Counseling and Bereavement Services

In your time of grief, counseling is important in helping you to come to terms with the passing of a loved one.

Grief Support Services You Can Count On

Grief is a normal response to any loss, affecting the grieving person physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

In your time of grief, counseling is important in helping you to come to terms with the passing of a loved one.

Well trained and compassionate, the counseling groups we work with are there in your time of need. 

Greenwich Village Funeral Home can recommend and connect families with trusting and caring grief counseling services in our area.

You may have heard others say “just give it time and you will eventually feel better”. Time is necessary to the healing process, but it is only one aspect of effective grieving. In addition to taking time, grief requires intentional “work” by the bereaved in order to achieve a healthy outcome from the process. Similar to someone taking action to seek medical help to heal an injury, the bereaved must take action to move through grief.

Local Counseling Services

Greenwich Village Funeral Home staff can recommend and connect families with trusting and caring grief counseling services in our area and around the nation. Well trained and compassionate, the counseling groups we work with are there in your time of need.

Check A Therapist’s Credentials

Check the credentials of your mental health provider:

NYS Professions: Online Verifications
www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches.htm

New York State Education Department
Office of the Professions
www.op.nysed.gov/
State Education Building, 2nd floor
89 Washington Ave. Albany, New York 12234
Call: (518) 474-3817
E-mail: op4info@mail.nvsed.gov

Cancer-Related Bereavement

Cancer Care

For family members who have cancer or whose loved one had cancer

275 Seventh Avenue, 22nd Floor, (between 26th and 27th Streets)

New York, NY 10036

Contact:Intake department or bereavement coordinator, Amanda Sutton, x6138 Leave message and they will call you back. 800- 813-HOPE

Cost: Call for info

Cancer Care offers groups to address the concerns of a variety of populations who are affected by any type of cancer, at any stage which includes:

  • Bereavement Support for Partners and Relatives
  • On-site groups, telephone support groups (800-813-Hope), and online support groups
  • Cancer care offers more than 50 support groups each month, where people meet face-to-face, over the telephone, or online to discuss problems, gain support, and learn from other. Each of these groups is led by a professional oncology social worker from the staff of Cancer Care.

Calvary Hospital

1740 Eastchester Road Bronx, NY 10461

Contact: Dr. Sherry Shack, Director of Bereavement Services

(718) 518-2125

Cost: Free

Groups are open to the community and run by professional pastoral counselors.

Gilda’s Club NYC

195 West Houston St.

Contact: Anyone in the program department can be of assistance 212-647-9700

Cost: Free

Gilda’s Club New York City Mission:  To support, educate and empower individuals impacted by cancer and their families.  Their free comprehensive cancer program includes support groups, educational lectures and workshops for individuals living with a cancer diagnosis, caregivers, and anyone grieving the loss of a loved one to a cancer-related illness – men, women, teens, and children. For more information, please call and find out when the next orientation meeting for new members is being held.

Hospice Foundation Of America (HFA)

2001 S St. NW #300

Washington, D.C. 20009

Call: (800) 854-3402

Fax: (202) 638-5312

HFA is a nonprofit organization that promotes hospice care and works to educate professionals and the families they serve in issues relating to care giving, terminal illness, loss and bereavement.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital

1275 York Avenue

New York, NY 10021

646-888-4889

Cost: None

Open to the community when the death is cancer- related. Groups run by a certified grief professional.

Types of Groups: loss of spouse, loss of an adult child, adult loss of a parent, adult loss of a sibling (or other important relationships). Ten weeks for one and a half hours each. These groups are held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and are closed. There are also drop-in general bereavement groups held during the day.

Hospice Based Bereavement Services

All hospice groups are open to members of the community in addition to families served by the hospice.

Cabrini Hospice

Contact: Bereavement Coordinator, Ronnye Halpern CSW

227 East 19th Street, between 2nd and 3rd, 16th floor

New York, NY

Cost: None

Monthly drop-in group, every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 6:00 – 7:30

Groups run by professionals Visiting Nurse Service of New York

1250 Broadway, 17th floor

Bereavement Coordinator: Vince Corso

For Manhattan: Janet King

For The Bronx: Esther Rosario

Large variety of population specific groups

Groups run by professionals

Cost: None

Jacob Perlow Hospice

First Avenue at 16th Street

New York, NY 10003

Contact: Bereavement Coordinator, Benyamin Cirlin, CSW

(212) 420-4153

Cost: None

Twice monthly drop-in group

Fierman Hall

317 East 17th Street., 6th floor

Week closed group. Grief Reconciliation Seminar

Registration required. Available to members of the community in addition to family of hospice patients

Metropolitan Hospice and Jewish Hospice of Greater New York

6323 7th Ave Brooklyn, NY, 11220-4711

Contact Bereavement Coordinator: Frank Attanasia

Chaplain: Rabbi Charles Rudansky

(718)921-7900

Cost: None

Bereavement And Loss Center Of New York

168 West 86th St., Suite 1D New York, NY 10024

Call: (212) 874-4711

Call: (212) 799-9180

Fax: (212) 749-2481

E-mail: benmir@lossandrenewal.com

Hospice Services Outside of New York City

AARP Grief and Loss Programs

VNS Hospice of Suffolk

505 Main Street Northport, NY 11768

Contact: Andrea Fierro, RN, Bereavement Coordinator

(631) 261-7200 x316

Groups are held Friday afternoons, 4:00-5:00

Cost: None

The Compassionate Friends

The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive.

Marble Collegiate Church

3 West 29th Street (Near 5th Ave.)

New York, NY 10001

Be sure to contact the chapter through their web site, or contact the national office, to confirm the meeting time, day, and location.

Hospice Care Network- Bereavement Centers

Large selection of population specific groups

Queens: (718) 939-2273

Nassau: (516) 832-7100

900 Merchants Concourse

Westbury, NY 11590

Suffolk: 631-666-6863

14 Shore Lane

Bay Shore, NY 11706

Hudson Hospice, Inc

93 Clark St., Jersey City, NY 07305

201.433.6225

General bereavement groups

Cost: Free

General and Population-Specific Bereavement Groups

New York City Self-Help Center

(212) 582-9100

Clearinghouse for all kinds of support groups

Telephone counselors are available Mon – Friday, 11:00-2:00 to match people with the most appropriate group. Self help bereavement groups for all situations are available in all boros. General Bereavement Group

Family Life and Respect Life Office

Pastoral Bereavement Program

(212) 371-1000, x3187

In every boro and most counties, non-denominational

Cost: None

Groups run by trained volunteers

National Council of Jewish Women

820 Second Avenue, 2nd floor (between 43rd and 44th streets)

New York, NY 10017-4504

tel: (212) 687-5030 ext. 10

website: www.ncjwny.org

Cost: none

general bereavement group for adult men and women group is generally held in the afternoons, 8 consecutive 90 minute sessions

Friends in Deed

594 Broadway, suite 706

tel: (212) 925-2009

Cost: none (donations accepted)

Eric Schneider is a Pastoral psychotherapist who specializes in brief, short term therapy and has a special interest in group work.

Center for Loss and Renewal

Contact: Benyamin Cirlin, CSW

(212) 874-4711

168 W 86th St., #1D, NY

Individual and group counseling available

Cost: Call for info

The 92nd Street YMCA

1350 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10128

Groups for Widows/Widowers and for loss of parent

Cost: $100.00 for six sessions

The Bereavement Center of Tuckahoe

Contact: Mindy Farkas

(914) 961-2818 x365

Cost: call for info

See Calvary Hospital

Bereavement Services for Older People

AARP Grief and Loss Programs

(New York Service Program for Older People) Widowed Person’s Service day and evening groups led by trained widowed persons

Contact: Barbara Danish, 787.7120

302 W 91st New York, NY

Cost: None

Next step groups are for those who have been widowed more than one year. Bereavement support group for adults who have lost a partner or spouse. There are day and evening groups available. All groups are 8-10 sessions. Under the direction of a qualified coordinator, trained volunteers, who are widowed, provide comfort, support, and understanding. They offer support groups and personal one-to-one support services.

Caring Community

20 Washington Sq. North New York, NY 100 11

(212) 260-6626

Fax: (212) 254-9636

E-mail: paul4357@aol.com

The agency provides a wide variety of social services to the elderly.

Parents and Siblings who have suffered the death of a child

Compassionate Friends

For bereaved parents and their siblings

Groups are organized and run by parent survivors

Local Office – (212) 439-8111

Second Tuesday and 4th Tuesday at 7:00

Marble Collegiate Church

1 West 29th

Cost: None

Jewish-Identified

Jewish Board of Family Services (JBFCS)

212/795-9888 x143 for intake – Marilyn Comacho or Sheila Ramich at 632.4692

Groups for children who have lost a parent or significant other beginning at age 5-teens

Groups begin in the spring and the fall and are 12 weeks in duration

They are held from 4:15 -5:30 and there is a simultaneous educational group for parents

549 West 180th St., New York 10033

Cost: call for info

New York Jewish Healing Center

A Jewish Connections Program of JBFCS

850 Seventh Ave., Suite 1201

Contact: Myra Shendell, CSW

Cost: call for info.

850 Seventh Ave., Suite 1201, NY, 10019

Groups facilitated by a rabbi and a social worker

Groups are available for spouses, adult children, siblings, and parents who have lost an adult child.

A group is also available for Jewish Survivors of a Close One’s Suicide

Contact: Rabbi Simkha Weintraub, CSW

212.399.2320 ext.215

Cost: None

Jacob Perlow Hospice

First Avenue at 16th Street

New York, NY 10003

Contact: Bereavement Coordinator, Benyamin Cirlin, CSW

(212) 420-4153

Cost: None

Twice monthly drop-in group

Fierman Hall

317 East 17th Street., 6th floor

Week closed group. Grief Reconciliation Seminar

Registration required. Available to members of the community in addition to family of hospice patients

Metropolitan Hospice and Jewish Hospice of Greater New York

6323 7th Ave Brooklyn, NY, 11220-4711

Contact Bereavement Coordinator: Frank Attanasia

Chaplain: Charles Rudinsky

(718) 921-7900

Cost: None

Chai Lifeline

Telephone conference groups led by a social worker

also bereavement retreats

Contact: Rabbi Moshe E. Bomzer

(212) 699-6646

Cost: None

151 West 30th St. New York, NY 10001

The Jewish Center for Spiritual Care of the New York Board of Rabbis

Spiritual Care Hotline and Pastoral Visiting Program

136 E 39th St

Contact: Rabbi Debrah Cohen or Rabbi Joshua Zlochower

983.3521

Hotline: 889.5550

For residents of the East Side of Manhattan and Queens who are homebound and alone. The rabbis will make home visits to offer spiritual support and make referrals to other services

Cost: none

Children

Jewish Board of Family Services (JBFCS)

(212) 795-9888 x143 for intake – Marilyn Comacho or Sheila Ramich at 632.4692

Groups for children who have lost a parent or significant other beginning at age 5-teens

Groups begin in the spring and the fall and are 12 weeks in duration

They are held from 4:15 -5:30 and there is a simultaneous educational group for parents

549 West 180th St., New York 10033

Cost: call for info

Graham-Windham Manhattan Mental Health Center

274 West 145th St., 2nd Fl.

New York, NY 10039

Contact: Kate Sherman, CSW

(212) 368-4100 x22

Groups held Thursdays 4:00 – 5:00

For girls and boys ages 10 – 13

Uses psychodrama, and action methods to facilitate the grief process

Cost: call for info

See Chai Lifeline

See Visting Nurse Service of New York – groups for children

The Sanctuary

2 Washington Square

Lobby Suite South

Larchmont, NY 10538-1448

contact: Amy Liebman-Rapp

tel: (914) 834-4906

website: www.thesanctuaryforgrief.org

seminars on loss and grief for children and teens bereavement groups for students individual grief counseling for children and adults resource material

Payne Whitney Clinic

528 East 68th Street

New York, NY 10021

888-NYH-5700

Weill Cornell Westchester

21 Bloomingdale Road

White Plains, NY 10605

888-NYH-5700

Lesbians and Gay Men

Center for Gays and Lesbians

208 West 13th Street

New York, NY 10011

Contact Doneley Meris for an intake assessment,

(212) 620-7310 ext.277

Cost: free

Women’s Grief Support group, Thursdays, 6:00-7:30

Men’s Grief Support group, Wednesdays, 6:00-7:30

Gay Men’s Health Crisis

119 West 24th Street

New York, NY 10011

Mental Health Services, (212) 367-1165

Living after loss group, 10 week group

See Visiting Nurse Service: Gay and Lesbian Bereavement Group

Contact: Donna Danrille

(212) 290-3923

SAGE (Senior Action in a Gay Environment)

contact: Allan: (212) 741-2247 ext. 229

208 West 13th St.

New York, NY 10011

Provides mutual support to older gay men and lesbians who have lost their life’s partner or who are caring for their partner who is gravely ill. Screening before attending first meeting.

Survivors of Suicide

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

120 Wall Street, 29th Floor
New York, NY 10005
1-888-333-2377

Survivors of Homicide

Parents of Murdered Children

(513) 721-5683

Spanish Language

see Visiting Nurse Service of New York

See Calvary Hospital

General Bereavement group for Spanish-speakers meets the third Thursday of the month.

Hospital

Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital HIV+ Mental Health Clinic

(212) 305-4562

Contact: Lucy Wicks

Cost: Sliding scale/Medicaid/Insurance

710 W. 168th St., 6th Floor

New York, NY 10032

For adolescents:

(212) 305-7257

Contact: Sheila Ryan

Cost: call for info

622 W. 168th St. Room 619N

New York, NY 10032

Gay Men’s Health Crisis

119 West 24th Street

New York, NY 10011

Mental Health Services, (212) 367-1144

Contact: Anya Seltenheim, (212) 367-1141

Living after loss group, 10 week group

Individual Bereavement Counseling (Medicaid/Medicare)

Union Settlement Corporation

Johnson’s Counseling Center

2089 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10029

(212) 828-6144

The Postgraduate Center

138 East 26th Street, 4th Floor (between Lexington and Third Avenue) New York, NY 10010

(212)576-4190

See also Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services Individual grief counseling is available.

Medicare/Medicaid accepted

See Cancer Care. Deceased or bereaved must have had cancer. Assessment will determine plan of care

Greenwich Village Funeral Home is a Member of

Metropolitan Funeral Home Association Logo NFDA Logo Green Burial Council Logo Greenwich Village Chamber of Commerce Logo Pre-Plan Logo CFF Logo CANA Logo