Bereavement is part of a natural process that occurs when someone loses a family member or close friend. It can effect people in different ways – some experience intense anguish while others may not exhibit their grief in the conventional sense.
To help address what can be intense and sometimes complicated emotions, it’s often a good idea to seek out support from bereavement support services. Scroll down for further information.
Bereavement Charities and Organisations
Cruse Bereavement Care
This is one of the most respected, well-known bereavement charities which specialises in helping the bereaved come to terms with their loss. The site is full of information about the process of grief and its surrounding issues and is a good place to start.
The Child Bereavement Trust
A charitable organisation that is intended to help bereaved families. The site provides plenty of information in the form of articles and leaflets, to help people make sense of the process of grief. There’s a large amount of information and support available here.
Daddy’s With Angels
Free online support, advice and friendship following the loss of a child of any gestation or age and by a cause or reason, for men and other family members.
Bereavement Counselling
Bereavement counselling may be helpful to people who need extra help in working through their grief. It offers them the chance to explore their feelings and come to terms with their loss by talking to someone that is professionally trained to help.
In some cases people suppress their grief which may lead to problems later on. This is when counselling and grief therapy can prove very useful.
Bereavement counselling is offered by therapists from a variety of therapeutic backgrounds. Psychodynamic Therapy is one of the most useful in dealing with grief, offering individuals the chance to explore unresolved issues and feelings from the past. This may be especially pertinent to someone struggling to work through their grief.
Other supportive approaches like Person-Centred Therapy can also prove helpful to the bereaved by providing them with a safe non-judgemental environment, in which they can express their feelings.
- BetterHelp UK
- Affordable Online Therapy UK
- British Psychological Society – Find a Psychologist
- It’s Good to Talk – Find a Therapist
Bereavement Helplines
Cruse Bereavement Care – 0870 167 1677
The registered charity provides a phone number for people suffering from grief. They provide emotional support for the bereaved and practical information for issues surrounding the death of a loved one.
The Compassionate Friends – 0845 123 2304
This organisation offers help and support to parents who have suffered the loss of a child. Their helpline is manned by people who have experienced similar bereavement and who give support as well as providing information about local grief counsellors.
Bereavement Explained
There are a number of stages that the bereaved tend to go through. These may include disbelief, mental pain and guilt. However, these symptoms may vary according to circumstances, such as the age of the person who has died and the manner of their death (sudden or expected).
In addition, grief can sometimes lead to depression. If this happens bereavement support from professional services as well as additional help from family and friends can prove very important.
