I do not claim to be a grief expert. I do know firsthand what it is like to experience loss and have no clear place to turn other than the internet, outdated resource lists, and hours of searching for something that might help.
I became a widow at a young age. Years later, my son was murdered.
After his death, I went looking for grief support. The only group I could find met in a nursing home. Everyone there had experienced loss, but most were grieving something very different from what I was.
My surviving children were grieving the loss of their dad and, later, their brother. I was grieving the loss of my husband and then my son. We loved the same people, but we needed different kinds of support. That was when I realized grief is not one journey. It is thousands of different journeys.
After my son was murdered, I learned very quickly that grief was only part of what I was trying to survive. There were investigators, court dates, legal language, victim services, media attention, and an entire justice system I had never expected to become part of.
I created Beyond the Verdict because families should not have to figure all of that out while they are also grieving someone they love.
It is a separate, free resource designed to help individuals and families better understand what can come after a homicide and where to turn for support along the way.
Grief is also not limited to the death of a person. We grieve relationships, health, identity, careers, dreams, and the life we thought we would be living. Every loss has its own shape, and every person deserves support that recognizes what they are carrying.
That is why I created Grief Navigation.
My goal is simple. If this platform makes it easier for even one person to come to one place, find a resource that fits, and feel a little less alone while searching for help, then Grief Navigation has done exactly what I hoped it would do.
You do not have to walk this path alone.
✦ Teri L. Busse
Founder, Grief Navigation