Losing a loved one can be a very difficult experience and everyone grieves in different ways. Some people prefer to face their grief alone, while others will want or need support along the way. If you’re looking for grief support, there are plenty of options out there. Here are some that could offer comfort, understanding and guidance when you need it the most.
24 hour grief support hotline
You can experience feelings of grief at any time of the day or night. Whether you’ve found out about your loss at an hour where other support options aren’t open, or you find yourself wanting to talk to someone out of hours, a 24 hour grief support line can help.
A 24 hour grief support hotline is usually run by specially trained bereavement staff and volunteers. They will listen to you, giving you a non-judgemental space to talk about your loss and your grief. Sometimes, saying things out loud can help you understand and process your feelings.
If you’re not comfortable talking on the phone, it’s good to know that some charities and groups offer a webchat option, where you can chat online.
Grief support groups
A grief support group is a group of people who’ve experienced loss and who come together to support each other. It can help you build connections with others who are going through a similar experience.
There are different types of grief support groups. Some come together around a specific form of loss (for example, groups who’ve lost someone to cancer). Some will have a professional guiding the group, while others might be unguided and simply offer a space to talk.
If you’re interested in this type of support, search for grief support groups near you. You may be able to find something in your local area. If there aren’t any grief support groups nearby, you could still join a virtual group that meets online.
1-2-1 therapy
You might find that you prefer talking about your grief to a professional. While family and friends or groups can provide support, grief therapy can help you to understand your grief from a psychological perspective. A therapist can recommend healthy coping mechanisms and strategies to help make your grief more manageable. This can be particularly useful for disenfranchised grief, where others might not really understand how you’re feeling or the ways you’re grieving.
Free therapy is available through the NHS. This tends to be some form of talking therapy, like cognitive behavioural therapy. You can talk to your GP and ask them to refer you. But if you’d rather skip this step, you can refer yourself using “Find an NHS Talking Therapy Service”.
Alternatively, you can pay for therapy privately. Research different therapists in your area, or therapists who hold online sessions. Using a term like “bereavement counsellor” can help you find someone who specialises in grief support. You can learn more about bereavement counselling here.
Below, we’ve highlighted some types of therapy you might want to talk to your counsellor about.
Cognitive behavioural therapy for grief
CBT therapy for grief tends to be one of the most common types of grief therapy. It can help you to be more aware of your negative thought patterns and how these patterns can lead to behaviours or actions that make it difficult to process grief. Your therapist can then give you cognitive (thinking) and behavioural (doing) techniques that will help you cope with grief in a healthier way.
Acceptance and commitment therapy for grief
This type of therapy builds on CBT therapy. It can help you to stop avoiding, denying and struggling with your emotions. It encourages you to accept the way you’re feeling and allow yourself to move forward with your life.
Narrative therapy for grief
Narrative therapy focuses on separating yourself as an individual from the difficulties you’re facing. It shows you how strong you are and how you’re able to cope, even when you feel like you can’t. Your therapist will focus on your skills, competencies, beliefs and values and will show you how to use these to help yourself face even the hardest of times.
EMDR therapy for grief
EMDR stands for “Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing”. It’s a type of therapy for people who feel they are “stuck” in their trauma or grief. It uses side to side eye movements alongside talking therapy. This can help you process negative images, emotions, beliefs and body sensations that your mind has associated with traumatic memories.
Art therapy for grief
If you’re artistic, you could find that art therapy works well for you. A specialist in art therapy and grief will help you to use art and other creative outlets to understand and process your emotions. This can help you to manage or let go of negative, confusing or distressing feelings associated with your loss.
Self-help books
If you like to read, self-help books could help you cope with grief. If you’re not much of a reader, you might find that you prefer audiobooks. There are lots of options that offer support for grief.
Take some time to think about what type of book will help you most. Would you like to read others’ experiences on grief in a memoir? Would you like a practical book that gives advice on how to cope with the day-to-day experience of loss? Could poetry help? Our Big Grief Book List offers some recommendations to help you get started.
If you’re supporting a child or teen through their grief, our list of books on grief for children and teens could be useful too.
Podcasts
There are lots of good podcasts on grief, so there’s a good chance you’ll find one that gives you some comfort or support. This could be a podcast where you can listen to other people’s experiences with grief, interviews with bereavement counsellors and therapists and more.
Podcasts tend to be lighter listening and can be easier to take in when you feel like you can’t focus or don’t have the energy to read or watch something.
Children’s grief support
Supporting a child through grief can feel difficult. Children of different ages have different understandings of death. Just like adults, children are also individuals and will react to loss in their own, individual way.
There are several groups that are dedicated to supporting grieving children, as well as helping their parents or guardians. Whether you’re looking for someone for your child to talk to, or you’re looking for guidance on how to help your child with their grief at home, there’ll be an option that can help.
Pet grief support
Grieving the loss of a pet can be difficult. For many of us, they’re part of the family and will be dearly missed when they pass. If you’re looking for animal grief support, there are lots of options out there. These are often run by animal charities, with options ranging from support lines to groups, counselling and more.
Further support
If you ever feel you or someone you care for is in crisis, call 999 or visit an A&E department immediately. Alternatively, if you need non-emergency mental health support, you can call 111 who’ll be able to tell you the best place to go if you need to see someone.
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