Our Approach

Grief is a Journey

While the roots of COJ are founded in faith, our branches welcome everyone from the young to the old, people from all backgrounds, and those of all religions, identities, and affiliations, without exception. Grief does not discriminate, and neither do we.

Grief is a journey that takes time and having a companion to talk with while on the journey can make the travel much easier. We are committed to being companions on your journey. Like grief, our support groups do not have a time limit; they are ongoing and you may join at any time. Our programs provide an opportunity to receive emotional support, validate feelings, and share strategies and tools for coping, working always within your own personal timelines.

About Our Support Groups

We offer a variety of monthly community-based support groups to meet each person wherever they are on their grief journey. Our support groups are facilitated by trained staff or volunteer bereavement specialists with similar loss experiences and are offered at no cost to participants.

Our support groups are warm, friendly, and inclusive. Groups meet once or twice a month for approximately 1 ½ hours. Each meeting begins with a prayer which may include an introductory activity such as candle lighting, reading, or a poem to help the group focus on an aspect of grief. Next, we cover introductions, group rules, logistics, and any sharing from participants from the last meeting or the last time that person was in the group. Support groups are confidential and everyone has the opportunity to share. Each meeting will have a topic or question that will be covered to assist individuals in better understanding their grief. At the conclusion of the session, a reading or poem may be read and the group will end in prayer.