Childhood Grief and Traumatic Loss

More than two million children and adults die each year in the United States from natural, accidental, homicide, suicide or undetermined cause. Those who are left behind face the task of grief and mourning after a loss to death. Children face deaths with loss of a relationship and sometimes as a witness to a death that may have been violent.

In order to help children cope with grief it is important to be aware of our own emotions.

A shared expression of our own feelings will help a child understand that crying or other emotions are part of a normal grieving process “Children cannot begin to grieve unless they know someone has died and find that they themselves are safe”

-R Corr

Resources & articles

Standards for Grief and Mourning Professionals

Grief and Mourning for the Family and Friends of a Child who has Died

Grief And Mourning Article

Thoughts on Grief and Mourning by Michael Durfee, M.D

Facing the Issue