How to Find a Suicide Grief Counselor


Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group - Madison, NJ

Often the loss of a loved one to suicide is an overwhelming emotional experience.  It is common for many survivors to seek professional treatment from a physician or other licensed clinical professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist.  Here are some ways to help to find a professional that is right for you.

How and Where to Find Professional Grief Counseling

This page is dedicated to helping you understand what the various options are and how you might begin to find someone that works for you.   Finding someone who will help you is very personal and specific to your individual needs.  A general marriage counselor may not be the right person for you.  It really does take some effort on your part to interview them in advance, or at your first meeting to understand if they have dealt with suicide loss before or if they have any specialized bereavement training.  It is not uncommon for people to go through 2-3 counselors before they find someone that they feel comfortable with.  You will know within the first few minutes if this is the right person for you or not, trust your gut.  Please don't be turned off if the first 1-2 people you speak with are the wrong people, think of it like a test drive.  You need to find the counselor that fits your needs best.  There is help out there for you!

What type of in-person grief counseling is available?

Specialized Suicide Grief Counseling

There are certain counselors who have unique training to help people deal with the trauma associated with the grief that comes from the suicide loss of someone close to you.  There are several lists of counselors that might help you to start your search for counseling.  We can not specifically recommend someone for you, you need to find the right person for your needs.  Everyone grieves differently.

Where can I find grief counseling near me?

There is Immediate Help Available

There are numerous crisis lines that you can reach out to speak with someone immediately.  Most calls to suicide crisis hotlines are not from people who are suicidal, most of their calls are people who are struggling with an emotional issue that is overwhelming them.  

It can be hard to find a friend to talk to at 2AM after you wake up from a nightmare and need a soothing voice to talk to.  The trauma of witnessing or discovering someone after a suicide death is an overwhelming emotional challenge for most people.  The various hotlines are there for you to call 24 hours a day and seven days a week.  They are trained and are awaiting your call.