TRU

Caring For Our Community Since 1976.

(303) 442-0961 | (877) 986-4766

Grief Services

In response to the tragedy in Boulder on March 22nd:

Our hearts are with the victims of the recent tragedy in Boulder and with their loved ones. We are sending you all love, strength, and compassion. TRU is offering multiple grief processing sessions for our community as well as additional types of grief support. Please view our list of community support resources here. 

In light of COVID-19, TRU Grief Services are primarily available virtually.

  • For grief counseling, please call (303) 604-5300.
  • For support groups, please complete the Support Group Registration Form that can be found below.

At TRU Community Care, we consider it a privilege to help those who are grieving regain their balance and resume healthy living. Whether you are looking for personal guidance or walking alongside someone who is, contact us to see how we can help. Extensive resources for people of all ages and phases in the grief process are available to everyone in the community. In addition to the wide variety of age and loss-specific grief support groups, our experienced grief counselors are available for one-on-one or family grief counseling, phone consultations, and referrals.

TRU Individual and Family Grief Counseling

Counseling for Community Members

Bereaved members of the community are offered grief counseling sessions for a fee. Contact (303) 604-5300 for more information or to request an appointment with a grief counselor.

Counseling for Family and Friends of TRU Hospice Patients

Family and friends of patients served by TRU Hospice are offered complimentary counseling sessions for 13 months after the death of their loved one. Contact (303) 604-5300 to request an appointment with a grief counselor.

Grief counseling online payments can be made at trucare.org/griefpayment or by texting TRUGrief to 41444.

Meet our Counselors

Donna Heller, M.Ed., M.A., ATR –BC

Richard Mercer, MA, MLS

Charley Rosicky, LCSW

TRU Adult Grief Support Groups (Currently via Zoom)

TRU Community Care offers a variety of grief support group options to meet all of the unique ways that people grieve. Each group is open to all in the community and most are free of charge. Registration is required prior to first attendance for all groups. Several groups meet on an ongoing basis. Others are considered "structured groups" which are held in sessions as opposed to year-round. Structured groups provide education in a structured group format. Early registration is recommended as these groups fill quickly. For more information, please call us at 303.604.5213 or complete the registration form below.
If you are interested in participating in a support group, please fill out the confidential form below.

Support Group Registration Form

Registration form for Adult Support Group participation
  • MM slash DD slash YYYY

  • Information about the Deceased

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  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
Support, information, and networking for people who have experienced a recent death loss. The group is recommended for people who are between 1-4 months out from the loss. Sessions run for four consecutive weeks and begin each month.
Support, information, and networking for people who have experienced a death loss. The group is recommended for people who are at least 6 months out from the loss. Evening and daytime groups are held throughout the year. Sessions run for eight consecutive weeks.
TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED. Group support for anyone who has suffered a death loss, held the 4th Tuesday of every month from 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Support meeting with program and sharing for bereaved parents only, held the 3rd Wednesday of every month from 6:30 - 8:30 pm
For spouses or partners whose loved one’s death has occurred within the past 12 months, held the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 6:00 - 8:00 pm
For anyone who has experienced the death of a spouse or partner, held the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 6:00 - 8:00 pm
For senior men and women who have experienced the death of a spouse or partner, held the 4th Wednesday of every month from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
A support group for those who wish to explore grief through the practice of yoga, using breath-work, poses and meditation. This group is offered periodically and will meet in Lafayette as an ongoing group. Offering a body of yoga techniques, this group will provide the opportunity to consciously connect with and experience your grief in a safe and supportive setting. As your practice unfolds, you may experience the gifts of increased strength, flexibility, and awareness. No yoga experience needed.
This group is offered periodically and will meet for six or eight consecutive weeks. Loss and writing are both very personal experiences. This class provides the opportunity to blend the two in a safe, non-judgmental setting. Through the use of weekly prompts, members will reflect on the provided writings as a group followed by time for their own individual written responses. Journaling is encouraged. No writing experience is needed. Writings will not be critiqued. Expressing grief through the written word is the intention of the class as members’ journey through loss using this creative form.
Support, exercise and a safe place for quiet reflection for anyone who has suffered a death loss, held on Wednesdays, May – October from 9:00 - 11:00 am (weather permitting)
The sudden, unexpected loss of someone we love is shocking and difficult to comprehend, often for a very long time. This ongoing group, meeting the 4th Monday of each month from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., offers a safe, supportive space in which to navigate the specific challenges and conflicting emotions that accompany sudden loss. The compassion and understanding of others sharing similar experiences is one of the most valuable ways to recognize and honor your journey.
TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED. Support for those who have lost a loved one to dementia. This group meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
This group offers an environment to share the pain and suffering of addiction and the drug-related death of your loved one with others who understand and can identify with your experience. This is safe place to remember, honor, and share the loss of your loved one as you walk the journey of grief. This group meets the 2nd Thursday of each month (online) from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Creative activities offer the opportunity to engage in building meaning from the loss of a loved one. Art-making activities help facilitate understanding and the expression of deep emotions that can otherwise be difficult to access. Each session will consist of time spent creating art and time for each member to process the meaning of their creation in a safe and supportive environment. There is no experience or “skill” necessary to participate in the group. Minimum art supplies suggested: one writing tool (such as pen or pencil) and blank paper. This group will meet Tuesdays, July 6, 13, 20, and 27 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. via Zoom.

TRU Youth and Family Grief Support

TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED. This 6-week group is for kids ages 6 -18 and their parents or caregivers. Our Family Grief Group is a place for kids and teens to come together for peer support, remembering special people who have died and exploring grief through art, play and games. At the same time, it is an opportunity for their parents or caregivers to receive support and education about coping with family grief. The Family Grief Group meets on Thursdays from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. in Lafayette. Topics we cover include: - What is grief? - How do we feel grief? - What helps? - Changes that have happened - How to say goodbye - Telling our stories Registration is required for participation in this group. To register, or for additional information, please call TRU Community Care Grief Services at 303.604.5300.
This four-week group is for kids and teens ages 7 -18. We combine equine-assisted activities with peer support to share stories, memories and have fun. We learn various ways to care for horses and to develop skills in a safe environment. We talk about grief, ways to remember your special person, and how to take care of yourself through your grief journey. Healing with Horses meets on June 2, 9, 16, and 23 from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. in Boulder. The cost is $50 per child. Scholarships are available. To register, or for additional information, please call TRU Community Care Grief Services at 303.604.5330.

A child old enough to love is old enough to grieve. – Dr. Alan Wolfelt

TRU Community Care offers grief support to children and teens through Healing Circles. We provide grief education, consultation, and peer support throughout the year as well as individual short-term counseling for children and teens who have lost a loved one through a TRU Community Care program.  Grief is unique and may vary in duration. Kids have different needs from adults and process loss through play, activity, and sometimes acting out.  They might get a tummy ache or a headache rather than express their grief.  Sometimes they might grieve in short bursts or regress a little in behaviors.  Teens may appear to be fine and yet need extra support as they are creating their identities without turning to negative coping strategies while grieving.  We empower and encourage kids in a safe and nurturing environment.

All of our services and programs are open to the community and require pre-registration.  Our therapeutic playroom, highly trained volunteers, and close collaborations with community allow us to provide services for all different ages and grief styles.

Click the links below to download our required forms:

Parent Agreement Form 

Child & Teen Intake Form

Healing Circles Child & Teen Emergency Information

Healing Circles Safety Rules

Grief Support Resources

Quarterly Grief Services Newsletters

TRU’s quarterly Grief Services Newsletters are available to you, your friends and your community at any time.

We are thinking of you during your journey through grief. We reach out to our TRU family members by phone and with periodic mailings during the 13 months following the death of a loved one.

 

ValentinesDayCraft.jpegRecommended Reading on Child and Teen Grief

For Family and Friends

Anticipatory Grief in Children

How to Explain Death to Infants & Toddlers

Supporting Children Ages 3-6 through Grief

Supporting Children Ages 6-9 through Grief

Supporting Children Ages 9-12 through Grief

Supporting Teens Ages 12-18 through Grief

Children and Funerals

Explaining Cremation to Children

For School Personnel

Supporting Grieving Kids and Teens: The Beginning of the School Year

Supporting Grieving Kids and Teens: The End of the School Year

Supporting Grieving Kids and Teens: Coping with the Holiday Season

Grief services rocksRecommended Reading for Adults

Books

Grieving Mindfully: A Compassionate & Spiritual Guide to Coping with Loss by Sameet M. Kumar, Ph.D.

How To Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies by Terese Rando

Remembering with Love: Messages of Hope for the First Year of Grieving and Beyond by Elizabeth Levang

When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner

How to Survive the Loss of a Loved One by Peter McWilliams, Harold Bloomfield, and Melba Colgrove

Grief and Loss

Caring for Yourself During Grief

Grief Counseling

Special Days and Anniversaries

Helping Someone Who is Grieving

Condolence Letters

Responding to People in Grief

Ten Ways to Express Your Sympathy

Parent Loss

Adult Loss of a Parent

Helping Yourself Heal when a Parent Dies

Child Loss

Helping Yourself Heal When a Child Dies

Death of an Adult Child

Spouse Loss

Helping Yourself Heal When Your Spouse Dies

Sibling Loss

Adult Loss of a Sibling

Pet Loss

Coping With the Death of Your Pet

Coping with the Holidays

3 C’s of Coping Through the Holidays

Special Handling Please

Holiday Journaling

A Candlelight Memorial

After the Holidays

Coping with the Holidays Checklist

Tips for Getting Through the Holidays

Preparing for the Holidays

How Will I Get Through the Holidays?

Holiday Memorials

 

About TRU

TRU Community Care (TRU) affirms life at every step of your journey with illness and loss. Our vision is to lead a healthcare transformation by engaging with our communities and offering innovative, meaningful care for those living with illness and loss.

Founded as Boulder Hospice in 1976, TRU is a Colorado-licensed, Medicare and Medicaid-certified, nonprofit health care organization serving Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, Denver, and Weld Counties and beyond. With a focus on providing a continuum of care for members of our community living with advanced illness and loss, TRU’s programs include TRU Hospice, TRU PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), TRU Palliative Care, Landmark Memory Care, and TRU Grief Services.

TRU Hospice is proudly accredited by The Joint Commission and is a five-star-level hospice in NHPCO's We Honor Veterans program created in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). TRU is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE), and the National PACE Association (NPA).

Our Services

TRU Grief Services
& Administrative Offices
2594 Trailridge Drive East
Lafayette, CO 80026

TRU Hospice Care Center
1950 Mountain View Avenue
4th Floor South
Longmont, CO 80501

TRU Thrift Shop
5565 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, CO 80303

TRU PACE Program
2593 Park Lane
Lafayette, CO 80026

TRU Denver Office
1415 Park Avenue West
Denver, CO 80205