Grief Support

Hospice and Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard offers grief and bereavement services for adults, children, and families coping with the death of someone close to them—whether or not they were an HPCMV patient. Our counselors also facilitate support groups, a family grief camp, and other grief-informed events for kids, as well as remembrance events for HPCMV staff, volunteers, and the community.

Grief Services at Hospice & Palliative Care of Martha's Vineyard

Grief Support for Those Receiving HPCMV Care

marthas vineyard island shape with a heart

Community Grief Counseling & Crisis Response

Grief Support for Children & Adolescents

Grief Support for Those Receiving HPCMV Care

Click the menu tabs on the left to learn more.

Preparatory Grief Support

We recognize that grieving begins before death. HPCMV grief counselors provide preparatory grief support to patients as they navigate the emotional impact of serious illness while approaching end-of-life.

For families and caregivers, grief support can ease the transition both before and after a death. Hospice counselors offer a safe, compassionate space to talk openly about these emotions. Our team can also assist with legacy work, memory-making, and end-of-life planning.

Spiritual Care

Spiritual care at HPCMV supports patients, families, and caregivers as they navigate questions of meaning, hope, faith, and values during serious illness and at the end of life. Our trained spiritual care counselors offer compassionate presence, guided by your own beliefs and traditions. We can help you and your family make sense of what you’re experiencing, cope with uncertainty, and find comfort, meaning, and peace in ways that feel right to you. Spiritual care may involve reflective conversations, prayer, meditation, and ritual.

Post-Death Bereavement Support

Bereavement services are available to family and caregivers for 13 months after the death of the person in our care. Our counseling services provide education about the grieving process, offer ongoing emotional support, and facilitate connection to community resources.

Focused Grief Support Groups

HPCMV offers grief support groups for individuals who have experienced the death of someone close to them. Please contact HPCMV to find out about upcoming grief support group offerings.

Annual Remembrance Event

Each year, our team offers a remembrance event for past patient families, friends, and caregivers.

Community Grief Counseling & Crisis Response

Click the menu tabs on the left to learn more.

Community Grief Counseling

HPCMV offers grief counseling to all Martha’s Vineyard community members who have experienced the death of someone in their life, including when that loss is not connected to an HPCMV patient.

While we believe all loss is significant, our counselors focus on grief relating to the death of a human. HPCMV grief counseling does not include pet loss, heartbreak, job loss, climate grief, or other types of grief. In the resources section below, you can find links to support resources.

Community Crisis Response

In the event of a sudden death within our community, our grief counselors often work with other community organizations to provide response and immediate grief and trauma support.

Focused Grief Support Groups

HPCMV offers grief support groups for individuals facing loss. Past groups have included school-based groups for children, groups for widows and widowers, and parent groups for infant loss and sudden death. Please contact HPCMV to find out about upcoming grief support group offerings.

Support for Grieving Children & Adolescents

Click the menu tabs on the left to learn more.

Grief Support for Children and Adolescents

Our team offers age-appropriate counseling for children and adolescents who are coping with the death of someone significant in their lives.

Family Grief Camp – Camp By The Sea

Each year, HPCMV holds Camp By The Sea, a one-day family grief camp at Slough Farm in Katama for children in grades K-8 who have experienced the death of someone close to them. Their families are also able to attend.

Community Events for Children  

Our team also hosts events for children. Sweets By The Sea is a supervised Valentine’s candy-making and crafting session. Seedlings By The Sea is a facilitated planting workshop. These expressive activities offer opportunities to connect and make memories. Children do not have to be grieving the death of someone important in their lives to participate.

Focused Children’s Grief Groups

HPCMV counselors are available to coordinate with school leadership to offer grief support groups for children and teens.

Community Testimonials

“Hospice isn’t just for end-of-life, it’s for those of us who are moving forward after loss.

There’s no guidebook for grief, I needed to find an outlet, and mine was hospice grief counseling.”

– M-C Lamarre, HPCMV Grief Counseling Client

Grief Support FAQ

Who can receive grief support services through HPCMV?

HPCMV’s grief and bereavement services are available to any member of the Martha’s Vineyard community who is grieving the death of a person significant in their lives. Support is offered regardless of whether the death was connected to a HPCMV patient.

What types of grief support does HPCMV offer?

HPCMV’s licensed counselors offer a range of confidential grief support services, including individual counseling, group support, workshops, and community-based programs. We can also provide trauma-informed practices such as EMDR. Specialized services are also available for children and teens.

Is there a cost for grief counseling or support groups?

Currently, HPCMV’s grief support services are provided at no cost, thanks to community philanthropy. No one is turned away due to inability to pay.

Do I need a referral to access grief support services?

A referral from a healthcare provider is not necessary. Individuals can contact HPCMV directly to inquire about services or schedule an initial conversation with a grief counselor.

When is the right time to seek grief support?

There is no “right” timeline for grief. Some people seek support shortly after a death, while others reach out months or even years later.

Recommended Additional Resources

Children’s Grief Resources



HEARTplay Program

HEARTplay offers support services for children, teens, and young adults of all abilities and their families who are coping with the serious illness or death of an important person in their lives



Winston's Wish

Winston’s Wish is a charity that offers free, accessible online grief support to children and young people (aged 25 or under) across the UK who are bereaved or facing the death of someone important.



The Children's Room

The Children’s Room is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children, teens, and families in Massachusetts who are grieving.

Peer Grief Support



Sharing Kindness

Sharing Kindness offers a range of grief support, suicide awareness and mental health education programs across the Cape & Islands.

Pet Loss Grief Resources

Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, operates the nation’s largest sanctuary for homeless animals and provides adoption, spay/neuter, and educational programs.

Association for Pet Loss & Bereavement

APLB’s mission is to promote and expand the field of pet loss and grief support by providing pet family support services and resources that honor the human/animal bond.