Traumatic Loss Additional Resources
SevenPonds recommends the following resources to our clients who wish to learn more about sudden and traumatic loss.
Organizations and Support Networks
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
TAPS is the national nonprofit organization providing comfort, care, and resources to all those grieving the death of a military or veteran loved one, regardless of the circumstances. With over 100,000 survivors supported, TAPS builds a powerful community where survivors help each other heal through peer support, retreats, and national seminars. For a military family reeling from a sudden death, TAPS offers an immediate, understanding community.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
AFSP offers a vast array of free resources specifically for survivors of suicide loss, including a nationwide support group database, a survivor conference, and the Named Memorial Program. They also provide guidance for talking to children about suicide and a comprehensive list of clinicians trained in suicide bereavement therapy. For someone feeling the deep, confusing pain of a suicide death, AFSP is an anchor, providing connection and specialized knowledge.
The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute
Based in Massachusetts, this community-based organization is a national model for supporting families and communities impacted by homicide and other forms of violence. They provide outreach services, burial assistance, grief counseling, and advocacy for survivors navigating the criminal justice system, treating all families with dignity and love. For a family shattered by the murder of a loved one, the Peace Institute offers a lifeline of practical and emotional support.
The Compassionate Friends
This is a worldwide self-help organization offering friendship, understanding, and hope to families grieving the death of a child of any age, from any cause—including sudden, traumatic, and violent deaths. Their local chapters provide a safe place for parents, grandparents, and siblings to share their stories and know they are not alone on a path no one chooses to walk. For a parent whose world has been shattered by the sudden death of an adult child, this organization provides a uniquely understanding community.
First Candle
First Candle is a national nonprofit working to end Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) while providing compassionate bereavement support to families who have experienced the death of a baby from SIDS, SUID, or stillbirth. Their grief line, staffed by their Director of Bereavement Support, offers immediate comfort, and they provide books and guidance for talking to other children in the family about the loss. In the devastating wake of losing a baby, First Candle ensures that no family grieves alone.
Winston’s Wish
A leading childhood bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish offers practical, trauma-informed support specifically for children, young people, and their families after a sudden, violent, or traumatic death. Their team of bereavement specialists is available to speak with immediately, providing real-time advice on how to talk to a child who has witnessed a traumatic event or is struggling to process a shocking loss. For a parent worried about their child’s reaction to a sudden family tragedy, this is an invaluable first call.
The Wendt Center for Loss and Healing
Located in the Washington, DC area, the Wendt Center provides a wide range of services to address the needs of adults, youth, and families coping with both grief and trauma, including specialized treatment for those impacted by violence. They offer individual and group therapy that recognizes how a sudden, violent death creates a unique kind of wound that requires a specific kind of healing. For families navigating both the shock of a traumatic loss and the stress of a police investigation, the Wendt Center provides comprehensive, trauma-informed care.
The UK Trauma Council (UKTC)
A consortium of experts in childhood trauma, the UKTC has developed free, evidence-based resources specifically on traumatic bereavement for schools, practitioners, and parents. Their materials help adults identify the difference between typical grief and traumatic grief in children, providing clear guidance on how to put appropriate support in place. For a teacher or school counselor wondering how to help a student after a classmate’s sudden death, the UKTC’s resources are an essential, research-backed tool.
Notable Grief Experts and Thought Leaders
David Kessler
One of the world’s foremost grief experts, Kessler co-authored two books with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and later introduced the concept of “finding meaning” as a sixth stage of grief after the death of his own young son. His work is particularly resonant for those facing traumatic loss, as he provides tools to navigate the shocking, disorienting early days and find a way to live meaningfully with sorrow. His online platform, Grief.com, offers a wealth of free resources, including videos, articles, and training, for anyone supporting themselves or a loved one through a devastating event.
Dr. Joanne Cacciatore
A tenured professor at Arizona State University, Dr. Cacciatore transformed her own unthinkable loss into a life’s mission, founding the MISS Foundation and Selah Carefarm to provide specialized care for those suffering the most profound traumatic grief. Her seminal book, Bearing the Unbearable, is often considered a lifeline for bereaved parents, offering not platitudes but a raw, compassionate presence that validates the most painful feelings.
Dr. Kate Truitt
As a clinical psychologist and applied neuroscientist, Dr. Truitt is an internationally recognized expert in traumatic grief who translates complex brain science into accessible, actionable healing strategies. Her work focuses on how trauma physically impacts the brain, and her books, including Healing in Your Hands, provide self-regulation tools to help survivors move from feeling trapped by their loss to feeling empowered in their own recovery.
Dr. Jennifer R. Levin
After a 30-year career specializing in sudden loss and traumatic grief, Dr. Levin founded Traumatic Grief Solutions to provide crisis support and proactive training for navigating grief in all areas of life, from family to the workplace. She is the author of The Traumatic Loss Workbook, which offers powerful, compassionate skills for dealing with the unique chaos of an unexpected death, including how to manage “grief attacks” and cope with triggering anniversaries.
Brooke James (Grief Is Learning)
Brook James provides trauma-informed perspectives on common reactions to loss, emphasizing that grief is not an illness but a lifelong process of learning to live with loss while maintaining a continuing bond with the person who died. Her work helps survivors understand that the strange, scary feelings they’re having—including flashbacks, hypervigilance, or emotional numbness—are normal responses to an abnormal event. This validation can be an immense relief for anyone struggling to make sense of their own mind after a tragedy.
Key Books and Publications
Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief by David Kessler
In this powerful book, Kessler expands upon the classic five stages of grief, proposing that finding meaning is not a destination but a vital part of healing. He uses stories from his own life and the lives of those he’s counseled to show how meaning can be found—not in the event itself, but in honoring the person we’ve lost. For someone stuck in anger or despair after a sudden death, this book offers a gentle, hopeful way forward.
Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief by Joanne Cacciatore, PhD
This book is a rare gift, written by a leading expert who has walked the path of devastating loss herself. It doesn’t try to “fix” or “cure” grief, but rather sits alongside the reader, validating that the pain they feel is a natural extension of their love. Cacciatore’s poetic and compassionate prose offers a safe harbor for anyone who feels that their world has been permanently shattered.
The Traumatic Loss Workbook: Powerful Skills for Navigating the Grief Caused by a Sudden or Unexpected Death by Jennifer R. Levin, PhD
Designed to be used day by difficult day, this workbook provides concrete, evidence-based skills for navigating the unique chaos of a traumatic loss. It teaches emotional regulation, mindfulness, and narrative therapy techniques to help survivors cope with intrusive images, “grief attacks,” and the bewildering emotional swings that follow a sudden death. For someone who feels paralyzed and doesn’t know where to start, this workbook offers a gentle, manageable structure for moving forward.
It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand by Megan Devine
While not exclusively about traumatic loss, this book is a powerful antidote to a world that wants grieving people to “get better” and “move on.” Devine, a therapist who experienced the sudden accidental drowning of her partner, gives readers permission to feel the full weight of their grief without shame. Her fierce, validating voice is a welcome companion for anyone who feels that their profound sorrow is being dismissed or minimized.
Grief Works: Stories of Life, Death, and Surviving by Julia Samuel
A British psychotherapist and grief expert, Samuel provides a compassionate guide filled with real-life case studies that range from the expected death of a parent to the sudden, unexpected death of a small child. The book is structured to help both the grieving person and those who want to support them, offering clear advice and a vocabulary for emotions that often feel beyond words. For a family trying to support one another when each person is grieving differently, Samuel’s book provides a shared language and a path toward mutual understanding.