Find a Therapist
In seeking grief support many people think only of counselling or other types of therapy. Unfortunately, this can mean that therapists have long waiting lists. Fortunately, there are many other ways you can get support and most people find that accessing one or more of the range of specialist and informal support services listed on this website meets their needs. However, some people with complex or prolonged grief will need the help of a therapist.
If you are looking for support, please check the complete range of support available to you by searching our database.
This includes several therapist services which we are currently extending.
If you have a therapist service to add to our database, please contact us.
If you feel you might benefit from counselling, we provide here some information about what counselling is, what to expect and how to find a good counsellor that suits your needs. The information is helpfully provided by ACC Counselling but applies to the profession as a whole.
What Is Counselling?
Counselling is a professional relationship providing a confidential space, in which you can talk through issues affecting your life with someone trained to help you.
Professional, qualified counsellors have skills to help people in many situations. Most counselling sessions are done through regular meetings over a period of time and counsellors will work with the issues that you bring and towards the goals that you have set.
Most counsellors will have some experience of bereavement, and some may have additional training and experience in bereavement and other areas such as addiction, trauma or children and young people.
Although there are many types of counselling, all counsellors should offer;
a safe place to talk
empathetic listening
a supportive relationship
a process to reflect and consider your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
When Is the Right Time to Get Bereavement Counselling?
Some professionals suggest that bereavement counselling is best left until six months or more after the bereavement. It is at this time that friends and families have often begun to get on with their own lives and may assume that the bereaved person is ready to do the same. It is also when unresolved issues are more likely to have become apparent following the informal support of other services and friends.
Is Having Counselling a Sign of Weakness or Failure?
Having counselling or any type of bereavement support is not a sign of weakness or failure. In fact, it takes courage to be open to yourself and others about what is going on in your life and to seek professional help. Asking for help or support is the right thing to do when you are bereaved as it is a way to help you along your bereavement journey and is a positive step towards grieving healthily.
How Do I Find a Counsellor I Can Trust?
Make sure the counsellor you choose is on a register of counsellors overseen by the government via the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Anyone on the PSA register will be trained and committed to ethical practice. Ensure that they can help with your bereavement circumstances.
You can find registered professional counsellor registers on the PSA website. Search for the type of counselling you are looking for or the region where you live here.
You can also access a counsellor through;
your GP
workplace or school
the Association of Christian Counsellors
the Bereavement Services section of this website to search for support local to you. Look for accredited counsellors - they will be trained to the standards of the profession and are required to maintain a high standard of professionalism by continuing professional development as part of a requirement of their membership. Look for BACP or UKCP.
What to Expect from a Counsellor
Counsellors should provide you with a contract in your first session and clearly explain:
the services they offer and what they charge
their confidentiality policy and boundaries
the professional bodies that they are registered with and their ethical code (see above).