About Us

The Grief Center offers an innovative approach to address Northeast Oklahoma’s need for comprehensive, long-term grief counseling to assist the bereaved as they journey towards improved health and renewed sense of worth in the wake of loss. The Board of Directors, professional staff and volunteers are committed to providing meaningful programs based on well-documented needs and ongoing measurement.

The Grief Center is not affiliated with any church, hospice, hospital, funeral home or other private organization although it does partner with many of them to provide services economically and effectively. The Grief Center is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that depends upon the support of foundations, businesses, individuals, and other organizations in order to offer counseling services to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.

The Grief Center offers an array of Services, including counseling, training, education, memorial events and support groups, all dedicated to healing the grieving heart.

View The Grief Center’s 2020 Annual Report Here

Our Mission

The mission of The Grief Center is to provide emotional support to grieving individuals and families through professional counseling services, educational programming, and community collaborations.

Our Vision

Our vision is to ensure comprehensive grief support is accessible and available to every person in our community.

History

Founded in 2002, the driving force for creating The Tristesse Healing Hearts Grief Center was, in part, born out of the vision and inspiration of a courageous 14-year-old girl who struggled with cancer for six years. In the face of her own death, Tristesse “Tess” Gonsalves’s foremost concern was how those she was leaving behind would carry on whole and healthy lives. Tess taught all who knew her how to celebrate life and face death with courage.

Her compassion and insight propelled those close to her to research the availability of bereavement counseling, services and programs in the Tulsa metro community. After a comprehensive survey of funeral homes, hospices, hospitals, social agencies and churches it was found that grief-related services and programs in the Tulsa community were fragmented and difficult to access.

The Grief Center opened in mid-2002 and began providing professional, independent and affordable grief services to clients in Northeast Oklahoma regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, cultural background or socioeconomic status.