Listed As One of The Best!

[MartyT]

I'm delighted to report that PsychCentral has named our own Grief Healing Discussion Groups Pet Loss Forum as one of The 7 Best Online Grief Support Groups in 2021!

From PsychCentral's notice:

Online grief support groups can provide people going through bereavement with a healing space for their loss.

Finding support when you’re grieving can be overwhelming, but online grief support groups exist at arm’s length — as close as your laptop or your phone.

The loss of a loved one is considered one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. It can profoundly change the way you live after you go through it.

Speaking to others who have gone through the same experiences that you have can bring about enormous relief.

Online support groups provide an outlet around the clock and allow participants who may feel isolated, stigmatized, or unable to attend in-person meetings an opportunity to reach outside their immediate communities for help. They can serve as a touchstone while coping with grief.

Criteria we used to choose

There are plenty of bereavement support groups out there. To narrow it down, we looked at:

• Qualifications: Do the founders or staff hold certain qualifications that make them suitable to lead a grief support group?
• Activity: Are the groups busy with daily new posts?
• Security and safety: Do the sites show concern for members’ security and safety?
• Cost: All the resources listed here are free, though some ask for donations to support their programs.
• Accessibility: Most online support forums on this list are open to people worldwide. However, phone hotlines and other services like in-person meetings may only be accessible to people within the United States.

Best for people grieving the loss of a pet

Grief Healing Discussion Groups for Pet Loss

Although the forums at Grief Healing Discussion Groups encompass many varieties of loss, the site is run by a counselor who has written extensively about pet loss and runs pet loss support groups.

For many, losing a beloved pet can be as traumatic as losing a human companion, and grief can be long lived. This site recognizes this and offers people a place to talk about their animals and relationships with them.

What we like

• The site owner has an extensive background helping people deal with pet grief. Plus, she was a moderator and monitor for the site before she became its owner.
• The forum site is quite active and moderated by trained counselors.

What to look out for

• The site doesn’t cater exclusively to grieving pet owners.

 

 

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Medically reviewed by Ashleigh Golden, PsyD — Written by Lela Moore and Susanne Arthur on June 14, 2021