Creating Safe Spaces for Latino Students to Grieve: Lessons from the Spanish-Speaking Grief Group
For many children and teens, especially in communities where grief is often kept private, going to school can mean carrying an invisible weight. Without spaces to talk about loss, students may feel isolated, unseen, and alone in their experience.
That’s why The Children’s Room launched its first Spanish-speaking grief group this year—an intentional effort to create a program that felt culturally familiar, linguistically accessible, and emotionally safe for students who might otherwise never have a space to share.
“In many Latino families, grief is a private matter and often goes unspoken, which can lead to isolation,” explains TCR Program Coordinator Corina Garcia-Reyes, LMHC. “This group breaks that barrier by normalizing conversations around loss and emotion.”
Why Language and Culture Matter in Grief Support
From its first cycle at Charlestown High School, the group served a dozen students and already has growing interest for future groups. Students explored the meaning of words like duelo and luto, showing how language shapes the way they name, express, and navigate grief.
One student reflected, “I learned that it’s normal to grieve, and that no one can tell you how to deal with it. You respond in the way you believe is right, and each person goes through it in their own way and time.” Another shared that he doesn’t often talk about his person but found meaning in remembering him in ways that felt true to himself.
As Corina explains, “When students can grieve in their own language and in a space that understands their cultural context, it changes what’s possible. They taught me the importance of language when speaking about grief in Spanish, and how they choose to name it, express it, and navigate it, especially while being far from home.”
Courage in the Circle
Talking about death openly is often avoided in many communities. Yet within the group, students showed remarkable courage in opening up, balancing honesty with humor.
One powerful moment came during the second session, when a student said, “Estamos entrando en confianza”—“we’re beginning to feel more comfortable opening up.” For Corina, that simple phrase spoke volumes about the sense of safety and trust being built in the room.
While grief is heavy, students also leaned into validation, active listening, and light-hearted jokes about everyday life. “In many ways, this small group reflected how Latino culture often navigates difficult moments: through connection, warmth, and laughter,” Corina shares. “It was a meaningful reminder that grief can be held in shared stories, in humor, and in the deep bonds formed when people feel seen and supported.”
A Model for Expanding Access
Programs like the Spanish-Speaking Grief Group series are more than supportive spaces—they’re models for expanding access where it’s most needed.
“Some populations remain underserved and under-resourced,” Corina notes. “Programs like this are essential because they create spaces that are often difficult to access or entirely absent for certain communities.”
This intentional, culturally responsive approach is the same one guiding TCR’s other programs, from grief groups in schools to training and professional development for educators and mental health providers. Together, these efforts ensure that more children and teens can access grief support, regardless of language, culture, or background.
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An Invitation to Connect
Every community has its own needs, but every child and teen deserves a place to grieve with understanding and support. If you see a need in your school, community organization, or neighborhood, TCR can partner with you to make grief support more accessible where it’s needed most.
Reach out to us at info@childrensroom.org to learn more.
