Widowhood
Welcome to the Resource page for widows, advisors to widows, or those who would like to understand more about the difficult transition that takes place with a major life event marked by the passing of a spouse or partner.
Did You Know?
80%
of men die married.
80%
of women die single.
Curated Content
Helpful videos, books, articles and support groups related to widowhood.
Curated Videos
Modern Widows Club
We Don’t “Move on” from Grief. We Move Forward with It
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=669879150139006
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo | Sparks Joy
https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379
When Someone You Love Dies, There Is No Such Thing As Moving On
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYWlCGbbDGI
Curated Books, Articles and Podcasts
Books & Authors
A Course in Miracles by Helen Schucman
A Grace Disquise: How the Soul Grows Through Loss by Jerry L Sittser
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
A Passion for Giving (Tools and Inspiration for Creating a Charitable Foundation by Peter J Klein & Angelica Berrie
A widow’s guide to healing: Gental Support and advice for the first 5 years by Kristine Meekhof
All at sea by Decca Aitkenhead
Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser
Doors close,doors open by Morton A. Lieberman
Dream Big, Stay Positive & Believe in your self by Patricia Wayant
Emerging From Heartache & Loss by Carol Wiseman
Finding Joy After loss by Vashon marie Sarkisian
Forward on your own PH.D, CFP, by Kathleen M
God’s Joyful Surprise by Sue Monk Kidd
Healing a spouse’s grieving heart by Alan D Wolfelt PhD
Healing is a journey by Minx Boren, MCC
Healthy Healing by Michelle Steinke-Baumgard
Heartbroken open by Kristine Carlson
Help for Worried Kids by Cynthia G Last
It’s okay to laugh by Nora Mcinerny Purmort
Life After Death by Stephen Harlwy Martin
Life Planning for you by George Kinder
Live well, Die Happy by MPH Eric Metcalf
Living with Grief: Who We Are, How We Grieve by Kenneth J Doka
Living, Dreaming, Dying by Rob Nairn
No Longer Awkward by Ant Florian and Ken Florian
Option B by Sheryl Sandberg
Permission to mourn by Tom Zuba
Power your tribe by Christine Comaford
Praying through our losses by Wayne Simsic
Prince Charming Isn’t Coming – How Women Get Smart with Money by Barbara Stanny
Rangoli by Pavana Reddy
Ray of Hope in times of Loss by Susan Zimmerman
Resilience Steven Southwick by Dennis Charney
Resilient Grieving by Lucy Hone PhD
Seconds Firsts by Christina Rasmussen
Seize the day by Joyce Meyer
Strength in the struggle by Vashti Murphy McKenzie
Sudden Money by Susan Bradley
Suddenly single after 50: The Girlfriends Guide to Navigating Loss, Restoring Hope, and Rebuilding Life by Barbara Ballinger & Margaret Crane
Suddenly Solo by Harold “Hal” Spielman
Take off: My life without you Can’t Find
The orphan the widow & me: Paying it Forward with both hands by JT Olson
The Paradoxes of mourning by Alan D Wolfelt PhD
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond YourSelf by Michael A Singer
The Widower’s Journey by Herb Knoll
The wounded healer by Henri J. M. Nouwen
Trouble with Money by Stan Berenstain
Understanding your grief by Alan D Wolfelf
Widow’s Survival Guide by Martin E Levine
Support Groups & Partners
Online Resources:
Resources for Widows & Widowers
Alliance of Hope > Home
The Alliance of Hope for Suicide Survivors provides healing support for people coping with the shock, excruciating grief and complex emotions that accompany the loss of a loved one to suicide.
American Widow Project > Home
The mission of the American Widow Project is to provide military widows with the vital support through peer-based support programs designed to educate, empower, inspire and assist in rebuilding their lives in the face of tragedy.
Camp Widow
http://www.campwidow.org
Camp Widow® is a weekend long gathering of widowed people from across the country and around the world. We come together to create a community that understands the life-altering experience of widowhood. Camp Widow® provides practical tools, valuable resources, and peer-based encouragement for rebuilding your life in the aftermath of the death of a spouse… all in a fun, uplifting, laughter-filled atmosphere.
Gary Roe – Healing Is Possible
http://www.garyroe.com/
Gary’s website provides a range of resources on grief and healing, including the Good Grief mini-course that some of our members have drawn benefit from.
GriefNet
http://griefnet.org
“Our grief support groups operate 24-hours/day, 365 days/year. Members participate when they wish and are able to, not at a set time. All of our grief support groups are monitored by trained volunteers who make sure that the groups are running smoothly. Overall supervision is provided by Cendra Lynn, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and traumatologist.”
Grief Share
http://www.griefshare.org
Grief Share is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. You don’t have to go through the grieving process alone.
Modern Widows Club
http://modernwidowsclub.com
A place to move forward while reaching back. We serve to empower widows to lean into life, build resilience and make a positive difference in society. Local chapters meet in person across the U.S. and there is an annual Widows Empowerment weekend event.
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
http://www.nhpco.org
If your spouse or partner is/was involved in hospice, this organization offers up to one year of free grief counseling. They also offer community outreach counseling for people whose spouse or partner were not in Hospice but still need grief counseling. Finally, if the counseling offered does not meet your needs, contact the bereavement department of your local Hospice as they are usually happy to help you locate grief services and support in your area that is more appropriate for you.
Soaring Spirits International
www.soaringspirits.org
SSLF is an inclusive, non-denominational organization focused on hope and healing through the grieving process. We are positive and forward thinking, while focusing on offering our members the tools and resources they need to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the death of a loved one.
Second Firsts > Where We Go to Be Inspired After Loss
Second Firsts was founded in 2010. We provide a scientific and process-oriented approach to releasing pain consciously and methodically by relying on our brain’s ability to give birth to new pathways, new habits and new brain connections.
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
http://www.taps.org/
TAPS offers grief resources and bereavement counseling to those grieving the loss of a loved one serving in the Armed Forces. There are transition services, counseling and outreach provided through a national peer support network at no cost to those surviving families and loved ones. They also partner with the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Widowed Village
http://widowedvillage.org
Widowed Village connects peers with each other for friendship and sharing. The moderators, administrators, and others involved in running this site are widowed people like you. Peer support is an excellent, social way to learn more about living with loss while gaining the energy and ideas for your path to a new life.
Wiser Women
http://www.wiserwomen.org/
Young Widow Forum
http://widda.org
The Young Widow Forum is a moderated online community that exists to help the young widowed to recover, reclaim and rebuild by facilitating the exchange of experiences, information and support. The forum offers opportunities to share your story and relate to others who share similar experiences. Sections of the board include General Topics, Timeline (topics based on time since loss), Specific Circumstances (topics based on whether or not you have children, or if your relationship was affected by suicide, addiction, mental illness or domestic violence, extreme care giving etc), Socializing and Encouragement.
Psychological Support
American Psychological Association (APA) Online Help Center
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/
APA’s Psychology Help Center is an online consumer resource featuring articles and information related to psychological issues affecting your daily physical and emotional well-being. The website has a number of online resources, including a tool to look up psychological support and counseling in your area.
National Suicide Prevention > Home
Call: 1-800-273-TALK (8255),
If you feel you are in a crisis, whether or not you are thinking about killing yourself, please call the Lifeline. People have called the lifeline for help with substance abuse, economic worries, relationship and family problems, sexual orientation, illness, getting over abuse, depression, mental and physical illness, and even loneliness.
When you dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255), you are calling the crisis center in the Lifeline network closest to your location. After you call, you will hear a message saying you have reached the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You will hear hold music while your call is being routed. You will be helped by a skilled, trained crisis worker who will listen to your problems and will tell you about mental health services in your area. Your call is confidential and free.
The Recovery Village
Call: 844.278.8408
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/co-occurring-disorders/grief/
The Recovery Village assists clients develop the necessary coping skills to maintain abstinence and the ability to problem solve other areas of life. Implementing evidence-based methods that combine clinical expertise, personal preferences, and scientific research; psychologists and mental health professionals utilize these methods to help patients learn new strategies for dealing with grief, sadness, depression, and substance abuse.
Parenting & Supporting Grieving Children
Acts of Simple Kindness
http://actsofsimplekindness.org
Acts of Simple Kindness, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that lends a helping hand to kids, under 18, of widows and widowers so that they may pursue programs in the areas of education, sports, music and the arts.
New Song Center for Grieving Children (Arizona)
http://www.hov.org/welcome-new-song-center-grieving-children
New Song Center for Grieving Children, a program of Hospice of the Valley, offers grief support group experiences for children, teens, young adults and their family caregivers following the death of a loved one. New Song creates a safe place in which children engage in developmentally appropriate activities including art, play, and journaling. Adults attend their own support groups, where they learn how to help children process grief in a healthy manner and how to help themselves cope with loss. The center also provides grief education for caregivers, community groups, schools clergy, medical and mental health professionals. Services are all provided at no cost to participants.
Stepping Stones of Hope
http://steppingstonesofhope.org
Our programs provide support for grieving families to help bereaved children become healthy, well-adjusted adults and adults in a child’s life learn skills to navigate their own grief journey as well as build family cohesion.
Grief Camps for Children
Grief camps are a great way for kids to learn about grief and to realize they are not alone. Many camps teach kids about grief and they also educate parents how kids grieve differently than adults. The following are examples of websites for kids grief camps held in several states, however, if you don’t see one for your state, it is definitely worth doing a search online for your state.
Comfort Zone Camp
http://www.comfortzonecamp.org
Camp Courage
http://www.bereavementcamp.org
The Moyer Foundation
http://www.moyerfoundation.org
Taps Good Grief Camps (nationwide)
Call: 1800-959-8277 to find a camp in your area
Stepping Stones of Hope (Camp Paz) – Arizona only
http://www.steppingstonesofhope.org
Camp Hometown Heroes > Home
Financial Support
Social Security statement – www.ssa.gov/myaccount;
Social Security Survivor Benefits – https://www.ssa.gov/planners/survivors/ifyou.html