Why this site exists
Deal With Grief was built because grief is one of the most universal human experiences — and one of the most poorly served by the internet. Most of what you find online is either coldly clinical, written for professionals rather than the people who are suffering, or it is shallow and platitude-filled: "time heals all wounds" when what you need is someone who understands that time alone does very little.
We wanted to build something different. Not a site that tries to make grief smaller or faster or more manageable. A site that meets you where you actually are — whether you are in the raw first days after a death, months in and still struggling, or trying to support someone you love through their hardest time.
Every article on this site is designed to be the thing you would want to find at 2am when you cannot sleep and need to know that what you are feeling is normal — that you are not alone, that grief takes as long as it takes, and that there is no right way to do it.
Why you can trust us
Our editorial team
Deal With Grief content is produced by a small editorial team with backgrounds in psychology, health communication, and bereavement support. Our writers have direct experience of grief — personal and professional — and we hold ourselves to the same standard of honesty and accuracy that we would want if we were the person searching for answers at the worst moment of our lives.
Our editorial process
Every article begins with a review of the published bereavement literature — identifying what the evidence shows, where there is consensus, and where there is genuine uncertainty or ongoing debate.
Our goal is to be genuinely useful to a person who is grieving or supporting someone who is. We write in plain, warm language — not clinical jargon — while maintaining factual accuracy.
Every article is checked against current clinical guidelines and research before publication. We do not publish claims that are not supported by evidence.
Every article includes a link to 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. We take seriously the fact that people searching for grief information may be in acute distress.
We review our articles regularly. All content on this site was last reviewed in April 2026. If you find something that appears outdated or inaccurate, please tell us.
The research we draw on
Our articles reference and build on the following established frameworks and bodies of research in bereavement science:
- Prolonged Grief Disorder (DSM-5-TR) — the formal clinical definition of complicated grief and its diagnostic criteria
- Dual Process Model of Bereavement (Stroebe & Schut) — the oscillation between loss-orientation and restoration-orientation in healthy grief
- Continuing Bonds Theory (Klass, Silverman & Nickman) — the role of ongoing relationship with the deceased in healthy grief integration
- Assumptive World Theory (Janoff-Bulman) — how loss disrupts fundamental beliefs about the world and the self
- Meaning Reconstruction Model (Neimeyer) — the central role of meaning-making in grief integration
- Resilience research (Bonanno) — what the evidence shows about natural resilience in bereavement and who is at risk for prolonged grief
- Complicated Grief Treatment (Shear) — the specific therapeutic approach for prolonged grief disorder
- Ambiguous Loss Theory (Boss) — grief for losses without closure or confirmed death
What we link to and why
Our therapy recommendations, book recommendations, and app recommendations are chosen because we genuinely believe they are helpful — not because of any commercial arrangement.
This site does not currently use affiliate links. All links go directly to the products and services we recommend. We may add affiliate partnerships in the future. If we do, we will disclose this clearly on every page that contains affiliate links, update our footer disclaimer, and continue to recommend only products we have independently assessed as genuinely helpful. Our editorial recommendations will never be influenced by commercial relationships.
Trusted external organizations
We regularly reference and link to the following organizations, whose work we consider authoritative in this field:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — the primary crisis resource we direct readers to on every page
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) — for loss after suicide
- The Compassionate Friends — for bereaved parents
- National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC) — for children's grief resources
- GriefShare — for grief support groups across the US
- American Psychological Association — for clinical definitions and professional guidelines
- National Institute of Mental Health — for depression and mental health information
- Columbia Center for Complicated Grief — for research on prolonged grief disorder and its treatment
Medical and mental health disclaimer
Deal With Grief is an informational resource, not a medical or mental health provider. Nothing on this site constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Our articles are written to inform and support — not to replace the care of a qualified professional.
If you are experiencing grief that is significantly disrupting your daily life, relationships, or ability to function, please consider reaching out to a licensed therapist or counselor. Our online therapy page has accessible, affordable options, including platforms that specialize in grief.
If you are in crisis — if you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm — please call or text 988 immediately, or go to your nearest emergency room. Help is available right now.
Corrections policy
We take accuracy seriously and correct errors promptly. If you find information on this site that appears outdated, inaccurate, or inconsistent with current research, please email us. We review every correction request and respond within a few days. Significant corrections are noted at the bottom of the relevant article with the date of the update.
Get in touch
We read every message and respond to every email. Whether you have a suggestion, a topic request, feedback about something we've written, or a correction to offer — we want to hear from you.
Contact the editorial team
Email us at dealwithgrief@gmail.com — we respond to every message, usually within a few days.