Counselling & Support

The loss of a loved one can be a time of great emotional turmoil, it is not a weakness to ask for help, wither this be from friends and family or from an independent party.

Most people expect to be very upset or distressed when someone close to them has died. What takes many people by surprise is how strong the emotions can be, how they can change very quickly, and how long they last. People around you may seem to think you should be ‘back to normal’ after a few weeks or months. You might appear to be your usual self to other people, but you know that on the inside, you’re not even sure what normal is anymore.

Everyone grieves in a way that is unique to them and their relationship with the person who has died. Well-intentioned people may say to you, ‘Time is a great healer.’ Sometimes, however, it can seem that life is more difficult as the weeks and months go by.

We know that no-one can understand exactly what your loss feels like to you. But we do understand that it’s sometimes easier to talk to someone outside of your friends and family about grief and the impact of bereavement of your life. We want to improve your access to bereavement care and this is why we offer the GriefChat online service.

 

GriefChat

GriefChat was created by bereavement experts and by clicking on the box below, you can chat directly to a specially trained bereavement counsellor. GriefChat professional counsellors are experienced in supporting bereaved people and will listen to your story, explore how your grief is affecting you and help you to find any additional support you might need, including referral into other specialist bereavement services.

You can remain anonymous or provide your name, whichever you prefer. It is a completely free service and is available to you Monday to Friday, 9am-9pm or by email out of these hours.

To chat to a specially trained bereavement counsellor, use the chat box at the bottom of this page.

There are lots of other services specialising in bereavement for the instances when talking to a stranger is the best option for you.

Cruse Bereavement Care

Cruse Bereavement Care is the leading national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies and work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people. Cruse offers face-to-face, telephone, email and website support. They have a national helpline, local services, a website and free phone helpline specifically for children and young people. Our services are provided by trained volunteers and are confidential and free. Cruse also provides training and consultancy for external organisations and for those who may encounter bereaved people in the course of their work.

Child Bereavement UK

Child Bereavement UK believes that all families should have access to the support and information they need when a child grieves or when a child dies. Through understanding their grieving process and receiving help in dealing with bereavement from appropriately trained professionals, families can learn to live with their grief and begin rebuilding their lives.

Child Death Helpline

Trained volunteers (mostly bereaved parents themselves) offer free telephone counselling and emotional support to anyone affected by the death of a child or young adult.