Sibling Support Groups

COPE offers support groups facilitated by licensed clinicians for adults living with the loss of a sibling to come together regularly for peer support and connection.

Peer support groups offer a safe space for grieving siblings to share their grief, give and receive support, find tools to cope with their unimaginable loss, and find validation through the shared experience with others. There is no exact way of grieving a sister or a brother, as each loss is unique to that person and the relationship he or she had with their sibling, but oftentimes the best support can come from those who can relate and understand the depths of your grief.

Oftentimes sibling loss can be overshadowed by other losses leaving siblings to feel alone, forgotten, or that their role is to support other family members, leaving little room for supporting themselves. COPE sibling groups provide the necessary space for siblings to focus on their own grief and find support from fellow siblings.

Participating in a group offers the opportunity to:

• Receive emotional support in a safe and non-judgmental environment
• Begin and continue the healing process through sharing your own story and hearing the stories of others
• Learn coping skills to help you through the difficult moments in your grief journey.
• Discover new ways or traditions to maintain continuing bonds with your sibling by keeping them present in your heart and connected in your memories
• Increase your understanding of how other family members might react to loss
• Permission to grieve and permission to live

“After my sister died, I didn’t feel the need to go to any support groups because I thought I could cope on my own. It wasn’t until I started attending the COPE sibling group that I realized I needed the suport and sensitivity of people who have suffered a similar loss.” – GJ