I will be conducting a critical review of the literature. The purpose of this study is to develop potential best practices for substance use disorder support groups with a focus on grief. My thesis will review the literature pertaining to our western culture's attitudes toward death and dying, the impact of and stigma towards addiction, the individualized losses associated with substance abuse disorders, and the current resources available in North America to inform the development of potential practices in art therapy to support this disenfranchised group.