Family Grief Support

Grief Support for Families

Shared grief can be complicated. Often family members don’t want to burden one another with their grief, so they avoid the topic altogether. That’s where COJ comes in. We provide family members with a safe space to grieve with one another. Our services support families to overcome common communication barriers, allow children and their parents to experience moments of joy with others who ‘get it,’ and equip family members with tools for supporting one another.  We offer our grief support services at no cost to participants.

Families often respond differently to the same death.  Emotional responses vary as each family member had a unique relationship with their loved one who died. At COJ, we provide opportunities for family members to share their thoughts, feelings, and memories with one another. Connecting as a family allows them to journey through grief with one another, avoid misunderstandings, address hurts, and find healing together.

Family Program & Events Include:

Mending Hearts for Grieving Children, Teens, & Families

This program seeks to restore family balance, one child, one teen, and one family at a time. We believe a family that grieves together, heals together. This family support group is a faith-based ongoing grief support program offering a safe and nurturing environment for all children ages 3–18 and their families who have experienced a death. We engage in activities and conversations that allow not only individual family members to experience healing, but your entire family as a whole.

  • Meets from 6:30-8:00 PM on the 2nd Thursday of the month, September – May
  • Boys and Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty, 8748 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, West Chester Township, OH 45069

Family Consultation

At COJ, we offer a safe space for children, teens, adults, and families to process feelings of grief and loss. In addition to our community programs, we offer private family facilitation by phone, Zoom, or in-person.  Family consultation consists of 1 session with one of our bereavement specialists.  To schedule these sessions, we ask that you first complete the registration form below.  *Please note that availability for family consultation varies depending on our current schedule.

School-based Grief Support Program

We partner with over 50 public, private, and parochial schools to provide monthly grief support groups during regular school hours. Our monthly school-based groups are co-facilitated by a COJ Bereavement Specialist and the school counselor.  The schools we currently serve are listed on our School-based Program page.  If your child attends one of these schools and you would like to enroll your child in the program, please contact your child’s school counselor or you can email griefsupport@companionsonajourney.org to connect with our school support team.

Pathway to Healing Events

COJ hosts a variety of Pathway to Healing events throughout the year to support bereaved families.  These events are a safe, fun way to provide bereaved children, teens, and families with an opportunity to honor their loved ones, strengthen family bonds, and find hope. They also provide the opportunity to form friendships with other families in the community who are grieving. Please visit our calendar or events page for upcoming events!

COJ will forever be a pillar to our family’s healing.  A true gift from God.

- COJ Mending Hearts for Grieving Children & Families Participant

COJ is a safe place where my family learned we are not alone in our grief.

- COJ Mending Hearts for Grieving Children & Families Participant