When someone you love dies, it can feel like the ground has shifted under your feet. Grief affects us all differently, and there is no single “right” way to cope. We are here to support you through this process.
The podcasts, books and websites for adults and children suggested below are meant to help you and your loved ones find comfort, connection, and meaning in your own way, at your own pace. This list was created by patient partners in collaboration with staff members, based on resources suggested by the Government of Ontario.
As you explore these supports, keep in mind that grief is deeply personal. You may be drawn to different sources of comfort. Some people turn to their spiritual or faith traditions for guidance and ritual, while others find that music helps them process emotions and express what words cannot.
Please remember:
- The information provided below is not exhaustive.
- Do not feel obligated to explore every option or all of them at once.
- Resources in French are included in the last section.
You can also visit our Cardiac Supportive and Palliative Care webpage for additional resources on palliative care and support for caregivers and more information on our death and bereavement webpage.
How to notify the Heart Institute of a death
If you need to inform us of the death of a loved one who was a patient at the Heart Institute, please contact our Patient Relations Department at 613-696-7000, extension 19305.
Resources for adults
Podcasts
- All There Is – A reflection on whether we move on from grief—or live with it.
- End-of-Life University – Dr. Karen Wyatt interviews experts about dying, grief, and meaning.
- Give Grief a Chance – Hosted by a grief coach, this podcast brings grief out into the open.
- Good Mourning – A light but real take on grief, blending humour and hope.
- Grief is a (Sneaky) B!tch – Honest conversations about the ways grief changes us.
- Grief Out Loud – From the Dougy Center: real stories, expert advice, and honest conversations.
- Grief Unfiltered – A raw podcast about grief and how to live with it.
- Grief’s Guts – A brave and vulnerable space to explore how grief shapes us.
- Griefcast – Interviews with public figures about those they’ve lost.
- Terrible, Thanks for Asking – A show that makes room for what grief really feels like.
- The Grief Sofa – Weekly guest stories of love and loss.
- Unlocking Us – Brené Brown explores what it means to be human—including our grief.
Books
- A Grief Observed – C.S. Lewis’s personal journal after his wife’s death.
- A Year of Magical Thinking – Joan Didion reflects on marriage, loss, and memory.
- Being Mortal – Atul Gawande on living fully at the end of life.
- Being with Dying – Zen teacher Joan Halifax offers meditations and insights from hospice care.
- In the Slender Margin – Eve Joseph reflects on dying with poetry and honesty.
- It’s OK That You’re Not OK – Megan Devine challenges our cultural approach to grief.
- Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl's reflections on suffering and survival.
- Nothing to Fear – Julie McFadden shares what she’s learned as a hospice nurse.
- On Death and Dying – A foundational book about facing death.
- On Grief and Grieving – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross outlines the five stages of grief.
- The Grieving Brain – A neuroscientific look at how our brain processes loss.
- The Heart Does Break – Canadian writers share personal stories of grief.
- The Mourners Dance – Katherine Ashenburg explores the rituals of mourning.
- When Bad Things Happen to Good People – Rabbi Kushner explores suffering and faith.
- You’re Not Crazy – You’re Grieving – Alan Wolfelt validates the disorientation of grief.
Resources for children and youth
Children grieve differently than adults. Please find below some resources available to you to help support a child through grief and bereavement.
Books
- Something Very Sad Happened – A book for toddlers about death.
- Sometimes When I’m Sad – A resource to help children identify and cope with sadness.
- The Goodbye Book – Todd Parr uses a pet fish to explain loss simply and tenderly.
- The Invisible String – A comforting metaphor for connection that remains after loss.
- The Sad Dragon – A gentle story to help children understand grief.
Websites
- AACAP – Children and Grief – Practical information to help families understand how children experience and express grief at different ages.
- CHEO – Grief and Bereavement – Resources and guidance for supporting children, youth, and families coping with the loss of a loved one.
- Children’s Grief Foundation – Supports grieving children and their families by promoting awareness, education, and access to specialized services.
- KidsGrief.ca – A Canadian website offering age-appropriate tools and videos to help parents, caregivers, and educators support children and teens through grief.
Resources in French
If you are looking for French-language information and resources about grief to support you through difficult times, such as books, videos and counselling, we suggest visiting the Fondation Monbourquette website. The Portail palliatif canadien also offers many bilingual resources, including the mondeuil.ca and deuildesenfants.ca websites.
