YOU NEED NOT WALK ALONE, WE ARE
THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS

The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive.

The Compassionate Friends is a national nonprofit, self-help support organization that offers friendship, understanding, and hope to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings. There is no religious affiliation and there are no membership dues or fees.

The secret of TCF's success is simple: As seasoned-grievers reach out to the newly bereaved, energy that has been directed inward begins to flow outward and both of the bereaved are helped to heal. The vision of The Compassionate Friends is that everyone who needs us will find us and everyone who find us will be helped.

Support webinars

The Compassionate Friends provides its webinars free of charge as a service to the bereaved. If you have questions about the webinars please email us at webinars@compassionatefriends.org.

Addiction Education

Barbara Allen --Death of a Child from Substance Related Causes -- A child’s death from any cause is a profound loss. When substances including alcohol and/or drugs (legal or illegal) are involved, additional layers of grief are all too common. Stigma and shame often complicate the grief process. Whether the death came after a single encounter, a history of substance abuse or from the disease of addiction, processing this loss has its own set of complications. Substance related deaths continue to skyrocket with prescription medications now the leading cause of death where substances are a factor. Moving from an outdated moral model of ignorance to a model of disease, using science and compassion, we find hope. Together we learn how to cope with anger, guilt, depression and possible regrets. Together we learn how complicated substance related issues are and from there find hope and healing. No Shame or Blame ~ Just Love ®. Presenter: Barbara Allen

Barbara’s son, Jim, died in 2003 from an overdose of heroin and alcohol at the age of 35. Her brother, Bill, and niece, Amanda, also died from substance related causes. She and her husband, Tom, have been active in TCF serving in many roles since 2003. Having lived with the disease of addiction through Jim’s twenty-two year battle for life, Barbara lost hope when he died. Shifting her research focus and collaborating with other parents, she established a foundation offering scholarships for recovery services (James’ Place). Barbara manages an educational program, http://www.shatterthestigma.com/, to help those who suffer the disease and those who love them better understand the complexities of substance issues in today’s world. A published author, she is a leadership coach and yoga teacher. Barbara freely distributes her popular wristbands No Shame or Blame ~ Just Hope® through her website.

The Compassionate Friends

"The Compassionate Friends is about transforming the pain of grief into the elixir of hope. It takes people out of the isolation society imposes on the bereaved and lets them express their grief naturally. With the shedding of tears, healing comes. And the newly bereaved get to see people who have survived and are learning to live and love again."
–Simon Stephens, founder of The Compassionate Friends

Our Commitment

The words of TCF's Founder, Simon Stephens resonate with those who have come to The Compassionate Friends hoping to find a purpose in a life that suddenly seems so empty.

Whether your family has had a child die (at any age from any cause) or you are trying to help those who have gone through this life altering experience, The Compassionate Friends exists to provide friendship, understanding, and hope to those going through the natural grieving process.

Through a network of more than 640 chapters with locations in all 50 states, as well as Washington DC and Puerto Rico, The Compassionate Friends has been supporting bereaved families after the death of a child for four decades.

The National Office and its staff also provide many levels of support to our chapters, as well as individual responses to those who call on the phone, contact us through our website, or send an e-mail that simply says, "My child has died. Help me!" We will be here as long as you need us. That is our commitment to you.