Bereavement support

Bereavement is the name given to the feelings we experience when someone close to us dies. During this time, which may last for months or even years, we suffer all the pain of loss and grief. It’s very important to talk about the thoughts and feelings you might have as you grieve, but as time passes, sometimes family and friends are not always available to comfort you and allow you to talk about your loved one. Our free Bereavement Support Service is there to help you get through the bereavement period and on the way to understanding and coping with your loss.

Loss is the feeling we experience when someone close to us dies and we miss their physical presence, their love and their friendship. To regain our health and happiness, we have to acknowledge and accept this loss. We may not have the physical presence of the person who died but we generally do have memories, photos, letters and mementoes of times we shared together. These memories are often very painful at first but as time passes they will become a comfort to us.

Grief is the way we express our loss. It is made up of the many different feelings we experience when someone dies. We may experience shock, numbness, disbelief, anger, guilt, frustration, yearning, loneliness, depression, feelings of “why me” or denial. Crying, feelings of extreme sadness and talking about the person who died are the most common ways we grieve. Grief is very complicated and takes many forms. Some people are very frightened of strong, unfamiliar feelings and believe they cannot cope.

Sometimes a family death develops into a crisis, when the problems may seem overwhelming to both the grieving person and their close friends and relatives. It’s often easier to talk to an outsider about personal matters – someone who is trained to listen, help you explore and discuss ways of coping with your feelings.

Please note: we are not a counselling service, but a support service. Sometimes people experience a delayed grief reaction many months or even years after a death. When grief is delayed or blocked counselling may sometimes be necessary. 

Find out more about our Tree Planting ceremony and our Service of Remembrance to help you on your grieving journey. 

If you’d like to make use of our free Bereavement Support, we welcome your call.