Soaring Spirits International
Peer-based programs for widowed people, including Camp Widow weekends and regional social groups.
Grief Support Loss of a Spouse or Partner
Widow & Widower Support Groups
Losing a spouse or partner rearranges everything at once: the person you'd tell about a day this hard is the person who's gone. People who have been through it consistently say the same thing — the most help came from others who had lived it, not from people trying to imagine it.
The networks below exist for exactly that. Some are social first, some are structured programs, several are specific to younger widows and widowers or to men. All of them are run by, or built around, people who have lost a partner themselves.
Verified Networks
Where the real support is
Every organization here is national, established, and built around this specific loss. Formats and costs are listed so you know before you click.
Modern Widows Club
Mentorship and community chapters focused on helping widows build forward.
National Widowers' Organization
Peer support specifically for men who have lost a spouse or partner.
GriefShare
13-week faith-based grief program hosted in thousands of local churches.
Local & Verified
Dedicated local centers for this loss
Standout local organizations we’ve verified — each city guide has more, including every hospice grief program in that metro.
OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center — New York
The LA grief center's New York branch — peer support groups for children, teens, adults, and families, grouped by age and relationship to the person who died.
VNS Health Grief Support
Free grief groups across all five boroughs — organized by relationship to the person who died, plus Spanish- and Chinese-language, men's, and LGBTQIA+ groups.
OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center
LA's dedicated grief support center — age- and loss-specific peer groups across multiple locations, for adults, teens, and children.
Joyful Again
Chicagoland retreat-style program specifically for widowed people.
The Elizabeth Hospice
Counselor-led grief groups across San Diego County and on Zoom — including parent, child, and spouse loss groups — open to anyone, hospice connection or not.
Grief and Loss Center of North Texas
No-cost monthly virtual groups for adults grieving a child, spouse, or other loss, plus the in-person SAM's program for grieving kids and teens.
Cornerstone of Hope — Columbus
Structured 8–10 week grief groups led by trained facilitators — including spouse loss, loss of a child, suicide loss, and young-adult groups.
InTouch Bereavement — Community Health Network
Free adult grief counseling and groups — including spouse, parent, and adult-child loss — plus memorial events across the Indianapolis area.
JF&CS — Bereavement Supports
Free non-sectarian peer bereavement groups led by trained facilitators, including partner loss, parent loss, and suicide-loss groups.
Gilda's Club Metro Detroit
Free professionally led groups for people affected by cancer, including family and spouse bereavement groups after a cancer loss.
Hope Church Grief Support
GriefShare sessions, a monthly Compassionate Friends group for bereaved parents, and other loss support — in person and on Zoom, open to all.
Widow Strong
A faith-based community for widows and their children — Atlanta-area gatherings and walks, online meetups, and grief resilience workshops.
Before Your First Meeting
What these groups are actually like
Most widow and widower groups are peer groups rather than group therapy: a facilitator (usually widowed themselves) keeps the conversation safe, but nobody is diagnosed and nobody is required to talk. Expect first names, practical topics — the paperwork, the bed, the ring, other people's awkwardness — and more laughing than you'd guess.
If a group feels wrong, that's information about the group, not about you. Fit varies a lot with how long ago your loss was and whether the group skews older or younger, so it's normal to try two or three.
Finding one near you: beyond the networks above, your local hospice is required to offer bereavement support and most run free community grief groups — call and ask for the bereavement coordinator. More on that here.
Want this list in your inbox?
One email with every network on this page, plus a short guide to choosing a group. No newsletter, no follow-ups — just the list, to read when you’re ready.
Questions
What families ask
Are there support groups specifically for young widows and widowers?
Yes. Soaring Spirits runs programs and regional groups with a large under-50 community, and many local hospices run 'young widowed' cohorts when demand allows. Being the youngest person in a general group by thirty years is a common reason people quit — a age-matched group is worth the extra search.
Is there support for men who have lost a wife or partner?
The National Widowers' Organization exists specifically for men, who statistically join groups less and struggle more in isolation. Several general networks also run men's circles — ask the facilitator; the option often isn't advertised.
How soon after the loss should I join a group?
There's no correct timeline. Some people come in the first month and say the group was the only room where they could breathe; others aren't ready for a year. Most groups let you sit in without speaking for as long as you need, and none worth joining will pressure you.
While You’re Here
Free tools, if they’d help
Made for the same reason this directory exists. No account, no charge.
Free toolWrite a Eulogy
If a service is coming and the blank page is heavy, this helps you shape what you want to say — step by step, in your words.
Free toolWaves of Grief
Map how your grief actually moves — the waves, not the stages. Many people bring their map to a first group meeting.
Free toolThe Memory Interview
Twelve questions that gather your memories of them into something you can keep — and share with family.
Other Losses
Loss of a ChildPregnancy & Infant LossPet LossSuicide LossMilitary & Veteran LossChildren & TeensLoss of a Parent
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A life together deserves more than a photograph
Some widowed people work with Preston to turn decades of shared life into one original painting — built from your memories in unhurried 1-on-1 conversations.