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The Resilient Brain Project, by The Viva Center

Resilient Brain Project

A comprehensive library of resources to support you on your mental health journey towards a happier, healthier life

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  • Topics
    • Trauma & PTSD
    • Depression
    • Anxiety
    • Grief & Loss
    • Relationships
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    • Sexuality
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    • Life Changes
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Grief & Loss

“Grief is the psychological-emotional experience following a loss of any kind (relationship, status, job, house, game, income, etc).”
—Psychology Today

Empty bench - grief and loss
Actions for now

Actions for Now

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For Allies

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You’re Not Alone

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Master the Subject

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Advocate

Actions for now

Actions for Now

Steps To Reduce Symptoms
  • Grief Deck
    Interactive digital deck of cards with tools for grief, accompanied by comforting artwork.
  • Tips for Coping with the Stages of Grief
    An article that discusses the different emotions people tend to feel while grieving, with case studies
  • Activities
    Drawing and writing exercises for children experiencing grief
  • Coping with Grief
    A brief (under 5 minutes) audio meditation
  • StruggleCare
    A community for the days when everyday activities are overwhelming.
  • 5 Tips for Dealing with Grief Over Christmas
    Handling a tough transition during holiday season. Targeted towards adults (for children, see resource #10).
  • Emotion Explorer
    Get to the bottom of how you’re feeling, how it’s affecting you, and what you can do to soothe yourself with this interactive website
  • Grief Support Network
    Join a social network for those grieving a loss
  • A Meditation on Grief
    A more lengthy audio meditation taken from The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace
  • NPR: Grief-Related Podcasts
    Listen to the latest news and stories on grief and loss
  • Healing After Loss
    A non-audio meditation for remembering a loved one
  • Cause of Death-Specific Resources Organized by the Wendt Center
    Find resources created specifically for those coping with losses due to cancer, suicide, military service, and more.
  • Demystifying Grief Counseling: Five FAQs
    An article that answers questions many people have when they start therapy for grief.
  • Resources for suicide loss survivors
    Collected books recommendations, fact sheets, and personal stories for those who’ve lost loved ones to suicide.
Loss of Child / Pregnancy
  • What To Do After A Child Has Died
    Actions to take following a tragedy
  • Helping Parents Heal
    Resources for bereaved families
Loss of a Parent
  • 8 Tips for Coping with the Death of a Parent
    Suggestions for those experiencing parental loss
Loss of a Spouse / Partner
  • A To-Do List for the Surviving Spouse
    What to (and not to) do while grieving the loss of a partner
  • Surviving Spouse Financial Checklist
    Manage financial obligations with this PDF
  • Death of Spouse: OPM
    How to change your annuity benefits after the death of a spouse, if you are retired under CSRS or FERS
  • How to Cope with Losing a Spouse: Advice From Those Who Have Been There
    Recommended next steps from others who have lost a partner
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For Allies

Give The Best Support Possible
  • How to Help a Grieving Friend: 11 Things To Do When You’re Not Sure What To Do
    How to support a friend while holding the knowledge that you can’t fix the unfixable
  • How to Talk to a Parent Who is In Grief
    The author, who lost her own daughter, offers advice on supporting other parents who’ve lost a child
  • How to Help Your Spouse Grieve the Loss of a Parent
    An article on providing support for your bereaved partner
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You’re Not Alone

Connect With Others
  • Online Grief Support
    A forum for individuals to share their experiences of loss and their successful coping strategies. It covers everything from the death of a family member or friend to the death of a pet.
  • COVID Grief Network
    Connect with other people who have lost loved ones to COVID and are struggling with the disease’s long term effects.
  • Check In With Me
    Having a rough day and looking for support? This community from The Mighty has you covered.
  • Grief Support Network
    A social network for those grieving a loss
  • Black Women Get Real About Grief
    An article covering the unique experiences of Black Women grieving.
Stories
  • Pet Loss: When Nothing Eases the Pain
    Personal reflections on losing a pet, including thoughts about bringing a new pet into your home
  • Grieving the Loss of a Pet
    A blog post from Viva that normalizes the grief that surrounds losing a pet and shares some useful steps that you can take.
  • Pet Loss
    A website and community dedicated to honoring lost pets and being compassionate to those grieving.
Loss of a Child / Pregnancy
  • Faces of Hope
    An online support community for those coping with miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss
  • Comparing Grief
    In this post, a mother who lost her son discusses how difficult it can be to listen to others complain about everyday losses
  • Reflections from a Father About a Lost Son
    A father shares how the loss of son has affected his life and how his religious beliefs have provided him with support
Loss of a Parent
  • Losing a Parent in Your 20’s
    1 year after the death of her father, this blogger reflects on her experience
  • Losing My Mother: I Was Supposed to Be Ready
    One woman discusses the expectation that adults will be prepared for their parents’ deaths—and how this doesn’t always reflect reality
  • The Truth About Parenting When You’ve Lost a Parent of Your Own
    This blogger reflects on how her father’s death altered her perspective as a parent
Loss of Spouse / Partner
  • Sisterhood of Widows
    An online community for widows
  • After Losing a Spouse, Finding a Different Kind of Happiness
    This NPR podcast looks at the story of K.T. Nicolaides, whose husband passed away two days before their fifth wedding anniversary
  • Getting On With Life After a Partner Dies
    This NYT article, by widower Jane Brody, reflects on the emotional experience of losing a spouse
  • Doing Well At Not Doing Well
    A father reflects on how he and his son continue daily activities despite continuing to grieve the passing of his wife
  • Tell Two Jokes and Call Me In the Morning
    A woman reflects on how humor helped her while she was grieving the loss of her husband
  • How to Cope with Losing a Spouse: Advice From Those Who Have Been There
    Recommended next steps from others who have lost a partner
  • Soaring Spirits
    An inclusive community for connecting with other widowed individuals
SPOTIFY PLAYLIST FOR GRIEF & LOSS
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Master the Subject

Learn How It Works
  • American Psychological Association: Grief
    This webpage offers a thorough definition of what it means to grieve, and tips for moving forward from a loss
  • 16 Different Types of Grief
    Grief looks different for everyone. There are also many different varieties, reasons, and events that can lead to grief.
  • Open to Hope
    This website offers articles, videos, and podcasts on the loss of friends and/or family members
  • Grief Happens: A TEDx Talk
    This Tedx Talk discusses gratitude as a foundation for healing
  • Mayo Clinic: Coping with Reminders After Loss
    Advice on dealing with reminders of grief, even if significant time has passed since the initial loss
  • What are the Most Common Symptoms of Grief?
    A brief video surveying frequent reactions to loss
  • Bereavement in Adult Life
    This article examines adult responses to grief
  • Grieving in the Modern World
    Elizabeth Tschoegl, LICSW, MSc discusses some of the modern-day challenges to coping with loss
  • When Sobriety Meets Grief (and Grief Meets Sobriety)
    A discussion of how the two issues of substance use and grief often interact, and advice for how to cope with both
Loss of a Child / Pregnancy
  • Helping Parents Heal
    Resources for bereaved families
  • After a Miscarriage: Surviving Emotionally
    This article reflects on how individuals can cope with and move forward from the loss of a child during pregnancy, birth, and/or infancy’
Loss of a Parent
  • Death of Parents and Adult Psychological and Physical Wellbeing
    A study that observes the effects of parental loss on adult health
  • When A Parent Dies
    This article looks at the impact of parental death
Loss of Spouse / Partner
  • When a Spouse Dies, Resilience Can Be Uneven
    This New York Times article looks at the importance of resilience in moving forward from the death of a spouse or partner
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Advocate

Connect to the Larger Movement
  • Center for Prolonged Grief
    An organization dedicated to improving the lives of complicated grief sufferers via innovative research and outreach
  • The Dougy Center for Grieving Children and Families
    Designed as a safe place for people of all ages to share their stories and find grief resources
Loss of a Child / Pregnancy
  • Compassionate Friends
    Support for those grieving the death of a child
Loss of a Spouse / Partner
  • Soaring Spirits
    An inclusive community for connecting with other widowed individuals
  • National Widowers Association
    Resources for grieving men
  • Sisterhood of Widows
    An online community for widows

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