Grief and Healing

Everyone experiences loss. That’s why we offer free, ongoing bereavement support groups for the entire community, whether your loved one used our hospice services or not. From support groups and memorial services to connections with community resources and more, we help individuals, families, and communities live forward after loss.

Our Grief and Healing program is made possible thanks to generous community philanthropy. To learn more about donating to Hospice of the Piedmont, visit our giving page.

Hospice of the Piedmont - Grief and Healing
Navy blue and orange Hospice of the Piedmont Grief and Healing logo.

No one should have to cope with loss alone. We provide grief support groups to anyone who needs it, even if their loved one wasn’t in our care.

Download the calendar of upcoming support groups

Pre-registration is required for all groups. Please call 434-817-6915 or email register@hopva.org.

Calendar

Zoom Groups

Drop-In: Support Group for General Grief

Wednesdays from 3:00–4:00 pm
Starting on  September 4th and ending December 11th
Beginning again on January 15th and ending March 26th

Grieving the loss of a loved one is a painful yet natural part of healing. We are here to help you navigate through that process. Please join us for a drop-in support group where grief related to any loss can be shared and supported. Participants can attend just one time or as many times as needed.

Drop-In: Loss of Spouse/Partner Women’s Group

Mondays from 4:30–5:30 pm
Starting on January 6th and ending on June 2nd

This is a drop-in group specifically for women who have lost a partner or spouse to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss. Participants can attend just one time or as many times as needed.

Drop-In: Young Adult Loss Group

Tuesdays from 1:00–2:00pm and/or
Tuesdays from 5:30–6:30pm
Starting on February 4th and ending March 25th

Our young adult support group provides a safe place to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss and is open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 45. Grief can be hard regardless, but when your peers are struggling with more normative life experiences as a young adult, it can be hard to relate or find support geared to your unique experience of grief.

Winter Blues Workshop

Friday from 3:00–4:00 pm
January 31st

The winter season can be a joyful time, and yet it can also bring down our spirits with dreary days and long, dark, and cold nights. Many of us experience feelings of stress, fatigue, confinement, boredom, and a general sense of depression during this time of year. The facilitators of this online workshop will share ideas and positive steps to help us take care of ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually, especially during the winter season.

In-Person Groups

Healing and the Holidays (Charlottesville)

Wednesday from 4:00–5:00 pm
December 18th

Even under the best circumstances, the holidays are stressful. Unrealistic expectations coupled with commercial hype can make the holiday season seem more overwhelming than happy or merry. Join us for a time to connect with others and learn some strategies for navigating the holidays.

General Grief Group (Charlottesville)

Tuesdays from 3:30–4:45 pm
Starting March 18th and ending April 22nd.

This facilitated eight-week support group offers participants an opportunity to explore grief themes and share strategies for navigating grief in a community of trust.

General Grief Group (Culpeper)

Date and Time TBD
Please reach out for details

This is a facilitated eight-week support group offering participants an opportunity to explore grief themes and share strategies for navigating grief in a community of trust.

Hybrid Groups

Remembering Our Children

First Monday of Every Month from 5:30–6:30 pm

If you are a parent who has experienced the death of your child (of any age), we invite you to join us for grief education, support, and healing.

Register for Groups

To learn more, call us at 434-817-6915, or email us at register@hopva.org.

Resources

To learn more about our team and read our latest advice, download the most recent issue of our Horizons newsletter.

  • General Grief

    SUPPORT GROUPS

    Grief Share
    Offers in-person faith-based general grief support groups; enter your zip code and in-person groups are listed for your area.

    Spiritual Care Support Ministries (Warrenton)
    Provides faith-based education, training, counseling, and spiritual support to those who are ill, dying, grieving, and experiencing personal loss, as well as those who journey with them.

    Very Well Mind
    Provides links to seven on-line grief support platforms that offer group and/or chatroom services for specific and general grief. accommodations. Each listing includes user reviews and photos.

    WEBSITES

    SpeakingGrief.org
    This national public media initiative explores the transformative experience of losing a family member in a death in a grief-avoidant society. It includes a one-hour television documentary, media-rich website, social media campaign, and numerous community engagement events, all aimed at starting a national conversation about grief.

    Grief.com
    Run by David Kessler, one of the world’s foremost experts on grief and loss, this site provides a wealth of resources including on-line support groups and podcasts.

    GriefShare.org
    This faith-based organization provides a curriculum for its network of support groups across the U.S. In addition to connecting the bereaved to support groups, the site provides resources and free daily email encouragement.

    CenterForLoss.com
    The website of bestselling author and grief specialist Dr. Alan Wolfelt. The site provides many resources.

    CaringMatters.org
    A website dealing with loss and grief in the black community; provides resources for adult and children’s grief support.

    PODCASTS

    What Happens in the Brain When We Grieve
    Host Emily Kwong talks with psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor about the process our brains go through when we experience grief.

    BOOKS

    Recommended Books on General Grief
    Download our complete list of recommended books.

  • Loss of a Spouse/Partner

    SUPPORT GROUPS

    Widowed Friends (Charlottesville)
    An inclusive peer support group for anyone who has outlived the spouse/partner with whom they were planning to spend the rest of their life.

    Widowed Village Meetings
    Offers online grief support groups for those who have experienced the death of a spouse or partner.

    WEBSITES

    Widowed Village
    A valuable resource for those who have experienced the death of a spouse or partner. Includes resources and access to online groups and lists.

    Sisterhood of Widows
    A valuable resource for those who have experienced the death of a spouse or partner. Includes resources and access to on-line groups and lists.

    National Widowers Organization
    Includes resources specific to men’s spouse/partner loss.

    Legacy Connect
    Grief support for gays and lesbians who have lost spouses/partners.

    PODCASTS

    Widow We Do Now
    Podcast for young widows that tackles heavy grief topics with authenticity and humor.

    BOOKS & VIDEOS

    Recommended Books for Loss of a Spouse / Partner
    Download our complete list of recommended books for the loss of a spouse / partner.

  • Loss of a Child

    SUPPORT GROUPS

    Compassionate Friends (Piedmont Chapter)
    A Charlottesville-based grief support group for parents who have lost a child.

    WEBSITES

    Compassionate Friends
    Provides support to families who have lost children through resources, online groups, and chatrooms. Includes connection to local chapters for in-person meetings.

    Bereaved Parents USA
    Offers resources, support, understanding, encouragement, and hope to bereaved parents, siblings, and grandparents.

    Infant Loss Resources
    Provides grief support resources to families who have lost babies.

    Unspoken Grief
    A safe place to share, support, and learn about the impact of miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal loss.

    Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support
    Share is a community for anyone who experiences the tragic death of a baby. Share is a national organization with over 75 chapters in 29 states.

    PODCAST

    Connecting Through Grief When a Child Dies
    Podcast created at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by parents who have experienced the death of a child. Each episode in this series focuses on a different aspect of early grief.

    BOOKS

    Recommended Books for Loss of a Child
    Download our complete list of recommended books for the loss of a child.

  • Loss of a Loved One by Suicide

    SUPPORT GROUPS

    Survivors of Suicide
    A Charlottesville-based grief support group for people who have lost a loved one by suicide.

    Survivors for Life
    A Culpeper-based grief support group for those affected by the unique grief associated with the loss of a loved one to suicide.

    Parents of Suicides and Friends & Families of Suicides (POS-FFOS)
    Provides a public message board called Suicide Grief Support Forum, a listserv for parents, a separate listserv for others, and an online chat room for survivors of suicide loss.

    WEBSITES

    After A Suicide Resource Directory
    This online directory links people grieving after a suicide to resources and information. 

    Alliance of Hope for Suicide Survivors
    This organization for survivors of suicide loss provides information sheets, articles, a blog, and a community forum through which survivors can share with each other.

    Friends for Survival
    This organization is for suicide loss survivors and professionals who work with them. It produces a monthly newsletter and runs the Suicide Loss Helpline (1-800-646-7322). It also published Pathways to Purpose and Hope, a guide to building a community-based suicide survivor support program

    Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
    This organization provides resources and programs for people grieving the loss of a loved one who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces or as a result of their service. It has exceptional resources and programs for suicide loss survivors.

    Suicide Prevention Awareness Resource Counsel
    This Region Ten organization provides resources for suicide awareness and hosts an annual walk to raise resources for its programs and remember loved ones who died by suicide.

    PODCASTS

    Learning to Heal
    From Chloe Ashton & Dr. Sue Simring, the Life After Suicide Podcast

    BOOKS & VIDEOS

    Recommended Books & Videos for Loss of a Loved One by Suicide
    Download our complete list of recommended books and videos for the loss of a loved one by suicide.

  • Loss of a Pet

    SUPPORT GROUPS

    The Anti-cruelty Society Working Through Pet Loss
    A free virtual support group.

    Grieving.com
    Provides a forum for pet loss.

    WEBSITES

    Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement
    Provides a safe place for grieving pet parents to find caring support.

    BOOKS & VIDEOS

    Recommended Books for Loss of a Pet
    Download our complete list of recommended books for the loss of a pet.

Press Coverage