Support Groups

At Star Legacy Foundation, we offer free, virtual support groups for families navigating the profound grief of pregnancy loss, stillbirth and infant loss. Our groups provide a compassionate, non-judgmental space to share your story, connect with others who understand, and find healing together.

Facilitated by trained mental health professionals with personal experience in perinatal loss and/or practice with an emphasis in perinatal loss, our groups are available in both English and Spanish. Whether you’re grieving the loss of a baby during pregnancy, shortly after birth, or in infancy, our community is here to support you.

Participation is free, confidential, and open-ended. You are welcome to attend as long as you need and are welcome to attend any and all groups that feel right for you. To join, simply register once for each group you wish to attend.

You are not alone.

What Groups Are Right for Me?

Bereaved Parents: Late Pregnancy Loss

This group is for families who have experienced the death of a baby during the later phases of pregnancy or immediately after birth for any reason. There is not a gestational age/age at death requirement. Families are welcome to attend the group if it feels appropriate for them.

Group 1:
Meets the 1st & 3rd Monday of the Month
7 PM ET | 6 PM CT | 5 PM MT | 4 PM PT
Facilitated by: Tricia Rausch, RN

Group 2:
Meets the 2nd & 4th Thursday of the Month
8 PM ET | 7 PM CT | 6 PM MT | 5 PM PT
Facilitated by: Zoe Green, PSYD

Bereaved Parents: Early Pregnancy Loss

This group is for families who have experienced the loss of a baby during the early phases of pregnancy for any reason. There is not a gestational age cut-off for this group. Families are welcome to attend if this feels appropriate for them.

Meets the 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Tuesday of the Month
7 PM ET | 6 PM CT | 5 PM MT | 4 PM PT
Facilitated by: Alicia Johnson, MS

Pregnancy After Loss

This group is intended for parents contemplating another pregnancy following a previous loss or are currently in a subsequent pregnancy.

Meets Every Monday
8:30 PM ET | 7:30 PM CT | 6:30 PM MT | 5:30 PM PT
Facilitated by: Tricia Rausch, RN

Dad’s Grief Discussion

This group is intended for dads who have experienced the loss of a child during pregnancy or as an infant.

Meets the 2nd & 4th Monday of the month
7 PM ET | 6 PM CT | 5 PM MT | 4 PM PT”Facilitated by: Mark Terjesen, PhD

Grandparents & Extended Family Group

This group is intended for grandparents and other extended family who have experienced pregnancy or infant death.

Meets the 1st & 3rd Wednesday of the Month
8 PM ET | 7 PM CT | 6 PM MT | 5 PM PT
Facilitated by: Joann O’Leary, PHD, MPH, MS, IM-ER(IV)

Parenting After Loss

This group is intended for parents who lose a child and have other living children who are older than the child that died or was born after the loss

Meets the 1st & 3rd Wednesday of the Month
1 PM ET | 12 PM CT | 11 AM MT | 10 AM PT
Facilitated by: Joann O’Leary, PHD, MPH, MS, IM-ER(IV)

Infant Loss/SUID/SIDS

This group is for families who have experienced the death of a baby during infancy (birth through the first year) for any reason.

Meets the 2nd Wednesday of the Month
7 PM ET | 6 PM CT | 5 PM MT | 4 PM PT
Facilitated by: Elizabeth Naylor, LGSW, MS-DRL, IBCLC

Grupo de apoyo para padres en duelo/Spanish Support Group for Grieving Parents

Este grupo es para familias que han sufrido la muerte de un bebé en cualquier momento durante el embarazo o la infancia por cualquier motivo. El grupo se lleva a cabo en español.

Primer Viernes del Mes
8 PM ET | 7 PM CT | 6 PM MT | 5 PM PT
Facilitado por Anna Calix, MPH

This group is for families who have experienced the death of a baby at any time during pregnancy or infancy for any reason. The group is conducted in Spanish.

We offer free support group cards in English and Spanish for health professionals, organization, individuals, and anyone who has a need to share these with their patients or community. Shipping is free as well.

What can I expect from a support group?

A safe environment where one can tell his or her story and express feelings freely, knowing that others will be understanding, non-judgmental, and supportive.
A place for establishing a connection with others to decrease the isolation that grief brings.
A forum for understanding common myths about grief and typical grief patterns.
A place for people of all faiths to learn from each other through sharing their grief stories in a non-judgmental way.
A community that validates and normalizes one’s emotional reactions.
A place for learning that there are many different ways to grieve, all of which are natural and acceptable.
A resource for gathering articles, poetry, and reading lists to further one’s awareness of the many aspects of grief. Discussion of articles can serve as a springboard for identifying important meanings in one’s own loss and to learn from examples of how others have faced their losses.
A place for learning new coping skills, relaxation techniques, stress management skills, and daily survival skills that others in the group have found effective.
The opportunity for members to help each other brings strength, confidence, and a new sense of purpose and value.
Opportunities to learn ways to create memories and observe anniversaaries and other important milestones.
A sounding board where members can present ongoing or new concerns, report on progress or challenges, and safely come back for help when they experience setbacks or backslides in their grief journeys.

Additional information

A grief support group offers a different quality of support and connection that comes from being with people who have also recently experienced a loss. Grief support groups provide emotional support, validation, and education about grief.

Registration is only required once for each group you wish to attend. All groups are free to attend for as long as you wish.

When you join a new support group, you may be nervous about sharing personal issues with people you don’t know. So at first, you may benefit from simply listening. Over time, though, contributing your own ideas and experiences can help you get more out of a support group. But remember that support groups aren’t a substitute for regular medical care. Let your doctor know that you’re participating in a support group. If a support group isn’t your thing but you need help coping with your condition or situation, talk to your doctor about counseling or other types of therapy.

Observation Policy: To protect participant confidentiality and preserve a safe place for our families, we do not grant permission to any individual(s) or family members who have not themselves experienced perinatal loss to observe any Star Legacy Foundation support group. For this reason, we also do not authorize the recording of support group sessions.

Our Support Group Facilitators

Anna Calix

Anna Calix

Anna joined the Star Legacy Foundation in 2021 as our Spanish support group facilitator. She was born and raised in Honduras and came to the United States to pursue a

Alicia Johnson, MS

As a pre-licensed mental health therapist and experienced doula, Alicia specializes in supporting individuals through perinatal and reproductive mental health challenges, including infertility, loss, and trauma. Her unique approach combines

Zoe Green, PsyD

Dr. Zoe Green, PsyD, is a dedicated Post-Doctoral Fellow with a comprehensive background in clinical psychology. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed

Elizabeth R. B. Naylor, LGSW, MS-DRL, IBCLC

Liz’s (she/her) origins are as a certified birth doula, childbirth educator, and birth professional trainer. She now primarily works as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, a craniosacral therapist, and a

Alise Novak, PsyD, LP

Alise is a doctor of clinical psychology and works as a licensed psychologist where she specializes in reproductive and perinatal mental health. She is co-founder of a group private practice

Lyssa Oldre

Lyssa holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in Counseling Psychology. Lyssa is a licensed counselor currently practicing at Vayda Mental Health Collaborative in

JoAnn O'Leary

Joann O’Leary, PHD, MPH, MS, IM-ER(IV)

Dr. O’Leary, holds a B.E.S. and a Masters in Maternal-Child Health from the University of MN. She also has a Masters in Psychology through research from Queens University in Belfast,

Tricia Rausch

Tricia Rausch is a registered nurse at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Birth Center in Shawnee Mission, KS. She has worked with families in the Birth Center for over 14 years as

Mark Terjessen

Mark Terjesen, PhD

Dr. Terjesen has been active with Star Legacy Foundation for several years since the stillbirth of their daughter Savannah. In 2022 Dr. Terjesen joined our Family Support team as our