilities include fielding teams using archeological and anthropological developed methods for finding obscured, hidden or remote burial locations, and collection of evidence.

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Many cities around the world are running out of burial spaces for tradition stone coffins in marked grave sites in cemetaries. This problem can be solved in a multitude of ways, such as vertical burials, promession and coffins made out special biodegradable materials. However, the cost of these services can also be costly since the technology is relatively new along with the fact that many people want their deceased loved ones to be buried in the traditional way, like the generations before them. Another alternative, as popularized in South Korea due to lack of burial space, is to cremate the body and compress the ashes into “burial beads,” which are then displayed in the home of the family of the deceased (https://ideas.ted.com/author/kateted/).

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The Natural Burial Company sells biodegradable caskets and ash burial urns and promotes natural burial as a viable alternative for environmentally minded people who want a natural return to the earth when they die.

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Many communities offer therapy and couseling for little to no cost for people who cannot afford the help they need. In addition, some private services are covered by certain insurance agencies.

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While there is not a solution that will get to the root of death as death is inevitable and a big part of life, there are ways that we personally and communally can help. We can fund those who require aid in sites like GoFundMe or by simply donating to those who require aid. We can also respect the burial customs of others by wearing appropriate colors to funerals and bring food and support to those we know who have recently lost a loved one.

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There are places that offer specific training in grief couseling and helping other deal with loss. They are mostly just like normal schools in which you can register for training in certain areas of grief counseling such as helping mourning children,sudden death, violent death, suicide, child death, and death in the elderly. These courses allow for people like social workers, nurses, school counselors, psychologists, or those with a college degree in psychology to be able to learn in-depth about how humans deal with grief and how to help their clients and those in their community to deal with the loss of a loved one.

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Grief Counseling CE Courses Program

T he American Academy of Grief Counseling offers four online Continuing Education courses for those who have met the criteria of an earned degree, and would like to complete the requirement for 100 additional hours of continuing education in grief counseling.

Applicants may register for any of the courses provided below. Upon completion of each course, you will be awarded the corresponding continuing education contact hours and receive the CE certificate verifying course completion and the award of education credits. Registration may be completed online, by accessing the links below.

Certification Program

Those seeking Certification in Grief Counseling must successfully complete the four core courses as detailed below. To review information on the Certification program please view this page: click here

Course Fees: Below are listed the required courses for this curriculum. At the end of each course description you will find the course cost listed. All textbooks and learning materials are separate and not included in the course cost.

The following CE courses have provider approvals: The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc. is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida State Board of Nursing and the District of Columbia Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975 and is a licensed Continuing Education Provider in the State of California, Board of Registered Nursing, Provider # CEP 15595. For additional information please access here.

1. Death, Dying & Mourning

This online CE course provides a very comprehensive overview of studies, research, and dynamics related to death and dying. Students study many facets of death and dying, as well as major theories, process models, cultural issues, religious issues and other related content. Progression in the course then focuses on processes of mourning and grieving, including effective strategies for assisting the bereaved. Death, dying and mourning is presented also according to various age groups. This course provides for scientific inquiry into death and dying and care of the bereaved. Upon successful completion of this course, students are awarded 30 contact hours of continuing education credits. Course Code: GC 400. Course Cost: $150.00. This course has approvals for Social Workers, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Psychologists, Nurses, and Marriage and Family Therapists. See below for more details.

2. Grief Counseling for the Helping Professions

This online CE course provides students with a continuation of course content, based on learning from the above course "Death, Dying & Mourning." Students continue to study other theories and model processes of grieving, as well as more scientific inquiry into these processes. Case studies are provided which allow students the opportunity to better equate theory into practice. The student continues in this course to study and learn many interventions and modalities for use in grief counseling and bereavement education. Upon successful completion of this course, students are awarded 20 contact hours of continuing education credits. Course Code: GC 410. Course cost: $150.00. This course has approvals for Social Workers, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Psychologists, Nurses, and Marriage and Family Therapists. See below for more details.

3. Grief Therapy

This online CE course provides students with a comprehensive study of Grief Therapy as used today in counseling modalities. Students will study attachment theory, loss and the experiences of grief and the process of mourning. Bowlby's Attachment Theory is presented in-depth in this course and mental health professionals will learn how to apply this theory more effectively in grief counseling practice. This leads into an in-depth presentation of abnormal grief reactions, complicated mourning processes, and when to use more advanced modalities of care and counseling. Students will examine many models of loss and mourning as well as learn accompanying effective interventions to use with clients in mental health counseling and therapy sessions. A focus is also presented on tools and criteria for comprehensive assessments of clients experiencing various types of grief reactions. Students will study grief therapies and learn when to refer clients for such. Other important study in this course includes; counseling in groups, grief as a social phenomenon, assessing for the at-risk bereaved, funeral rituals, and much more. Issues of the counselor's own grief and burn-out syndromes are also addressed. Special situations of grief and mourning are also explored, such as sudden death, violent death, suicide, child death, death in the elderly and more. Interventions for working with special situations are presented. Through out this course students will study and critique a large number of abstracts of published research related to grief, mourning, death and dying which will add significantly to their overall knowledge base of the subject. Students will acquire a much broader composite of knowledge and skill sets with which to work with grieving clients upon completing this advanced course. Course Code: GC 420. Course cost: $150.00 This course has approvals for Social Workers, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Psychologists, Nurses, and Marriage and Family Therapists. See below for more details.

4. Working With Grieving Children

This online CE course focuses on working with children suffering a loss. Students learn best methods for working with and talking to children and adolescents about loss and how to provide therapeutic interventions. This course will present learning related to children and adolescents suffering loss of death, divorce, suicides, disabilities and more. The tasks of mourning will be examined from this age groups' perspective. Students will learn a comprehensive set of communication techniques in working with children and in assisting them to more fully express their feelings of loss. Students will examine children's fears, how to help them face funerals and memorials and other related dynamics. Content also focuses on abnormal grief reactions and when to refer for therapies. Upon successful completion of this course, students are awarded 20 contact hours of continuing education credits. Course Code: GC 430. Course cost: $150.00. This course has approvals for Social Workers, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Psychologists, Nurses, and Marriage and Family Therapists. See below for more details.

Additional Information

Continuing Education credit for this Course (GC 400: Death, Dying and Mourning) is awarded by Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) for the following professions:

Information and Policies for Commonwealth Educational Seminars: access here

Social Workers: Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Social Workers. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for Social Workers. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Social Workers completing this program will receive 30 clinical hours of clinical continuing education credit.

Psychologists: Commonwealth Educational Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Commonwealth Educational Seminars maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Psychologists will receive 30.0 hours of continuing education credit upon completing this program.

Marriage and Family Therapists: Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for LMFTs. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content. LMFTs completing this program will receive 30 hours of continuing education credit.

Nurses: As an American Psychological Association approved provider CES programs are accepted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Every state Board of Nursing accepts ANCC approved programs except California and Iowa, however CES is also an approved Continuing Education provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, (Provider Number CEP15567) which is also accepted by the Iowa Board of Nursing. Nurses completing this program receive 30.0 CE hours of credit.

Continuing Education credit for this Course (GC 410: Grief Counseling for the Helping Professions) is awarded by Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) for the following professions:

Psychologists: Commonwealth Educational Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association to continuing education for psychologists. Commonwealth Educational Seminars maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Psychologists will receive 20.0 hours of continuing education credit upon completing this program.

Marriage and Family Therapists: Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for LMFTs. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content. LMFTs completing this program will receive 20 hours of continuing education credit.

Nurses: As an American Psychological Association approved provider CES programs are accepted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Every state Board of Nursing accepts ANCC approved programs except California and Iowa, however CES is also an approved Continuing Education provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, (Provider Number CEP15567) which is also accepted by the Iowa Board of Nursing. Nurses completing this program receive 20.0 CE hours of credit.

Continuing Education credit for this Course (GC 420: Grief Therapy) is awarded by Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) for the following professions:

Psychologists: Commonwealth Educational Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Commonwealth Educational Seminars maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Psychologists will receive 30.0 hours of continuing education credit upon completing this program.

Marriage and Family Therapists: Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for LMFTs. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content. LMFTs completing this program will receive 30 hours of continuing education credit.

Nurses: As an American Psychological Association approved provider CES programs are accepted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Every state Board of Nursing accepts ANCC approved programs except California and Iowa, however CES is also an approved Continuing Education provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, (Provider Number CEP15567) which is also accepted by the Iowa Board of Nursing. Nurses completing this program receive 30.0 CE hours of credit.

Continuing Education credit for this Course (GC 430: Working with Grieving Children) is awarded by Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) for the following professions:

Psychologists: Commonwealth Educational Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Commonwealth Educational Seminars maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Psychologists will receive 20.0 hours of continuing education credit upon completing this program.

Marriage and Family Therapists: Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for LMFTs. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content. LMFTs completing this program will receive 20 hours of continuing education credit.

Nurses: As an American Psychological Association approved provider CES programs are accepted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Every state Board of Nursing accepts ANCC approved programs except California and Iowa, however CES is also an approved Continuing Education provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, (Provider Number CEP15567) which is also accepted by the Iowa Board of Nursing. Nurses completing this program receive 20.0 CE hours of credit.

Additional Links

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Grief Counseling CE Courses Program - AIHCP

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T he American Academy of Grief Counseling offers four online Continuing Education courses for those who have met the criteria of an earned degree, and would like to complete the requirement for 100 additional hours of continuing education in grief counseling. Applicants may register for any of the courses provided below.

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Some jobs actually give workers a paid leave, known as a bereavement leave, when their was a death in the workers family that might have severely impacted their mental health. During this leave, the employee will have a few days off to cope with their loss and they also are paid despite not coming to work. However, these leaves are not legally mandatory, unless a doctor has given consent, so a good way employers have helped employees is by giving them these few days off.

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Merisi da Caravaggio, Michelangelo. The Seven Works of Mercy. 1607, Oil on Canvas, church of Pio Monte della Misericordia, Naples, Italy.