The Right Place When Nothing Feels Right

At Dougy Center, you will find support, resources, and connection before and after a death.

Grief and COVID-19

Millions of grandparents, parents, siblings, aunties, uncles, friends, co-workers, and extended family members have died of COVID-19 worldwide. Each person leaves behind family and friends, including children and teens, who are grieving. If you or someone you know is grieving a death from COVID-19, these resources may help

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Talking with kids and teens about school shootings and other mass tragedies

We know that school shootings and other mass tragedies affect so many more people than just those who are directly impacted. If you or someone you know needs ideas for talking to children about this or other tragic events, find Dougy Center resources through the link below.

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Live in the Portland area? Consider becoming a Volunteer Facilitator

Volunteer Facilitators play a crucial role in ensuring access to our bereavement program. They offer skilled support of children, teens, and adults who are grieving a death. Under the supervision of a staff member, Volunteer Facilitators create the safe space for children and teens who are grieving.

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Find Grief Support Near You

Locate peer grief support groups in Portland and around the world.

What We Do

At Dougy Center, we create safe spaces and free resources for children and families who are grieving. Our pioneering peer grief support model, professional training, and world-renowned programs and advocacy bring hope and healing around the world.

Training & Community Response

Our Services

The Impact of Dougy Center

Read stories about the positive impact of Dougy Center on children and families who are grieving

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Meet the Lucas Family

Brigitte Lucas began bringing her daughter, Braelynn, to Dougy Center’s “Littles” group twice a month after her husband, Ethan, died of COVID just a few days before Christmas in 2021. Dougy Center is one of the few places where Brigitte, Braelynn, and Blaykley can talk about Ethan and feel safe to express whatever they need. Like other young children who are grieving, Braelynn struggled after Ethan’s death as she tried to understand what happened. She was tearful sometimes, mad sometimes, and sometimes regressed to earlier developmental stages. Brigitte was amazed when these behaviors began to ease not long after they started a Dougy Center group.

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Grief Out Loud Podcast

Grief Out Loud is our internationally acclaimed podcast where we talk openly about death, dying, and grief

Latest Episode
September 7th, 2023

How To Show Up For Others

"How do I help someone who is grieving?" This is the perennial question when it comes to showing up for people we care about after someone dies. Zack Wheat, a Board Certified Chaplain, knows more than most about what people who are grieving need - and don't need. Professionally, Zack knows about this from his work as a hospital chaplain for an inpatient palliative care team. He also knows about it from his time volunteering as a facilitator in peer grief support groups at Dougy Center. But, long before he was a hospital chaplain or a grief group facilitator, Zack learned about how to be there for others when he was 21 and his friend Leanna died in a car accident. read more...

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News & Events

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November 16th, 2023

Dougy Center Grief Education Webinar: Gone Too Soon: Supporting Children and Teens After a Death from Gun Violence

Every day in the United States we are bombarded with stories of gun violence. Within every story, whether noted by the media or not, there are children, teens, and adults impacted forever by the death of someone in their lives: a parent, caregiver, aunt, uncle, sibling, or friend. In addition to grieving the death, survivors are faced with multiple additional factors which complicate their lives. Join us in this webinar as we explore these factors and ways to support children and teens who are grieving a death from gun violence.

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Event

January 29th, 2024

2024 Virtual Professional Seminar

Join Dougy Center’s knowledgeable staff for an opportunity to explore the fundamentals of grief education across the lifespan. While the majority of helping professionals do not have formal grief education, the 2024 Virtual Professional Seminar will provide the tools and information to become grief-informed. Learn with colleagues from around the United States and beyond who support, or plan to support, children and families who are grieving.

Press

July 21st, 2023

Family Justice Journal

"To Be Ripped Away From Your Family,” Acknowledging and Addressing the Impact of Loss, Grief, and Relational Connection for Youth in Foster Care, by Dr. Monique Mitchell, discusses the importance of addressing grief experienced by you in foster care.

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About Dougy Center

Dougy Center was founded in 1982 to support children and families who are grieving before and after a death. Today, The Dougy Center Model is world-renowned and has helped 60,000 people find hope and healing.

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