Grief & Healing

Compassionate care and guidance.

Griefwords Online Library

Grief is as individual as a fingerprint—no two people navigate loss in quite the same way. Yet amid our unique experiences, we often encounter common emotions as we gradually move toward healing.

The feelings that arise during grief are sometimes called “stages,” but this term can be misleading. Grief doesn’t follow a neat timeline or progress in a straight line from one phase to the next. You might experience intense sadness for minutes or days, find yourself cycling between anger and acceptance within the same afternoon, or revisit emotions you thought you’d already processed. Moving forward and backward through these feelings is completely natural. There’s no “right” way to grieve, and there’s no schedule you need to follow. Healing unfolds in its own time, at its own pace.

HELPING YOURSELF WITH GRIEF

Someone you love has died. You are now faced with the difficult, but important, need to mourn. Mourning is the open expression of your thoughts and feelings regarding the death and the person who died. It is an essential part of healing. The following articles provide many practical suggestions to help you move toward healing in your unique grief journey.

Helping Yourself Heal When Someone Loved Dies

Practical suggestions to help you move toward healing in your personal grief experience.

Too Much Loss: Grief Overload and Its Causes

If you are feeling overwhelmed by too much loss, this article is for you.

First Aid for Broken Hearts

Honor your unique grief and begin to understand how to mend your heart.

You Must Say Hello Before You Say Goodbye

Love and grief are two sides of the same precious coin.

Why Choose A Final Resting Place for Your Loved One

How a person’s body will be cared for and where it will be placed is an important decision.

Resilience and Vulnerability in Grief

The fact that life goes on has probably made you feel distressed or anxious now and then.

Helping Yourself Heal During the Holiday Season

Holidays are often difficult for anyone who has experienced the death of someone loved.

Healing Your Grief About Getting Older

To be human means to grow older each day we are alive. We begin. We end.

HELPING OTHERS WITH GRIEF

A friend has experienced the death of someone loved. How can you help? 
The following articles provide many practical suggestions for helping others with grief:

Helping a Friend in Grief

This article will guide you in ways to turn your cares and concerns into positive actions.

Misconception of the Funeral as a Rite of Closure

Instead of a rite of closure, the funeral is better understood as a rite of opening.

Helping a Grieving Friend in the Workplace

This article will guide you in ways to turn your cares and concerns into positive actions.

Helping Your Family When a Member is Dying

This article will guide you in ways to turn your cares and concerns into positive actions.

For and About Grieving Children and Teenagers

Children and teenagers have special needs following the death of a friend or family member.  The following articles provide wonderful insight in helping children and teens understand and express their grief.

Finding the Right Words 

Guidelines on how to talk to grieving children about death.

Helping Children Cope With Grief

Even before children are able to talk, they grieve when a loved one dies. 

Helping Teenagers Cope with Grief

Teens are no longer children, yet neither are they adults.

Helping Children with Funerals

Unless they have attended one before, children don’t know what to expect from a funeral. 

LOCAL SUPPORT

You Don’t Have to Grieve Alone

Losing someone you love is one of life’s most difficult experiences, and navigating grief can feel overwhelming. Local support groups provide a safe space to share your story, connect with others who understand your pain, and find comfort in community. Whether you’re dealing with a recent loss or grief that lingers, you don’t have to face it alone.

Center for Grief & 
Loss at Stella Maris, Inc

Stella Maris Hospice Center
2300 Dulaney Valley Road
Timonium, Maryland 21093

410-252-4500 EXT 7291

Gilchrist Hospice Care

11311 McCormick Road 
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031

410-252-4500 EXT 7291

Franklin Square Hospital

9000 Franklin Square Drive
Baltimore, Maryland 21237 

443-777-7657