Grief Support

We believe bereavement is a precious time in a person’s life and hope the resources provided will help allow those to better understand and cope with grief. Please reach out to us if you need additional resources or specialized help with moving forward from your loss.

Process of Grief

The journey of grieving and how to find healing.

Most people think they know something about handling grief until they have experienced it. No matter how well prepared we are for the loss of a family member or friend, we can be caught off guard by the depth of our emotions. We find ourselves reacting in ways we had not anticipated and often find that our beliefs and relationships with others undergo trying times.

The grief process has a life of its own. It is a unique and profound time. We face what we have lost, our own mortality, and the challenge of learning to live without that special person. The journey can be overwhelming, confusing and even frightening, because our feelings are so intense and often out of control. It takes time, compassion for yourself and a willingness to allow this grief to evolve into a healing experience and renewed life.

If you or someone you know is grieving the loss of a loved one, please reach out to our bereavement coordinator, Celeste Miller, MA, LPC at (210) 227-8221. Celeste works as a Bereavement Coordinator for Porter Loring Family Care Services. She follows up with all Porter Loring families with letters and phone calls assessing their needs and inviting them to grief support groups specific to their loss. Celeste facilitates these bereavement support groups, which are not only for Porter Loring families, but are open to the entire San Antonio community.

It’s Good to Know

• Grief is both a physical and emotional response to loss. Problems with sleep, energy, concentration, mood swings, and physical symptoms are normal.
• Grief happens over time. It can not be healed in a few weeks or even months.
• Every grief experience is unique. How you react is based on the relationship you had with your loved one, how that person died, the emotional support available to you, and your cultural and religious background.
• We go through a variety of feelings about losing a loved one. It is common for a person to feel sorrow, anger, guilt, confusion, and fear as they heal. It is also common to feel peace, comfort and resolution. You may feel numb or dazed for periods of time. This is the way our mind protects our heart from the pain and the exhausting process of grief.
• Grief heals us. Expressing your grief and coming to terms with your new life will allow you to find meaning in your loss and discover ways that your loved one can live on in your heart.

Click here to view our helpful tips for how to manage grief in a healthy way, so you and your loved ones can take the first steps together towards healing.

Grief Support Groups

Know that you’re not alone. We can help you find peace and healing.

Our support groups are open to anyone in the community who is struggling with the loss of a loved one. Please call Celeste Miller (210) 227-8221 to learn more about the group that would be most appropriate for you and to reserve a spot.

Men’s Grief Support Group

This group of men 65 and older, invite you to join them for lunch and fellowship as you grieve the loss of your wife. This ongoing group will focus on the different characteristics grieving men share, including, coping with loneliness. It is a place to honor your wife while moving towards a renewed and meaningful life.

• Time: Every Thursday, 12:00pm-1:30pm
• Place: Alamo Heights United Methodist Church, 825 E. Basse Rd., Seminar Room S107, San Antonio, TX 78209
• Facilitator: Celeste Miller, MA, LPC, Bereavement Coordinator

“Fellowship in Grief”

This is an ongoing group for middle-aged and younger men facing the challenges of losing their wives. Their goal is to discover how to care for their families, manage their life in the midst of their grief and live on in the world.

• Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm, The 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month
• Place: Porter Loring Family Care Services, 2119 Mannix, San Antonio, TX 78217
• Facilitator: Celeste Miller, MA, LPC, Bereavement Coordinator

Grief Support Group for Women

This group is open to women 60 and older who have lost a husband and would like to join with other women in a journey of sharing, comfort and healing. “Women in Grief” will provide you a safe place to explore the roots of your grief, learn ways to express and cope with it, and move on to a more refreshed and renewed life when you are ready.

• Time: Every Monday, 10:00am-11:30am
• Place: Alamo Heights United Methodist Church, 825 E. Basse Rd., Seminar Room W101, San Antonio, TX 78209
• Facilitator: Darwin Huartson, M.Div, BCC

Grief Support Group for Younger Women

This is an eight session Life After Loss Class for middle-aged and younger women who face the special challenge of losing their husbands early in life. Attending all sessions is most beneficial, therefore no new participants are accepted after the second session. Please call Celeste Miller at (210) 227-8221 to inquire starting dates for Class Sessions.

• Time: 11:00am-12:30pm, The 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month
• Place: Porter Loring Family Care Services, 2119 Mannix, San Antonio, TX 78217
• Facilitator: Celeste Miller, MA, LPC, Bereavement Coordinator

“Forever Loved”

A very special group for parents who have lost a child of any age (child or adult). It is an open group welcoming any parent seeking support through this tender and powerful time. Members of the group work hard to honor their sorrow, and at the same time discover hope and meaning in their lives.

• Time: Every Tuesday, 7:00pm- 8:30pm.
• Place: Alamo Heights United Methodist Church, 825 E. Basse Rd., Seminar Room S107, San Antonio, TX 78209
• Facilitator: Celeste Miller, MA, LPC, Bereavement Coordinator

“Life After Loss” Programs

Porter Loring Family Care Services often conducts six-week groups at various locations throughout the community. These programs are designed to give you an opportunity to understand the process of grief, assess where you are in this process, discover how your loss can transform you into becoming a better person, and plan for how you will continue to heal and live a good life. “Life After Loss” programs are particularly helpful for those who have lost parents as well as all other types of losses. Attending all six sessions is most beneficial, therefore no new participants are accepted after the second session. For more information about the location of the current program or to schedule one at your place of worship please call Celeste Miller at (210) 227-8221.

“Grief & the Holidays” Presentations

Porter Loring Family Care Services sponsors a variety of scheduled presentations for “Grief and the Holidays” workshops from October through December every year throughout the San Antonio community. Please call Celeste Miller at (210) 227-8221 for a schedule of the presentations during the holiday season.

Click here to view our current Grief & the Holidays Presentations. 

Reading to Find Healing

A list of books we recommend to help you along your journey.

Reading about grief can help you understand what you’re going through and help to ensure that you are not alone. It can also help you develop ways to take care of yourself as you navigate this powerful experience. There is a vast array of books written on the subject. We encourage you to explore them and find the ones that speak to you. Below is a list to start with that many families have reported to be helpful. Some can be found on audio tape as well.

General Grief

• When Bad Things Happen to Good People, by Harold S. Kushner
• Grief is a Journey – Finding Your Path Through Loss, by Kenneth J. Doka
• Mindfulness & Grief, by Heather Stang
• Don’t Take My Grief Away From Me, by Doug Manning
• Tear Soup, by Pat Schwiebert and Chuck DeKlyen
• Good Grief, by Granger E. Westberg
• A Decembered Grief, by Harold Ivan Smith

Grief and Spirituality

• Tracks of a Fellow Struggler, by John Claypool
• A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis
• The Unwanted Gift of Grief, by Tim P. Van Duivendyk
• Living with Loss, Healing with Hope: A Jewish Perspective, by Rabbi Dr. Earl Grollman
• A Grace Disguised, by Gerald Sittser
• Winter Of The Heart, by Paula D’Arcy
• Man’s Search For Meaning, by Victor Frankl
• Job and the Mystery of Suffering, by Richard Rohr

Loss of a Spouse

• Option B, by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
• Dancing Alone, Learning to Live Again, by Raymond Calabrese
• The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion
• Finding Your Way After Your Spouse Dies, by Marla Felber

Loss of a Child

• The Disappearance, by Genevieve Jurgensen
• A Broken Heart Still Beats: After Your Child Dies, by Anne McCracken and Mary Semel
• Finding Hope When a Child Dies, by Sukie Miller, Ph.D.
• The Bereaved Parent, by Harriet Sarnoff Schiff
• Empty Arms: Hope and Support for Those Who Have Suffered A Miscarriage, Stillborn or Tubal Pregnancy, by Pamela W. Vredvelt
• The Grieving Garden, by Suzanne Redfern & Susan Gilbert
• The Shack, by Wm. Paul Young

Loss of a Parent

• Midlife Orphan, by Jane Brooks
• Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss, by Hope Edelman
• Finding Your Way After Your Parent Dies, by Richard Gilbert

Friends Helping Friends

• The Last Thing We Talk About, by Joseph Bayly
• When Your Friend is Grieving, by Paula D’Arcy
• Companioning The Bereaved, by Alan D. Wofelt

Dealing with Suicide

• Swallowed by a Snake, by Thomas R. Golden
• Men’s Secret Wars, by Patrick A. Means
• My Son…My Son: A Guide to Healing After Death, Loss or Suicide, by Iris Bolton with Curtis Mitchell
• Restore My Soul, by Lorraine Peterson
• No Time To Say Goodbye: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One, by Carla Fine
• Bruised & Wounded -Struggling to Understand Suicide, by Ronald Rolheiser
• Red Chocolate Elephant: For Children Bereaved by Suicide, by Diana Sands

Helping Children with Grief

• Talking About Death: A Dialogue between Parent and Child, by Earl Grollman
• The Invisible Thread, by Patrice Karst
• Lean On Me Gently: Helping the Grieving Child, by Doug Manning

Books for Children and Teenagers

• The Hurt, by Teddi Doleski
• Part of Me Died Too: Stories of Creative Survival Among Bereaved Children and Teenagers, by Virginia Lynn Fry
• Daddy’s Chair, by Sandy Lanton
• Fire In My Heart, Ice In My Veins, by Enid Traisman and Ben Sieff
• Why Do People Die, by Cynthia MacGregor
• What’s Heaven, by Maria Shriver