Crisis lines and grief support

Grief is not a problem to be solved. It is a country with no map. The people and organizations below are the closest thing we have found to guides. Some are free. Some run on donations. None of them paid to be on this list.

If you are in immediate danger, or thinking about ending your life, please call or text 988. You will reach a trained counselor in the United States within seconds. You do not need to be in active crisis to call. Grief is reason enough.

Right now, in the United States

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988. Free, confidential, 24 hours a day, in English and Spanish. For anyone in emotional distress, not just suicidal thoughts.
• Crisis Text Line. Text HOME to 741741. A trained volunteer texts back, usually within five minutes. Useful when you cannot speak out loud.
• GriefShare (griefshare.org). Christian-rooted thirteen-week grief support groups held in churches and online. About 12,000 groups worldwide. Free to attend. Not denominational beyond a general Christian framing.
• The Compassionate Friends (compassionatefriends.org). For parents, grandparents, and siblings of a child who has died. Local chapters across the United States and online groups by age group, cause of death, and family role.
• Modern Loss (modernloss.com). A community and a library of essays for people in their thirties, forties, and beyond. The tone is honest, sometimes funny, never sappy.
• The Dinner Party (thedinnerparty.org). Peer-led potluck groups for adults 21 to 45 who have lost a parent, sibling, partner, or child. Local and virtual tables. Free.

For children and teenagers

• The Dougy Center (dougy.org). Based in Portland, Oregon. Free peer support groups for grieving children, teens, and their families. The most thorough free library of guidance for parents we have found anywhere. See also our companion guide, how to tell the children.
• Camp Erin (camperin.org). A weekend bereavement camp for kids ages 6 to 17, free for families, in cities across the country. Run by the Moyer Foundation.

For veterans and military families

• Veterans Crisis Line. Call 988 then press 1. Or text 838255. Available 24 hours a day. You do not need to be enrolled in VA benefits.
• TAPS (taps.org). Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. Peer mentors, weekend retreats, and a 24-hour helpline at 1-800-959-TAPS (8277) for family members of fallen service members.

By faith tradition

Most denominations have a bereavement ministry. Your local clergy person is often the fastest way in. A few national doorways:

• Catholic Charities (catholiccharitiesusa.org). Most diocesan offices run grief support groups, often free. Search the map for your nearest agency.
• Jewish Bereavement Project (jewishbereavement.com) and your local synagogue. Most Conservative and Reform congregations host shiva minyans for non-members on request.
• Hindu American Foundation (hinduamerican.org) maintains a list of grief and end-of-life resources, and your local temple is often the right starting place. For service customs, see our cultural and religious customs guide.
• Islamic Society of North America (isna.net) mosque finder. Most masjids organize meals and visits during the three-day mourning period.

Online communities

Reddit has surprisingly humane subreddits for specific losses, moderated by people who have been there. Useful at three in the morning when no group meets.

• r/grief, for any kind of loss
• r/widowers, for spouses
• r/childloss, for parents
• r/SuicideBereavement, for survivors of suicide loss

One-on-one therapy

Grief is not a mental illness, and most people do not need a diagnosis. But a grief therapist can help, especially after a sudden or traumatic loss. Psychology Today maintains a directory at psychologytoday.com/us/therapists where you can filter by Grief and Bereavement specialty and by insurance accepted. Open Path Collective (openpathcollective.org) lists therapists who see clients for $30 to $80 a session.

A note on this list

These are organizations we have vetted by checking their tax status, looking at recent reviews from families they have served, and confirming their phone numbers and websites are current as of 2026-05-12. Stillwith is not affiliated with any of them. They do not pay us. They are listed because grieving families have told us they helped.

For the practical next steps, see our legal and practical checklist. For the people around you who want to help, point them to how to support a grieving friend.