Adult Support Groups
Adult Support
At COJ, we believe that grief is a deeply personal journey, but it does not have to be traveled alone. Our Adult Support Groups are designed to offer a safe, nurturing space for those mourning the death of a loved one. Each group is facilitated by trained staff or volunteer bereavement specialists who have experienced similar losses and are committed to walking alongside others as they navigate their healing process. Groups are provided at no cost and open to all adults seeking comfort, community, and connection.
We support the bereaved through hands-on activities and open conversations that meet individuals where they are. Through monthly and bi-monthly support group sessions, educational materials, tailored activities, and healing events, COJ provides resources that honor each person’s unique grief story.
To help new participants feel more prepared and supported, we suggest beginning with Starting the Journey: Understanding Grief Before Group Support. This one-time session is not a support group, but rather a compassionate presentation designed for those at the beginning of their grief journey, regardless of how recent or distant their loss may be. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of grief and explore the benefits of support before choosing to attend a group. After the session, our facilitator will assist each attendee in identifying which support group may be the best fit for them.
While we encourage all newcomers to attend this introductory session, it is not required to join any of our ongoing support groups. Registration and details for the new program and all of our adult support groups are available below.
COJ Adult Support Offerings Include:
- Starting the Journey: Understanding Grief Before Support Group
- Bereaved Parent Group
- Grief to Peace with Spring Grove Funeral Homes
- Hope and Healing After Suicide Loss
- Men in Grief with Spring Grove Funeral Homes
- Caring for Your Grieving Soul with Gate of Heaven Cemetery
- Widowed Support Groups
- Widowed Grief Support – New Adventures Group
- Individual Facilitations
- Pathway to Healing Events
If you would like assistance in finding the right group for you, please call our office at 513-870-9108 and we would be happy to assist you. Please note that our schedules can change due to holidays. Please check the calendar on our website for the most up-to-date schedule.
Starting the Journey: Understanding Grief Before Support Group
We understand that reaching out for support can be difficult. If you have experienced a loss, you are invited to spend time with others who understand the heartache and mixed emotions associated with the death of a loved one. This one-time session embraces those who are beginning their grief journey, regardless of the time or distance of your loss. You are invited to take this opportunity to learn about grief and the benefits of bereavement support before attending a support group. After attending, the facilitator will help each participant discern which support group might be the best fit.
- Meets: 2nd Monday of the month, 6:30-8:00 PM
- St. Anne Episcopal Church, 6461 Tylersville Road, West Chester Township, OH 45069
Bereaved Parent Group for Loss of Child
The Bereaved Parent Support Group provides support for parents who have suffered the death of a child, regardless of their age at death. This group provides a safe space for grieving parents to connect, share stories, and discover hope, strength, and healing.
- Meets: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, 6:30-8:00 PM
- COJ Office, 8857 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, West Chester Township, OH 45069
*COJ’s conference room is located in the lower level of the building and requires navigating down one flight of stairs. It is not handicap accessible.
Caring for Your Grieving Soul with Gate of Heaven Cemetery
Caring for Your Grieving Soul is an open grief group designed to offer support to adults who have suffered the death of a loved one. Surrounded with love and support, this grief support group offers you the opportunity to connect with other adults who understand the heartache of losing a loved one. Together, we help individuals to restore balance and find hope, strength, and healing.
- Meets: 2nd Tuesday of the month, 6-7:30 pm
- Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 11000 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH 44249
Grief to Peace in Partnership with Spring Grove Funeral Homes
Surrounded with love and support, this grief support group is hosted by Spring Grove Funeral Homes and facilitated by Companions on a Journey. Together, we help individuals to restore balance and find hope, strength, and healing. In-person and virtual options to attend are available.
- In-person: 3rd Tuesday of the month, 6-7:30 pm at Spring Grove Funeral Homes, 4389 Spring Grove Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45232
- Virtual: 4th Tuesday of the month, 6-7:30 pm
Hope & Healing After Suicide Loss Support Group
Hope & Healing After Suicide Loss Support Group offers the opportunity to connect with other adults who understand the heartache of losing a loved one to suicide. Surrounded with love and support, together we help individuals to restore balance and find hope, strength, and healing.
- Meets from 6:30-8:00 PM on the 1st Tuesday of the month
- Boys and Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty, 8748 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, West Chester Township, OH 45069
Men in Grief Support Group with Spring Grove Funeral Homes
It can be extremely challenging and isolating to be a man in grief. This grief support group is a safe place to be open and communicate about these challenges with other men who know the pain of losing a loved one. This support group is hosted by Spring Grove Funeral Homes and facilitated by Companions on a Journey.
- Meets: 4th Tuesday of the month, 6-7:30 pm
- Spring Grove Funeral Homes (Tri-County), 11285 Princeton Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45246
Young Widowed Grief Support
Surrounded with love and support, this grief support group offers the opportunity to connect with other individuals (ages 20-64) who understand the heartache of losing a spouse. Together, we help individuals to restore balance and find hope, strength, and healing. Note that age is a guideline. We welcome any widowed person to attend any of the widowed support groups.
- Meets: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, 6:30-8:00 PM
- COJ Office, 8857 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, West Chester Township, OH 45069
*COJ’s conference room is located in the lower level of the building and requires navigating down one flight of stairs. It is not handicap accessible.
New Beginnings & Living Again Widowed Grief Support Groups
Surrounded with love and support, these grief support groups offer the opportunity to connect with other individuals (ages 65+) who understand the heartache of losing a spouse. Together, we help individuals to restore balance and find hope, strength, and healing. Note that age is a guideline. We welcome any widowed person to attend any of the widowed support groups (we will meet as two separate groups as noted below).
- Meets: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, 2-3:30 pm
- New Beginnings: For those who have been widowed less than 1.5 years
- Living Again: For those who have been widowed for 1.5 or more years
- St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, 5720 Hamilton Mason Rd, Liberty Township, OH 45011 (St. Patrick Conference Room)
Widowed Grief Support - Lunch Bunch
COJ’s Lunch Bunch Group is a social group for current and future members of our widowed support groups. This group offers support through a monthly lunch outing at a local restaurant.
If you are interested in attending, please use the registration button and select the New Adventures Widowed Support Group (Social Activities). We will send reminder emails for both the lunch group and the dinner/game night events. For questions about the lunch bunch group, please email carla@companionsonajourney.org
Widowed Grief Support - Dinner Night
This social group is for current and future members of our widowed support groups. This group offers support through a monthly dinner at a local restaurant.
If you are interested in attending, please use the registration button and select the New Adventures Widowed Support Group (Social Activities). We will send reminder emails for both the lunch group and the dinner/game night events. For questions about the dinner and game night, please email marianne@companionsonajourney.org
Pregnancy & Infant Loss
We offer support for parents who have suffered the death of a child through miscarriage or early infant death through our Individual and Family Consultations. We do not currently offer an ongoing support group. To request support, please use the button below to complete the request form for individual/family consultation.
Individual Consultation
At COJ, we offer a safe space for children, teens, adults, and families to process feelings of grief and loss. In addition to our community programs, we offer individual consultation by phone, Zoom, or in-person. Individual consultation consists of 1 session with one of our bereavement specialists. To schedule these sessions, we ask that you complete the registration form below. *The purpose of the initial consultation session is to provide support and to also determine with the client whether subsequent grief support sessions may be helpful. The initial consultation session is free of charge; subsequent sessions will be charged at the rate of $90 and will last approximately one hour. Please note that availability for individual consultations varies depending on our current schedule.
Pathway to Healing Events for Adults
COJ hosts a variety of Pathway to Healing events throughout the year to support bereaved individuals to overcome common communication barriers, provide them with simple moments of joy in the company of others who ‘get it’, and equip them with tools for supporting one another along the grief journey. Please visit our calendar or events page for upcoming events!
COJ was there for us when we needed them most.
COJ gave me a place to cry, to be heard, and to connect with people who truly knew what I was going through.