Grief

About

The fact of grief is universal, but the experience is unique to each person. Grief of course describes the feeling of losing someone we love, but it also applies to other losses: loss of a job, loss of a relationship, loss of opportunities, loss of a pet. And to more amorphous concepts: moving; changing schools; graduating – with these transitions, even “positive” changes, come certain losses. Grief is a normal response to loss, but it is often minimized, by the individual experiencing it, by those around us, and/or by society.

Experts agree that to get past grief, we have to acknowledge it and process the feelings we have. The feelings will not disappear; they will not pass on their own; you will not “get over” the loss with the simple passing of time. The good news is that by acknowledging your feelings, allowing yourself to feel them, talking to a friend or a professional about your loss, perhaps writing about your feelings or finding other ways to process them, you will move through your grief.

Remember that everyone grieves differently. And that people take different amounts of time to grieve. We hope the resources below will help you to move through your grief. We have also included resources about how to help and support other people who are grieving.

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Service Providers

Featured

Haracopos, Gus, LCSW, PhD

Adolescent mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety and identity development.

Calvi, Josephine, LCSW

Anxiety, Depression, Adjustment to life transitions, Stress, Trauma

Campbell, Kathryn, LCSW

Individual and family therapy for adolescents and adults. Specialties include trauma, emotion regulation.

Boston Children's Health: Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics

Diagnosis and treatment for children with a wide range of developmental concerns including all types of developmental delays, ADD/ADHD, learning problems and behavioral issues.

Clear Mind Psychology

Small group practice offering thoughtful and effective psychological and educational interventions to children, adolescents and adults.

Jessica Eisenberg, MD

Passionate about helping children, adolescents, and adults to feel better understood as individuals, reach their personal goals, and forge more meaningful relationships. To accomplish this, I approach my patients with warmth and empathic curiosity and utilize integrated and holistic methods of treatment.

Articles

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It’s OK to Grieve for the Small Losses of a Lost Year

From the NYT — From lost time with grandchildren to canceled vacations, we need to give ourselves permission to mourn. There is a name for grief that isn’t routinely acknowledged: disenfranchised grief.

Coping with Grief and Loss

There is no right or wrong way to grieve, but there are healthy ways to deal with the grieving process. These tips can help.

'Pandemic grief' proves especially devastating and complex for many in mourning, health experts say

Psychologists Sherman A. Lee and Robert Neimeyer recently surveyed more than 800 American adults who had lost a loved one to covid-19. What they found was alarming, they report in a paper just published in the journal Death Studies.

How to Help a Grieving Friend

While there is no one perfect way to respond or to support someone you care about, here are some good ground rules.

How Do I Know If My Child Should See A Therapist?

Especially during the pandemic, it can be hard to tell what is typical teen behavior and when it would be beneficial to see a professional. For suggestions on places to look for help in answering this question, inside Pelham schools and outside, read more here.

Organizations

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SAVE - Suicide Awareness Voices of Education

Through raising public awareness, educating communities, and equipping every person with the right tools, we know we can SAVE lives.

Sesame Street in Communities / Grief

Our videos, activities, printables, and digital interactives feature our friendly, furry Muppets and help you playfully, meaningfully engage with kids during everyday moments.

Gilda's Club Westchester

Our living with loss support groups are for family members, friends or caregivers who have lost a loved one to cancer. We also offer support groups for children who have experienced a cancer related loss.

The Bereavement Center of Westchester

Offering support groups and individual counseling for children and adults grieving the loss of a family member.

What's Your Grief

Our goal is to create a community that provides hope, support, and education to anyone wishing to understand the complicated experience of life after loss.

The Dougy Center

Our resources and support for children, teens and young adults who are grieving, and for their caregivers, are offered at no cost and are welcoming to all members of our community. They provide a safe place to connect and share before and after a death.

Books

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What Abi Taught Us: A Mother's Struggle to Come to Terms with her Daughter's Death

A resilience psychologist shares methods of proactively adapting to unfathomable loss.

Coping and Wellness: Reading

Black psychologists suggest books that have been helpful, interesting, entertaining, motivational, etc. to them. Biographies, memoirs, children’s books, mental health/wellness, parenting, race/social justice, relationships, grief, spiritual, fiction and more.

Being There for Someone in Grief

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Other Resources

Featured

Remembering Abi: How Lucy Hone Lives with the Loss of Her Daughter

A grieving psychologist shares ways of adapting to loss.

Care & Feeding of Your Grieving Person

Megan Devine, founder of Refuge in Grief, suggests these simple ways to effectively support a friend or family member who is grieving.

Getting Through the Holidays

Some tips that may help as you navigate the challenges of grieving during the holidays,

How Do You Help a Grieving Friend?

Watch this 4-minute video to learn the one thing that will improve all of your "I'm here for you" intentions, and be that supportive friend you most want to be.