Grief & bereavement worksheets

Grief worksheets that hold the loss without hurrying it.

Ten grief and bereavement worksheets drawing on Worden's four tasks, Stroebe & Schut's dual process model, Klass/Silverman/Nickman on continuing bonds, Neimeyer's meaning reconstruction, Pauline Boss on ambiguous loss, and DSM-5-TR prolonged grief disorder criteria. Free, printable, client-facing.

10 worksheets Print-ready · US Letter Free · no signup
Assessment
1p · PDF

Worden's Four Tasks of Grieving

Grief as work, not stages

Locate which of Worden's four tasks — accepting reality, processing pain, adjusting, enduring connection — is loudest right now.

Bereavement intake; grief that feels stuck; anniversary reactions.
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Meaning
1p · PDF

Continuing Bonds Worksheet

Relationship with the deceased, in a new form

Inventory existing bonds with the person who died and design one new bond to build deliberately.

Post-'let-them-go' grief models; long-term grief; identity work with the deceased.
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Skills
1p · PDF

Dual Process Model Worksheet

Oscillate between loss and restoration

Track loss-oriented and restoration-oriented moments and rebalance the over-weighted side.

Grief stuck in pain or stuck in avoidance; caregivers post-loss.
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Meaning
2p · PDF

Meaning Reconstruction Worksheet

Re-author your life story after loss

Neimeyer's meaning reconstruction: name the assumptive world disrupted by loss and begin a livable next story.

Loss that shattered assumptions; identity-level grief; sudden or traumatic loss.
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Assessment
1p · PDF

Prolonged Grief Disorder Screen

DSM-5-TR symptom checklist

Symptom-by-symptom screen for prolonged grief disorder — indication for specialized grief-focused treatment.

Grief past 12 months (6 in kids); functional impairment; specialty referral decisions.
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Meaning
1p · PDF

Ambiguous Loss Worksheet

Loss without closure — dementia, addiction, estrangement

Pauline Boss's ambiguous loss framework — build both/and language for the loss that won't finish.

Dementia caregivers; family estrangement; missing persons; addiction; chronic illness.
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Logging
1p · PDF

Grief Waves Log

Track waves so they stop feeling like ambushes

Two weeks of wave tracking to surface triggers, times of day, and what actually helps.

Early bereavement; grief that comes without warning; anniversary approach.
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Expression
2p · PDF

Letter to the Deceased

The oldest grief intervention we have

Structured letter to the person who died — what needs saying, what you imagine them saying back.

Unfinished business; ambivalent relationships; long-standing grief.
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Skills
1p · PDF

Anniversary Reaction Plan

Mark it deliberately or it marks you

Plan the day — ritual, company, soft landing — before the anniversary lands.

Approaching death dates, birthdays, holidays; seasonal anniversary reactions.
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Support
1p · PDF

Grief Support Inventory

Who to ask for what — specifically

Map who's available, what they're best at, and the specific asks that actually get met.

Post-loss loneliness; friends going quiet; extended grief.
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Frequently asked questions

Do these replace grief-focused therapy?+

No — they support it. For prolonged grief disorder specifically, grief-focused treatments (CGT, PGDT) have the strongest evidence and these worksheets are best used inside that treatment.

Are they appropriate for early grief?+

Yes — the waves log, support inventory, and anniversary plan are helpful in the first months. The letter, meaning reconstruction, and continuing bonds sheets are usually more useful once acute grief has settled.