Dougy Center

About Us

The mission of Dougy Center is to provide grief support in a safe place where children, teens, young adults, and their families can share their experiences before and after a death. We provide support and training locally, nationally, and internationally to individuals and organizations seeking to assist children who are grieving.

Dougy Center supports over 3,350 children, teens, young adults and their families in the Portland metro area annually who are grieving a death through our world-renowned peer-to-peer Grief Support Program. Did you know that 1 in 11 children in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent or sibling before they turn 18? In our community, that number continues to rise and so does the need for our services.

Our peer support groups offer an opportunity for children and teens to express their emotions — all of their emotions — within a caring community that understands them. At Dougy Center, families know they are not alone. They share their stories, build community, and find hope.

"The friends I had before my dad passed had mixed responses to my grief. Some were wonderful, some, less so. The friends I have made through my grief, primarily through Dougy Center, have been incredible. We went camping, hiking, played board games, and went shopping. Some are now even best friends. They have become my chosen family… I know that I will always have people who understand when the right song comes on at the wrong time, and my face turns into a puddle.” -Dougy Center Participant, Age 14