A grief support group for widowed men and women for sharing, comfort, and camaraderie
TucsonWidowed@gmail.com 520-303-0900
What is a Grief Support Group
A grief support group offers a different quality of support and connection that comes from being with people who have also recently experienced a loss. Grief support groups provide emotional support, validation, and education about grief.
What Can I Expect During the Grief Support Group?
- A safe environment where one can tell his or her story and express feelings freely, knowing that others will be understanding, non-judgmental, and supportive.
- A place for establishing a connection with others to decrease the isolation that grief brings.
- A forum for understanding common myths about grief and typical grief patterns.
- A place for people of all faiths to learn from each other through sharing their grief stories in a non-judgmental way.
- A community that validates and normalizes one’s emotional reactions.
- A place for learning that there are many different ways to grieve, all of which are natural and acceptable.
- A resource for gathering articles, poetry, and reading lists to further one’s awareness of the many aspects of grief. Discussion of articles can serve as a springboard for identifying important meanings in one’s own loss and to learn from examples of how others have faced their losses.
- A place for learning new coping skills, relaxation techniques, stress management skills, and daily survival skills that others in the group have found effective. The opportunity for members to help each other brings strength, confidence, and a new sense of purpose and value.
- An opportunity for personal writing and/or journaling that promotes self-examination and encourage exploration of the many aspects of loss over time. It is healthy to re-examine the loss at different times in the life cycle, (such as young, middle age, or older adulthood), in order to recognize self-change and growth, and feel good about these changes.
- A sounding board where members can present ongoing or new concerns, report on progress or challenges, and safely come back for help when they experience setbacks or backslides in their grief journeys.
About Us
What We Do
We have virtual group meetings every Monday at 10:00am to learn how to deal with grief from the loss of the love of our lives. We listen, we share, we learn to have hope. There are various topics we discuss with real life questions and recent research about widowhood.
How You Feel....
I feel so lost
I feel this is the end of my world
I feel no one understands me
I feel I can't go on
What You May Be Thinking?
Should I still wear my wedding ring?
When should I get rid of his/her clothes?
Should I sell my house?
Should I move in with my kids?
Should I date again?
What You Will Hear and Learn
Learn that you are not alone
Learn that your feelings are normal
Learn that others don't know what to say to you
Learn what happens to your brain during grief
Learn that being with others like you is comforting
Learn that sudden death is no worse or better than prolonged death
Learn that crying is good for you
Learn that no one's grief is worse or better than your grief
Learn about broken heart syndrome
Learn to laugh again
Learn to be whole again
Learn that there is hope
Learn that grief recovery can take longer than you think
Real Testimonials
"The Tucson Northwest Support Group has been very helpful after experiencing the loss of my spouse of 54 years. I am so glad I found this group and caring facilitator at this time in my life. It has helped get me through a lot of loss and sadness and trauma. The group leader, Andy, and the members are great in directing the discussions where they are eye opening and insightful too. I love it and in fact! Thank you for a great support group that has helped me recognize my grief and given me tools that I can use to work on other relationships in my life. It has also helped me recognize grief in others. Taking the time to look at my losses over a lifetime really opened my eyes and fully hearing the other members relationship with the coping of their grief has allowed me to mourn and come to terms with my loss" R.C. 2023
"Perfectly describes group's goals and the many different ways those goals can be of help for the bereaved." E.B. 2023
"I found Tucson Northwest Widowed Support Group four months after my husband died and at a point when I felt hopelessly unable to deal with the sorrow and the inner feelings so profound with a sense of loss that I couldn't eat or sleep. The group welcomed me with open arms and patiently helped me through the river of tears that I would shed through many months. We related together because all of us had suffered the same feelings of loss of a spouse. But through the love and caring, came genuine laughter and enjoyment of many shared events such as weekly Zoom meetings followed by lunch at a local restaurant, a monthly dinner out, and even some shared entertainment venues in music and theater. I highly recommend this group if you are a widow looking for understanding or empathy." J.F. 2023