Center for Grief Recovery and Therapeutic Services

01/03/2026

https://www.griefcounselor.org/2026/01/01/paradox-enigma-mystery-grief-as-the-ultimate-diy/

by David Fireman, LCSW   Grief is not a moral lesson. It is not a test. It is not a blessing in disguise, or a path chosen by a wiser universe. Grief is what happens when someone who mattered is no longer here, and the world strangely keeps going along anyway. Any examination of grief […]

12/03/2025

https://www.compassionatefriends.org/wcl/?state=il

The World-wide Candle lighting Memorial Service is held in honor and remembrance of those who have passed. Search by state to browse available WCL events.

12/02/2025

Dear Friends,

For 40 years, the Center for Grief Recovery has provided compassionate, expert support to individuals, couples, families, and groups facing loss. From our humble beginnings, we have grown into a trusted resource—passionate and stable in our mission, and deeply committed to ensuring that no one grieves alone.

Alongside our counseling services, we offer specialized professional development programs that train therapists, healthcare workers, clergy, educators, and other helpers in the skills of bereavement therapy. These programs allow us to extend our impact far beyond our own clinical work.

As a nonprofit, we rely on the generosity of supporters who believe in our mission: to empower individuals to heal their own lives. Your gift helps keep our services affordable, sustains our programs, and allows us to meet the growing needs of our community.

Please consider supporting us so we can continue this work for the next 40 years.

Make your donation here:

Home | The Center for Grief Recovery and Therapeutic Services

With gratitude,
David Fireman, LCSW
Director
The Center for Grief Recovery

Welcome to the Center for Grief Recovery and Therapeutic Services. Grief is a normal response to losing our loved ones, and it is not permanent. We can help you integrate feelings and experiences to move beyond helplessness and hopelessness into a life of new possibilities.

10/28/2025

How do you anticipate and want to move through winter and the holidays in a way that honours both your grieving and your loved one?

Grieving and Honoring Your Loved One Amidst Holidays and Celebrations: Workshop on Living with Grief With Jim Manzardo, LPC How do you anticipate and want to move through winter and the holidays in a way that honours both your grieving and your loved one? Where presently do you find strength, unders...

10/24/2025

Dear colleagues,

I’m excited to share that I’ll be leading a professional development workshop on November 21 in our center’s 1261 Space—a beautiful, brick-and-tin-ceiling venue at 1261 W Loyola Ave—perfect for gatherings of 25–30 people.

As I’ve been planning, it struck me how well 1261 works for others too—ideal for workshops, seminars, yoga or dance classes, etc. It’s warm, flexible, and designed to foster real connection—something I myself and I believe others have been missing since the pandemic.

I have put together rental guidelines and rates for those interested in using the space. If you’d like to host your own event here—or know someone whose work fits our mission—I’d love to hear from you.

If you’re interested in renting 1261 feel free to contact me at 773-274-4600 or email at
dmfireman@comcast.net.

Warmly,
David

Here is the link to the upcoming workshop:

https://www.griefcounselor.org/ce-courses/attuned-accompaniment-empathic-responsiveness-in-grief-counseling/

10/24/2025

https://www.griefcounselor.org/ce-courses/attuned-accompaniment-empathic-responsiveness-in-grief-counseling/

Attuned Accompaniment: Empathic Responsiveness in Grief Counseling November 21, 20258:30am – noon As in psychotherapy, so too in grief counseling, the therapist/counselor and client engage in a process which explores/expands the client’s subjective experience but with an increased focus on react...

07/24/2025

FOR ONE MORE WEEK ...
July Special: 15% off online CE Courses through The Center for Grief Recovery!

Take advantage of our limited-time discount through July and learn about the psychology of grief and complicated bereavement while meeting certification requirements on your own schedule.

The Center for Grief Recovery is approved to provide continuing education for social workers, counselors, psychologists, & marriage and family therapists licensed in Illinois.

Plus, one of our courses, Personal Grief Rituals, provides 2 CE credits that meets requirements for cultural competency training!

Save now. Learn later.

06/29/2025

by David Fireman, LCSW What a joy it was to come together and celebrate 40 incredible years of our counseling center’s service, heart, and impact. Thank you to each and every one of you who joined us and made the celebration so meaningful—whether you came for the heartfelt speeches, the deliciou...

05/30/2025

https://www.griefcounselor.org/2025/05/30/consoling-bereaved-empathy-care/

by David Fireman, LCSW When someone you care about is grieving, it’s natural to want to help them feel better. But offering comfort during such a difficult time can feel overwhelming. What do you say? What should you do? It’s important to remember that your support doesn’t need to be perfect.....

05/16/2025

https://www.griefcounselor.org/2025/05/16/2001-a-space-odyssey-and-the-two-paths-of-facing-mortality/

by David Fireman, LCSW The awareness of mortality—our finite existence—stands as one of the defining features of human consciousness. Unlike other species, humans possess the capacity to comprehend our own inevitable demise. I believe this realization, universal and unavoidable, triggers an inst...

05/02/2025

Founded in 1985, The Center for Grief Recovery and Therapeutic Services is a 501(c)(3) non-profit housing eight independent practitioners who are dedicated to empowering individuals to heal themselves and enrich their lives.

04/09/2025

by David Fireman, LCSW Life’s challenges often place us in a difficult tension between feeling helpless and trying to persevere. Grief can feel like a constant state of dislocation, a dizzying and porous frame of mind where one is rendered unable to focus and organize thoughts and feelings. The pr...