Support for Children Mourning Death
A child coping with the death of a parent, sibling, or friend has a different grieving process than an adult. We at GriefWorks specialize in helping children aged 5-18 mourn in a safe, supportive environment.
The Mourning Process
Today grief is often avoided and perhaps even stigmatized. But grieving is a natural reaction to the losing a loved one. There is no “right” or "wrong" way to grieve. Everyone's grief experience is unique.
Children may feel different from their peers at school, church and sports. A child who internalizes grief may by at higher risk to experience depression, school adjustment problems, substance abuse or other coping problems.
Grief Counseling and Support Services
We provide a free orientation and free bi-weekly grief groups at our offices in Dallas, Texas. In these closely supervised groups, children are able to express their feelings of grief through sharing, play, drama, and art in a safe, loving environment. Our trained facilitators act as caring listeners to support the process.
Groups are held twice a month in the evenings, and are divided by age (5-8, 9-12, 13-18). Parents meet in their own support group at the same time.
Additionally, for those requiring even more support, private grief counseling is available for a low sliding-scale fee.
For more information on our services, please contact us.
Support Method
GriefWorks provides support, not treatment. We provide a place in which a child can express their deepest hurts. Our volunteers are trained to listen -- and children will mourn when listened to in a safe, loving environment. We believe that grieving children are not "broken" and do not need to be "fixed." The shared circumstances of loss free them to explore their grief and mourn openly.
Grief Information
We offer immediate online resources. These are particularly useful for children who are anticipating or experiencing the sudden or tragic death of a mother, father, sister, brother, or other loved one. If you need additional materials, please contact us.
