Widow Support Groups: Relief & a Lighter Way Together | Hope Speaker

Widow Support Groups: Finding Relief Without Carrying It All Alone

"I made [such] a connection with [my] loss. It really hit me in the heart. I could feel the pain of the loss that was released..." -Another member of my cohort, W. B.

I am so excited about this evidence-based grief healing model after experiencing it myself in a recent intensive, in which we all went through the process personally, and were also trained in facilitating it for others.

The transformation in my own heart and grief was so effective, I am thrilled that I also became certified to share it with other widows. Hear me out:

I’ve done a lot of work over the years (I’m a personal development person). I’ve worked on myself. I’ve worked on my healing.

And still—widowhood has been so incredibly hard and painful, that there were areas of deep pain I continued to struggle with over 6 years out. This grief support group and method is changing that.

If you’re here looking for widow grief support or wondering whether widow support groups can actually help, I want you to know this comes from both research and lived experience!

When Widowhood Pain is Too Much

I was widowed at 31 after losing my husband by suicide. In the aftermath, I became so low that I attempted twice myself.

So please don’t think for a second that I’m minimizing your pain, rushing grief, or invalidating anything you’re carrying. I promise you—I am not. I know widowhood is painful, and I am not pretending that there is a way to go through it completely pain-free.

I have tried many supports- groups, conferences, books, therapy, podcasts... While everything I’ve been through has mattered, and I’ve taken pieces from all of it, I need you to hear this clearly:

What I’ve just experienced through this specific process brought a kind of relief I hadn’t felt before.

And that’s why I’m sharing it with you!

Widow Grief Support Beyond Just Surviving - Healing the Roots of Pain

What I just completed is, in fact, the only evidence-based grief healing process in the world.

There’s research behind it.

It’s structured.

It’s consistent.

Because of that, this method works for those who go through it.

And what stood out to me most was this truth:

We do not have to hold on to the heavy pain we are carrying around.

Widowhood is painful. Losing our person is devastating. There is no way around that.

But often, it becomes more painful than it has to be.

We stay connected to people, places, memories, and even our late husband through pain alone—and we don’t actually have to do it through that lens.

We can honor them and have a relationship with them, their memories, and so many other facets of grief- without doing it through suffering. In fact, those things will actually be more meaningful when we come from a healed, lighter place.

Why Unresolved Grief Weighs So Heavily

One of the clearest ways I understand grief now is like this:

Every painful experience—loss, tragedy, heartbreak—is like putting a rock into our backpack.

Some are small pebbles.

Some are rocks.

Some are boulders.

And we carry them through life.

When we don’t resolve those painful experiences, that weight shows up everywhere:

• Isolation

• Anxiety and depression

• Exhaustion

• Chronic illness

• Feeling stuck

• Struggling spiritually

• Breakdown in relationships

• & much more...

When you’re already trying to figure out life without your person, that added weight becomes an enormous burden.

This is why widow grief support groups—and especially widow to widow support—matter so much. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation.

Experiencing Relief Through a Structured Process

During this four-day intensive, all the members in my cohort and I experienced similar and shocking transformations through this method:

We felt lighter.

We experienced relief.

We released pain connected to specific areas of our lives.

Here is what another group member of mine shared:

"Following the journey using [this] tested method of grief recovery, one begins to realize that with the pain and sting of grief pain removed, the breathing and living one's life is easier. This proven method of personal life control will change your life." -Member of my grief healing cohort B.M.

We weren’t stacking more insight on top of unresolved grief—we were actually unloading the backpack.

That difference matters.

It’s what shifted something deep inside me and made me want to share this with other widows.

Why I’m Offering a Small Widow Support Group

Because I’ve now gone through this process myself—and because I’m certified to guide others through it as a Specialist—I’m opening my first pilot widow grief support group.

This will be a group of six.

It’s intentionally small.

It’s deeply guided.

This pilot group will also be offered at a lower rate than future groups, simply because it’s the first time I’m leading it. The smaller group allows for a more personal experience.

Healing Is Not Optional in Widowhood

I need to say this plainly, because I learned it the hard way:

Healing becomes your job in widowhood. The heart work must be a focus in the season of widowhood.

When I didn’t prioritize my own healing, it cost me more in the long run—in my health, my relationships, and my overall well-being.

This work matters!

Sister, you are worth the time, the effort, and the investment it takes to stay alive, heal, and rebuild a future.

Scripture reminds us that we are temples of the Holy Spirit and that God has good plans for us. Carrying unresolved grief—staying stuck in the same pain and patterns—doesn’t honor that.

A Gentle Invitation Forward

If you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it.

If you’re looking for widow support groups that offer real widow grief support, not just survival, I would love to walk with you through this process.

This pilot group is small and intentional. Future groups will continue, but they will be larger.

If this feels like the next right step for you, I encourage you to reach out and learn more.

Your story isn’t over, and it can hold more than pain!

There is hope.

There is relief.

There is a lighter way.

I’m here for you. I get it—and I’ve walked this road before you.

Let’s do it together!

With you,

Rachel

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