About Deal With Grief

Why this site exists

Deal With Grief was created because grief is one of the most universal human experiences — and one of the least well-served by the internet. Most of what you find online is either clinical and cold, written for professionals rather than the people who are actually suffering, or it's shallow and platitude-filled, offering "time heals all wounds" when what you need is someone who understands that time alone does very little.

We wanted to build something different: a warm, honest, deeply human resource for anyone navigating loss. Not a site that tries to make grief smaller or faster. A site that meets you where you are — whether you're in the raw first days after a death, months in and still struggling, or trying to support someone you love through their hardest time.

Our content is written for real people, not algorithms. Every article is designed to be the thing you'd want to find at 2am when you can't sleep and you need to know that what you're feeling is normal.

Our editorial approach

Every article on this site is researched against peer-reviewed literature on grief, bereavement, and mental health. We reference established clinical frameworks — including Prolonged Grief Disorder as defined in the DSM-5-TR, the Dual Process Model of bereavement (Stroebe & Schut), Continuing Bonds Theory (Klass, Silverman & Nickman), and the work of leading grief researchers including George Bonanno, Katherine Shear, Colin Murray Parkes, and David Kessler.

Our editorial standards require that every article:

• Is grounded in research — not folk wisdom or personal opinion presented as fact
• Reflects clinical consensus — we don't present fringe views as mainstream
• Is honest about uncertainty — grief research is a developing field and we say so when evidence is limited
• Is written for the reader, not search engines — our goal is to be genuinely useful, not to rank
• Is reviewed for accuracy before publication — and updated when research evolves
• Includes crisis resources — every article links to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Articles carry publication and update dates. We review our content regularly — all articles were last reviewed in March 2026. If you find something that appears outdated or inaccurate, please tell us. We take corrections seriously.

Who writes and reviews our content

Deal With Grief content is produced by an editorial team with backgrounds in psychology, health communication, and grief support. We draw on the published research of licensed grief therapists and bereavement specialists, and we cross-reference clinical guidelines from the American Psychological Association, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

We are not a clinical organization, and our content is not a substitute for professional mental health care. We are clear about this in every article. But we hold ourselves to the same standard of accuracy and honesty that we would want if we were the person searching for answers at the worst moment of our lives.

We are also people who have experienced loss. That experience informs how we write — not as detached observers, but as people who understand what it is to need this information.

What we link to and why

Our therapy recommendations, book recommendations, and app recommendations are chosen because we genuinely believe they help — 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 at the top of every page that contains affiliate links
• Update the disclaimer in our footer
• Only work with products and services we have independently assessed as genuinely helpful
• Never allow commercial relationships to influence our editorial recommendations

Our editorial independence is non-negotiable. A product will never appear in our recommendations because of a commercial arrangement — only because it earns it.

Sources and external references

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
• 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
• GriefShare — for grief support groups
• American Psychological Association — for clinical definitions and guidelines
• National Institute of Mental Health — for depression and mental health co-occurrence

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.

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 real and available.

Get in touch

We read every message and respond to every email. If you have a resource to suggest, a topic you'd like us to cover, feedback about something we've written, or a correction to offer — please reach out.