Counselors and Resources

Grief Counseling and Resources

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
-Matthew 5:4

Local Support Groups
(Please call ahead before attending any of these groups)

Compassionate Friends: 817-487-7207.  Contact person: Cathy Faher.  This group is for parents, grandparents and siblings who have lost a child. They meet the first Monday of the month at 7:00PM at the John Paul II Center at St. Benedict’s Church, 2310 Bedford St., Johnstown.

Conemaugh Regional Hospice: 814-534-6100.  This group meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 5-6PM at the Murtha Neuroscience and Pain Institute,  1450 Scalp Ave., Johnstown.

“In-Touch” Hospice: 814-443-5047.  Contact person: Jessie Pringle. This group meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7PM at the Hospice House, 1474 N. Center Ave., Somerset, PA 15501.

Windber Hospice: 814-467-6419. This group meets at 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month at the Windber Hospice located in the back of the Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber on Somerset Avenue.

If you prefer one on one counseling,  Penny Hoffman, LCSW, is a Grief Counselor located in the Westmont section of Johnstown.  She can be reached at 814-535-8586, Ext. 227.  We also have other ways to help you deal with your grief. The following is a list of books available for your use along with some online bereavement information.  If you find any of this information is no longer current or accurate, please let us know. Thank you!

Books Available at the Funeral Home

  1. Children are Not Paper Dolls, by Erin Linn Levy. An easily read book that will bring understanding and courage to any child who has lost a brother or sister. Adults, too, will gain insight from it.

  2. Concerning Death: A Practical Guide for the Living, by Dr. Earl Grollman. This book answers practical and specific questions, treating such subjects as grief, how to talk to a dying person, finance and religion.

  3. Explaining Death to Children, by Dr. Earl Grollman. Unquestionably the finest book ever written on the subject; a sensitive study, a superb bibliography.

  4. How it Feels When a Parent Dies, by Jill Krementz. Children and teens speak openly of their experience and feelings when either a mother or father has died.

  5. Living Through Personal Crisis, by Ann Kaiser Stearns. For those who are moving through a mourning process and who are struggling with depression and other symptoms of distress.

  6. Living When a Loved One Has Died, by Dr. Earl Grollman. With simple compassion, this book leads those who are grieving through emotional turmoil to a new hopeful life.

  7. Suicide: Prevention, Intervention, Postvension, by Dr. Earl Grollman. Provides information on suicide statistics and gives advice on how to recognize the warning signs of a potential suicide attempt, how to intervene when a suicide has been attempted, and how to comfort families who have lost a loved one to suicide.

  8. Suicide: Survivors, A Guide For Those Left Behind, by Adina Wrobleski. A book that provides hope and reassurance, written by someone who has experienced the pain herself.

  9. Talking About Death: A Dialogue Between Parent and Child, by Dr. Earl Grollman. A touchingly written and illustrated book that deals frankly with the subject on the child’s own level....Excellent, too, is the Parents Guide.

  10. Thumpy’s Story, A Story of Love and Grief Shared, by Nancy C. Dodge. In a warm and sensitive way it will help children of all ages deal with the loss of a loved one.

  11. What Helped Me When My Loved One Died, by Dr. Earl Grollman. A collection of personal stories of parents, wives, husbands, children, and friends who have mourned the death of a beloved.

  12. When a Baby Dies: A Handbook for Healing and Helping, by Rana K. Limbo & Sara Rich Wheeler. This practical book offers support and advice to those families who have lost a pregnancy or a newly-born baby.

  13. When Parents Die, A Guide for Adults, by Edward Myers. Can be recommended to any adult who is dealing with the death or serious illness of a parent and will be found enormously helpful by all who read it.

  14. When Death Touches Your Life, by Mervin E. Thompson. Practical help in preparing for the death of a loved one.

 Online Bereavement Support Resources

  • Compassionate FriendsInformation on supporting family after a child dies.

  • Grief NetOffers discussion and support groups for all bereaved persons with a variety of resources related to death and loss.

  • KidsaidOnline support group for children dealing with any kind of loss. It includes artwork, stories and poems.

  • Survivors of SuicideOffers support for family and friends dealing with a loss through suicide.

  • WidownetInformation and support group resource for people of all ages who have suffered the death of a spouse.

National Online Support Organizations

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