The death of a loved one is often experienced and expressed very differently for teens and youth than for adults. Adolescence is already such a tumultuous and potent time of life, and grief can show up in some unexpected ways. There are particularities about grief in teens that can be helpful for caregivers and loved ones to know.

Thankfully Hospice of Santa Cruz has a few free resources that can come in handy, both for learning about grief, as well as expressing grief.

If able, please print to use:

1. When Someone They Love Has a Serious Illness
   • What all Children and Teens Need
   • Before Age 3
   • 3-5 Years Old
   • 6-8 Years Old
   • 9-11 Years Old
   • The Teen Years
   • 12-14 Years Old
   • 15-18 Years Old
   • Explaining the Final Stages of Life
   • When Death is Near
2. Supporting Youth in Grief
   • Helping Youth Work Through Grief
   • Talking with Grieving Children and Teens
   • Developmental Grief Reactions
   • Newborn – 2 Years
   • 2 Years – 5 Years
   • 6 Years – 9 Years
   • 10 Years – 12 Years
   • 13 Years – 18 Years
   • Warning Signs: When to Seek Professional Help
   • Funerals, Memorials and Other Rituals
3. Grief Handbook for Teens
   • What is Grief?
   • Feelings in Grief
   • How Does Grief Look?
   • Prompts for Writing
   • Common Grief Reactions
   • Grief Rituals
   • Healing
   • When Should I Get More Help?

These handbooks are also available in Spanish / Estos recursos también están disponibles en español:

1. Apoyando a los niños cuando un ser querido tiene una enfermedad seria
2. Ayudando a los Niños a Entender el Duelo
3. Apoyo para el Duelo Para Adolescentes

Leanna Immel, LMFT specializes in providing compassionate, effective grief counseling to adults and teens. Grief can be a complicated vortex of emotions and experiences. In one moment you may be perfectly fine, and the next you are swept into an emotional intensity you’ve never experienced. It’s unfair, and it’s exhausting. In an increasingly isolated world, getting therapy after loss can help you feel less alone and more able to feel like yourself again. Grief isn’t meant to be experienced alone. If you are feeling isolated, stuck, or could use a helping hand, its time to reach out.