Bereavement Support Groups in Massachusetts

Grief doesn’t follow a schedule. Some days it feels like a steady ache; other days it hits in waves. You don’t have to navigate it alone. Our clinician-facilitated bereavement support groups offer a consistent space to share, learn coping skills, and reconnect with what matters, at your own pace.

Facilitated by licensed clinicians • In-person at our outpatient center and via secure telehealth across Massachusetts.

How Our Grief  Support Groups Work

Who The Groups Are For

Adults (18+) in Massachusetts grieving a recent or long-ago loss.

People who have lost a spouse or partner, parent, child, relative, friend, or colleague

Anyone navigating sudden or traumatic loss (including accidents, suicide, or substance-related causes).

Caregivers coping with anticipatory grief or cumulative losses.

No referral is typically required; our Admissions team can guide you. During a short intake call, we’ll help you decide whether a group, individual therapy, or a combination is the right next step for you.

What Sessions Cover

Each group blends gentle sharing with practical skills you can use between meetings. Common themes include:

Understanding how grief shows up, emotionally, physically, and in daily routines.

Building coping rituals for tough moments (anniversaries, holidays, sudden reminders).

Strategies to stabilize sleep and appetite.

Mindfulness and grounding tools to ride the “grief waves.”

Communication skills for friends, family, and employers.

Meaning-making: remembering your person, honoring your values, and re-engaging with life.

No one is pressured to speak before they’re ready; you can participate at your own pace.

Our Clinical Approach

Our groups are led by licensed clinicians who integrate evidence-based therapies into a compassionate, peer support setting. You’ll see these approaches woven into plain-language exercises and handouts, no jargon required.

CBT for thoughts, routines, and meaning-making

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify thought loops that often follow loss (“I should be over this,” “If I distract myself, I’m forgetting them”). We practice skills to:

Notice and soften harsh self-talk.

Rebuild daily routines that support sleep, nutrition, and connection.

Take small, values-based steps toward activities that matter to you.

DBT Skills for Intense Emotion Waves and Triggers

Loss can bring surges of emotion. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills provide a toolkit you can reach for in the moment:


Distress tolerance: quick, safe techniques for acute spikes in pain.

Emotion regulation: understanding the body’s signals and reducing “emotional whiplash.”

Interpersonal effectiveness: asking for help, setting boundaries, and staying connected without pressure.

EMDR When Loss Is Traumatic


For some people, the hardest part of grief is the trauma surrounding the death. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help lessen the intensity of traumatic memories and triggers.
If you and your clinician agree it’s appropriate, we can discuss EMDR in individual therapy alongside your group participation, always at your pace and never as a guarantee of a specific outcome.

Group, Individual Therapy, OP & IOP, Finding the Right Level

When a Support Group May Be Enough

A group is a good fit when you’re seeking:
Community and normalization, “I’m not the only one feeling this.”
Gentle structure to practice coping skills.
A space to remember and talk about your person without needing to “protect” others.
Not sure what your plan covers? Our team can check your benefits and walk you through options confidentially and at no cost.

When to Add 1:1 Therapy or Adjust Your Level of Care

Consider adding individual therapy or exploring a higher level of care if you’re noticing:
Persistent difficulty functioning at work or home.
Sleep disruption, panic, or avoidance that isn’t easing.
Isolation, guilt, or numbness that feels “stuck.”
Co-occurring concerns like depression, anxiety, trauma symptoms, or substance use.
Consider adding individual therapy or exploring a higher level of care if you’re noticing:
Individual Therapy
EMDR Therapy
Anxiety Treatment
Depression Treatment
Trauma & PTSD Care
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Access Across Massachusetts

In-Person At Our Outpatient Center

Prefer to be in the room? We host groups in a calm, comfortable setting designed to feel welcoming and private. You’ll receive details on parking, arrival, and what to expect when you schedule.

Telehealth Statewide

If you’re anywhere in Massachusetts, or if getting here is difficult, telehealth groups let you participate from home using a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. We’ll walk you through a short tech check before your first session and share privacy tips for joining from a private space.

Scheduling That Respects Real Life

We aim to offer options that work around job and family schedules. If our current groups don’t fit, ask about upcoming series or joining the interest list for future times.

What to Expect from Intake

A Simple, Confidential Screening

Your first step is a brief, confidential call with our Admissions team. We’ll talk about what you’re going through, answer questions, and recommend the best fit group (and whether to add individual therapy). If you choose to start, we’ll confirm logistics and your start date.

Fees & Insurance

We accept private pay and work with out-of-network PPO benefits when available.
Final costs vary by group type and length. We’ll review fees with you before you decide, no surprises.
Upon request, we can provide a superbill you may submit to your insurer for out-of-network reimbursement.

When Grief Feels Stuck (Signs to Notice)

Grief has no timeline, and there is no “right way” to mourn. Still, some signs may mean extra support could help:

It’s been many months, and your daily functioning remains significantly disrupted.

You feel numb, detached, or overwhelmed most of the time.

You avoid reminders so intensely that life keeps getting smaller.

Sleep and appetite are persistently off, or anxiety and depression are intensifying.

You have thoughts of harming yourself or hopelessness that feel scary.

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not failing, you’re human. We’ll meet you exactly where you are and create a plan together, which may include skills-based group work, individual therapy, care coordination, and (when appropriate) medication management within outpatient care.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a grief support group and group therapy?

Both are clinician-facilitated and skills-based here. “Support group” emphasizes peer connection plus psychoeducation and coping tools. If you need deeper trauma processing or more individualized work, we may recommend adding one-to-one therapy.

How long does the group run, and can I join mid-series?

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Are the groups virtual, in person, or both?

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Who facilitates the group? Are they licensed clinicians?

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Do I need a referral?

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How does payment work if you’re out-of-network?

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What if I’m not ready to speak in a group?

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Where else can I find community resources?

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Take the Next Step Now!

You don’t have to do this alone. Whether you prefer a quiet seat in the room or a secure telehealth group from home, we’ll help you find a starting point that respects your capacity and your privacy.

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