
About Our Grief Support Sessions
Good Grief Rochester began in Spring of 2025. It was intended to be a community offering in upstate New York offering six-week grief trauma sessions. New participants would make up each series. However,what resulted was that the participants wanted to continue! The community and support formed from their initial session was too valuable to just stop. GGR decided to re-strategize and blend the former group members to blend with new participants.
What to expect:
At each meeting, we aim to create a compassionate and safe environment where individuals can find solace and understanding learning from each other. Our grief support sessions are led by Certified Grief Counselor and author, Ms. Cheri A. Copie, RN, BSN, MS. Each two-hour session offers a space for emotional connection and practical coping tools. Topics covered include Understanding Grief, The Grief Journey, and Living Forward with Grief in your new normal.
What would I get out of it?
At each meeting, we aim to create a compassionate and safe environment where individuals can find solace and understanding learning from each other. Our grief support sessions are led by Certified Grief Counselor and author, Ms. Cheri A. Copie, RN, BSN, MS. Each two-hour session offers a space for emotional connection and practical coping tools. Topics covered include Understanding Grief, The Grief Journey, and Living Forward with Grief in your new normal.
How did Good Grief Rochester, Inc. start?
We used to meet as one group biweekly but because of the demand, we have now become able to offer two groups each meeting biweekly. This affords the flexibility of each participant smaller group sizes with the ability to change a Wednesday if their life’s schedule demanded. Each participant is allowed to attend two sessions / month. Currently, there are 2 groups that meet every other Wednesday so we will assign you to the one group schedule that works best for your life. You are allowed to attend two groups per month. Pre-registration is required to ensure appropriate facilities and group size & structure, ensuring each participant receives the attention and support they need.
I don’t know if I’m ready.
You can join a session ANY time that you are ready. If you need to take a break for a bit, that is allowed as well provided you communicate your needs to the group leadership for proper planning. Our typical format is to have voluntary open sharing following a brief lecture on current grief practices and tips for those grieving. The topics are provided by the current participants from previous meetings. Questions are always integrated to facilitate meaningful conversations . Then we use most of the time in group sharing (small and large) followed by identification of what each individual wants to work on for that following week. The information is predominantly led by the participants who have walked in your same shoes under the supervision of trained leaders. If you’re interested, please pre-register so we can reach out to you to confirm your availability for dates, times, and location.
How do I sign up to join your community?
Easy! Just fill out this confidential form and we’ll take it from there. A member of the GGR team will personally reach out to you to confirm a successful registration. REGISTRATION LINK
If you simply would like to support our cause by a donation, please click this link: SECURE DONATION LINK
“I understand that it can be intimidating to trust people you don’t know as you navigate this journey. However, we are all on the same path and truly do understand your experiences. There’s no judgment here, no “you should” statements, and no “woulda-coulda-shoulda” regrets. We are here to walk alongside you, offering support, insight, and perspective. The new normal can feel overwhelming, but together, we can help you reach your goals.” Cheri A. Copie
