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Quote graphic: Are we trying to build machines that are better than people — or are we trying to build machines that will help people become better? — Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, May 2025

What AI and grief-bots can teach us about supporting grieving people

The lesson isn't that AI is replacing human connection, but rather that AI is showing us (or reminding us) exactly what human connection should look like. Every feature that makes grief-focused AI effective is something humans can do better, with the added benefit of genuine empathy, shared experience, and authentic, in-person care.

Hospice3 min read

Help Texts now offers bereavement support to Canadian hospices

For more than five years, Help Texts has been working with hospices across the US to provide compassionate, clinically sound support to bereaved families. Now this support is available in Canada, and leaders at hospices including Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and Vancouver Hospice Society have adopted Help Texts as a new way to provide year-long support to the families in their care.

Illustration of a man holding a framed photo of his cat while holding an empty leash

Pet Loss3 min read

Pet Loss Grief Support

As veterinary professionals, you chose this field because you care deeply about animals and the people who love them. Help Texts for Pet Loss is simply an extension of that same compassion you show every day in your practice.

Three generations of Cullens. Mark, with his son and dad enjoying a tasty treat

Bereavement5 min read

“Low Pressure but High Impact”: Why Text-Based Grief Support Resonates With Men

Unlike many support tools, Help Texts didn’t require Mark to schedule anything, talk to anyone, or carve out time he didn’t have. “That’s the thing. For men, especially, and I’m generalizing here, if you make it too complicated or too emotional upfront, we check out. This was low-pressure but high-impact.”

Illustration of a cardboard box packed with desk belongings — a plant, clock, ruler, books, and framed photo

Grief Support4 min read

Grief Around Job Loss: How Support Can Help You Heal and Rebuild

Losing a job is hard. Grieving the loss is a part of healing. And with the right support, that grief can also lead to growth. Help Texts is here to walk alongside you as you move through the emotions, regain your footing, and start again—on your terms.

Illustration of an open blue envelope with flowers and a heart blooming out of it

Loss of a Parent3 min read

5 Reasons Help Texts Is the Most Meaningful Mother’s Day Gift for Someone Grieving

Mother’s Day is a beautiful time to celebrate motherhood, but for people who have lost their moms, and mothers who have lost a child, it can also be one of the most painful days of the year.

Grief Coach5 min read

Children's hospital Bereavement Coordinator uses Help Texts to support grieving families

Healthcare providers are suffering from compassion fatigue and burnout. Gina Kornfeind, a Bereavement Coordinator and Social Worker at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, is using Help Texts' grief support program to help her keep up with the growing need for resources for patients' family members, colleagues, and her friends and neighbors too.

Emma Payne speaking at a podium on stage before a large seated audience at the Locks of Legacy ceremony

Bereavement5 min read

Revolutionizing Grief Support: How Text Messages are Changing Donor Family AfterCare

When Michele Rosdahl and Emma Payne first met in February 2022, they quickly discovered that - in addition to sharing a deep commitment to bereavement care - they had something else in common. They both lost their partners to suicide. That meeting, and the women's immediate connection, fueled a partnership that has been delivering expert grief care to bereaved family members in Tennessee, New Mexico, and California ever since.

Graphic stating 1 out of 4 young people who die by suicide are recently bereaved, noting that bereavement intersects with suicide, substance misuse, and self-harm, and that even a small amount of support can mitigate negative outcomes

Outcomes3 min read

Suicide Prevention Month: How Grief Support Saves Lives

Postvention is a vital component of suicide prevention.

Emma Payne and Dr. Lianna Titcombe standing side by side, smiling

Grief4 min read

Palliative Veterinarian sees the power of text-based support for grieving pet owners

Palliative Veterinarian pioneer Dr. Lianna Titcombe teams up with Help Texts to transform the way we provide support after a beloved pet dies.

3 min read

How a Physician Associate Used Text Messaging To Get Support for Grief And Burnout

Tracey Piparo is a Physician Associate (PA) with RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey. She's one of only 200 PAs in the US who specializes in palliative care. Tracey was happy to discover support from Help Texts in 2023, an innovative text-based service offering accessible, confidential, and convenient support via text message. "I believe that there is awesomeness in the simplicity of texts," she says. "As a PA with not only a demanding career but a hectic home life, I appreciate the ability to receive the info when I am able and also appreciate the succinct suggestions that arrive at just the right time."

Bereavement4 min read

Supporting Grieving Employees: How the LCBO is leading the way in Canada

When Lilian Riad-Allen’s mom died in 2021, she felt as though everything she knew about the world was completely upended. Feeling lost, she sought out grief support and came across a company called Help Texts, which provided ongoing, expert bereavement care via text message. Lilian signed up for support from Help Texts and found the messages really helpful, with powerful reminders and suggestions, personalized and tailored to the loss of her mom. As the Senior Director for Workplace Health, Safety & Wellness at the LCBO, Lilian openly shared about her experience with grief, and before long, she found that others started sharing as well.

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Written by experts

Our writers are advocates or experts in the grief space.

Reviewed for clinical accuracy

Every article goes through clinical review before it publishes.

Updated regularly

Our articles are constantly updated as research changes.

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