
Resources
Understanding How Grief Affects the Brain
Grief not only impacts our emotions but also brings significant changes to the brain, affecting memory, stress levels, and overall well-being.
Dying for Beginners
This video explains the dying process very gently so that we understand it better and can have conversations with friends and family about it.
Love Your Pet Grief Support
In this article we acknowledge the value of pets in supporting grief and the pain we can also experience when they die.
Looking After Yourself
After the funeral, everyone else's lives seem to go back to normal, and you may be left wondering how you're going to cope. Read on for advice on taking care of yourself, crucial for your future wellbeing and that of others.
Bereavement in Older Age
Although losing a loved one is perhaps more common in later life, this doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. If someone you know has been bereaved, there are some simple things you can do to support them.
The Benefits of ‘Grief’ Gardening
When you lose someone, the grief will never go away completely — but there are healthy ways to cope. Some people find that gardening as they grieve, known as ‘grief gardening’, can gently relieve some of the emotional and physical symptoms after the loss of a loved one.
Losing a Loved One Takes Your Breath Away
AtaLoss Subject Matter Expert, Sabine Horner is a nutritionist. Here she writes about how deep breathing can help us deal with the storms of emotion when we're bereaved.
Top Tips to Keep Well Hydrated When Grieving
Read here why keeping hydrated in grief is important and how that can be achieved.
Supporting Grieving Young People Training
ListeningPeople training and resources provide tools for teachers, youth workers, counsellors and anyone who works with young people to safely and confidently enable them to engage around the difficult topic of loss.
Funerals: Find an Independent Funeral Director near You
Find here how The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (known as SAIF) can help.
Funerals: Everything a Young Person Needs to Know
A useful film and book to help any young person understand funerals (burial and cremation) and decide whether to attend and what role they can play in saying goodbye to a loved one.
Surviving Christmas When You Are Bereaved
Tips for surviving Christmas when you are bereaved. First and second day of Christmas.
Counselling: What You Need to Know
We provide some information here about what counselling is, what to expect and how to find a good counsellor that suits your needs. The information is helpfully provided by the Association of Christian Counsellors.
The Final Farewell: The Power of Discussing Death
We can better prepare for loss, change the negative narrative, and remove the taboo by talking about death.
Christmas… a Difficult Time for Those Who Are Grieving
Christmas is a difficult time for those grieving. This is the season of traditions and family gatherings and a by-product is that it highlights the ‘missing-person-shaped’ hole in our lives.
Annually Remembering
We encourage people who have been bereaved to consider activities on offer at this time to mark loved ones and help them with their grief.
Baby Loss and Grief
Losing a baby is one of the most devastating experiences a person can go through. This article covers how to understand the impact of baby loss and how to help those who have gone through it.
Supporting Grieving Students Returning to University
As the new university year begins, supporting young adults as they navigate being away from home can be challenging. Here our Founder, Yvonne Tulloch provides quick tips on how to do so.
Befriending
Loneliness is often something we experience following bereavement and can happen at any age. This article provides links to services that can help.
Preventing Drastic Weight Loss in Grief
Sabine Horner explains why eating can become a major issue after losing a loved one. In the early days, most grievers simply do not feel hungry.
Losing a Child
The death of a child, of any age, brings heartbreak and devastation. This article was written by Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds who set up the Good Grief Project following the death of their son, Josh.
Nourish Your Body When You Are Grieving
Nutritionist Sabine Horner recommends ways to nourish your body when you are grieving.
Rosemary for Remembrance Cake
A recipe for how to bake a Rosemary for Remembrance Cake from Nigella Lawson’s book Feast.
Why We Can’t Stomach Food When We Lose a Loved One
Grief can cause a decreased appetite and other food related issues.
When Something Terrible Happens by Marge Heegaard
BOOK: The 'Drawing Out Feelings' series of books has been designed to provide parents, educators and counsellors with an organised approach to helping children cope with grief, family loss and change.
When Someone Very Special Dies by Marge Heegaard
BOOK: A practical format for allowing children to understand the concept of death and develop coping skills for life, this book is designed for young readers to illustrate.
Diana Crossley, Muddles, Puddles and Sunshine
BOOK: A book offering practical and sensitive support for bereaved children.
Suicide Bereavement UK Training
TRAINING & WEBSITE: Consultancy and post-vention assisting those bereaved by suicide (PABBS) to help professionals build their confidence and skills.
The Bereavement Register
WEBSITE AND ONLINE SERVICE: Helping to stop unwanted direct mail to the deceased
A death in the lives of
FILM: 20 minute film shows a group of young people aged 13-16, from a range of backgrounds talking about the kind of support they needed to help them cope with bereavement.
Leaving a Legacy and Reducing Your Tax Liability
Leaving a part or your entire estate to a charity can reduce, and in some situations, eliminate your Inheritance Tax liability.
How to Hold Your Own Memorial
If you can’t attend a funeral or have chosen not to do so you may want to hold your own memorial service for the person you have lost.
Learning Disabilities and Bereavement
This briefing is produced by Brake, the road safety charity. It aims to raise awareness of how people with learning disabilities experience grief, and provides advice on how to support them.
The Grief Goes On...
Dr Marianne Trent, a Clinical Psychologist and Author of 'The Grief Collective', talks about mourning and letting other people know you are bereaved.
How to Cope with a Tragedy
Every death brings its own trauma to survivors. However, when someone is suddenly killed in an accident or murdered, the stress levels rise considerably for those left behind.
Traumatic Bereavement
Trauma refers to the way that some distressing events are so extreme or shocking that they overwhelm a person’s ability to cope, resulting in lasting negative impact.
What Is Effective Bereavement Support?
There is a lot of good intention around when it comes to bereavement support in terms of providing it but not a great deal of understanding of all the options available and the benefits of informal support.
Magnesium: Your Ally in Managing Grief Symptoms
One often-overlooked factor in managing grief is ensuring we are getting enough magnesium. Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a pivotal role in over 300 biological processes in our body.
Autism and Bereavement
There is not a great deal of research on how people with autism deal with bereavement. However there is useful advice available that can help us support anyone with autism, whatever their age.
What to Do If Someone Dies Abroad
If your loved one dies abroad there are a whole set of considerations to take into account. However, there are people to help you and you should seek their advice if you find yourself in this situation.
Registering a Death
Registering the death of someone is the official record that their life has ended and is the formal government record of that fact.
Funerals: How to Plan One
Our guide on how to plan a funeral. A funeral is an opportunity to create a special tribute to your loved one and whilst painful, can also be memorable and a positive experience.
Protecting Against Identity Fraud
We all know that thanks to the wide availability of personal information online identity fraud is increasing. But what happens when an identity is stolen after a person has died?
Government Advice When Someone Dies
There’s a lot of Government advice to help and support you when someone dies. This article explains more.
Funeral Etiquette in Different Faiths
If you are attending the funeral of a someone of a different faith you can get advice here on, for example, what to expect, how to pay your respects, how to send condolences and what to wear to the funeral.
Five Tips for Supporting a Grieving Young Person
Here are five tips for supporting young people who are bereaved.
Cancelling Mail
This is our guide to cancelling mail. Receiving post for the person who has died can be very difficult. Depending on the type of mail, there are a variety of practical measures you can take to deal with the problem.
Official Documents: How to Easily Cancel Them
Using the Government's ‘Tell Us Once’ service will ensure all government departments are informed. This includes passports, driving licenses, pensions, benefits, national insurance, tax and blue badges.
Benefits and Bereavement
Benefits for you if you are a partner or child of the deceased. Depending on which of your loved ones has died your tax allowances, National Insurance and benefits may change.
Funerals: How to Be Involved If You Can’t Attend
Saying goodbye at a funeral is a significant part of our relationship with the person we have lost, whoever they are. We may dread it, of course, but we still want to be present and to get it ‘right’ as a fitting tribute to all that they were to us.
When Children Grieve by John W. James and Russell Friedman
In When Children Grieve, the authors offer a cutting-edge volume to free children from the false idea of “not feeling bad” and to empower them with positive, effective methods of dealing with loss.
The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman
Incomplete recovery from grief can have a lifelong negative effect on the capacity for happiness. Drawing from their own histories as well as from others’, the authors illustrate how it is possible to recovery from grief and regain energy and spontaneity.
Coping with a Tragedy
When a death is senseless, involves multiple losses or children, or when it could have been avoided, there is a deeper sense of trauma and grief.
Bereaved by Addiction or Substance Abuse
Finding support and how to give support to anyone bereaved by addiction and substance abuse
Bereavement, Loss and Grief
WEBSITE: help and support for professionals including school staff
Supporting Children When Someone They Love Has Died Through Suicide
LEAFLET: Produced by the Balloons Charity this leaflet gives tips and advice on how to support children bereaved by suicide.
Someone Close to You Has Been Bereaved (Downloadable Leaflets)
LEAFLET: Leaflet aimed at helping concerned relatives or friends understand what a bereaved person might need and want. Produced by Dying Matters.
Understanding Bereaved Parents and Siblings by Dr Cathy McQuaid
BOOK: Dr Cathy McQuaid's 'A Handbook for Professionals, Family, and Friends' offers us a useful guide about how to support bereaved parents and siblings
What Happened to Daddy's Body? by Elke and Alex Barber
BOOK: Explaining what happens after death in words very young children can understand
Stewart's Tree by Cathy Campbell
BOOK: A Book for Brothers and Sisters When a Baby Dies Shortly after Birth
You Just Don't Understand
BOOKLET: Supporting Bereaved Teenagers produced by Winston's Wish.
Understanding Bereavement The Welsh Version
BOOKLET: A Welsh language short leaflet introducing Cruse Bereavement Care and providing information about bereavement
Guidelines for Delivering Bereavement Support Groups
BOOKLET: Complied by the National Bereavement Alliance and Support After Suicide Partnership
Someone Came Before You by Pat Schwiebert
BOOK: Helps parents tell a child of a family that has suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth.
Please be Patient: I’m Grieving by Gary Roe
BOOK: How to Care For and Support the Grieving Heart
Finding the words
BOOKLET: How to support someone who has been bereaved and affected by suicide
Books Beyond Words Mini Bereavement Set
A collection of four books which cover bereavement and death suitable for people who find pictures easier than words, including learning disabilities and those whose first language is not English.
When someone very special dies by Heegaard, M.
BOOK: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief (Drawing Out Feelings Series)
The Bereavement Journey®: Offer the Programme
A proven way to help bereaved people in your community, with all the resources, information and support you need provided to make delivery easy.
My Dad and Me by Daxa Manhar Patel
BOOK & BLOG: A journey of love...loss...and life. Daxa bravely shares the story of her love and grief for her inspirational father.
Loss and Hope
WEBSITE: Resources to equip churches of all denominations across the UK to help those grieving.
What to do when someone dies: National Bereavement Service
BOOKLET: A very helpful little guide to everything you need to do following a bereavement and a handy checklist on the back.
See You Soon by Philippa Skinner
BOOK: An honest and reflective account of a mother's story as she faces up to and lives through her son's death from a heroin overdose in 2007. Skinner is writing for those who are bereaved, those seeking to support people who are, and also, more specifically, for people affected by addiction
Activities for bereaved young people
BOOK: helping to develop resilience and coping skills.
Katy Braine : Goodness Gracious Grief
WEBSITE: Looking at how we can help each other grieve.
Rosedale Bereavement Training
Professional bereavement training courses provided by the training arm of Rosedale Funeral Directors
The Invisible String by Patricia Karst
BOOK: A wonderful storybook for children experiencing any kind of separation for any reason (including death) anxiety.
If There’s Anything I Can Do: How to Help Someone Who Has Been Bereaved by Caroline Voaden
BOOK: Caroline Voaden explains how it feels to be bereaved and what helped her in the weeks, months and years following her bereavement.
How It Feels When a Parent Dies by Jill Krementz
BOOK: The short writings hold a range of reactions to the death of a parent. The authors come from different backgrounds, situations and circumstances, yet they hold one thing in common: losing a parent.
..Tough Stuff Journal: Someone has died
A resource to help young people express and share their grief and feelings of loss when someone has died - endorsed by professionals in the field.
Children and Grief by William Worden
BOOK: Drawing upon extensive interviews and assessments of school-age children who have lost a parent to death, this book offers a richly textured portrait of the mourning process in children.
C Parkes Murray, Love and Loss: The Roots of Grief and It’s Complication
BOOK: By understanding the nature and pattern of loving can we begin to understand the problems of grieving.
*Training by ListeningPeople
Training for youth leaders, teachers and professionals supporting young people.
Continuing Bonds by Klass, Silverman & Nickman
BOOK: Many modern theories hold that the function of grief and mourning is to cut bonds with the deceased, freeing the survivor to develop new relationships.
Swift to Hear by Michael Jacobs
BOOK: Michael Jacobs addresses these listening and responding skills, describing the process of communication.
Supporting yourself and others: Coping with death and grief during the Covid19 pandemic
WEBSITE & LEAFLET A useful leaflet produced by the British Psychological Society
Zero Suicide Alliance
TRAINING A collaboration of NHS Trusts, businesses and individuals focused on suicide prevention through training
Listening to Others by Joyce Huggett
BOOK: Essential reading for anyone who wants to help other people by being available to listen carefully
Understanding Grief An Introduction by Richard Gross
BOOK: A comprehensive and accessible 'one stop' introduction to all the major models of grief.
Yvonne Tulloch, Faith Questions in Bereavement
BOOK: For anyone who has been bereaved at any time, or anyone who is interested in the faith questions that naturally arise when someone dies.
Simran Jeet Singh, Sikh Ways of Grieving
WEBSITE: A useful website and article that explains how Sikhs comfort the dying, mark death, comfort the bereaved and celebrate life.
Somerset County Council, Advice on Attitudes to Death and Grieving in Different Faith and Belief Communities
WEBSITE: Web pages with general advice about how to respect different community approaches to death and bereavement.
Maria Kristiansen & Aziz Sheikh, Understanding faith considerations when caring for bereaved Muslims
ARTICLE: Bereavement represents a significant life event, often resulting in major social, psychological and spiritual transitions. In this paper, core Muslim beliefs in relation to death and bereavement are considered.
Camille Gibbs, A Sky of Diamonds
BOOK: An illustrated storybook for children about loss, grief and hope.
Linda Goldman, Great answers to difficult questions about death: What children need to know
BOOK: This book explores children's thoughts and feelings on the subject of death and provides parents and other caring adults with guidance on how to respond to difficult questions.
Digital Legacy Association
WEBSITE: Helps people make arrangements for their digital legacy.
Natural Death Centre
WEBSITE: Informative website about planning a woodland or green burial.
Humanist Funerals
WEBSITE: Website contact details for arranging a humanist funeral in the UK
Beyond Words Coronavirus
BOOKS, E BOOKS: Resources for people who find it easier to understand pictures than words
Arranging a funeral in church
WEBSITE: Church of England advice and resources for a church funeral
The Art of Dying Well
WEBSITE: The Art of Dying Well offers practical and spiritual support to those faced with the prospect of death and dying.
Ataloss.org: Being a Bereaved Parent Supporting a Bereaved Child
WEB PAGES ON THIS WEBSITE: Information on the AtaLoss.org website about being a bereaved parent
Jayde Parkin, Mum's Jumper
BOOK: A simple, heartfelt and ultimately uplifting book for anyone coping with loss.
Dealing with a traumatic event including bereavement where it has happened in traumatic circumstances
WEBSITE: This is a useful website offering help for those dealing with a traumatic event including bereavement where it has happened in traumatic circumstances.
Grave Talk
WEBSITE: Church of England Funerals Department website that provides information and discussion about death, funerals and all that
Hope Again
WEBSITE: Fantastic support website from Cruse Bereavement Care by young people for young people
Guide to Loss FREE "E Book" download
WEBSITE: Grief Recovery website has useful articles and videos to help people move beyond death and loss.
Losing a Child by Elaine Storkey
BOOK: A series of pocketbooks designed for those involved in pastoral care and counselling
Inside Grief: A Personal Journey: Hope for the Grieving and Those Who Care for Them by Katy Laity O'Brien
BOOK: Inside Grief is book and a personal account of coping with grief through which the author reaches out to others in a similar position.
Children and Bereavement by Wendy Duffy
BOOK: Children and Bereavement is essential reading for parents, teachers, clergy and others who may be involved in helping a child or teenager come to terms with a death.
Albert Y. Hsu, Grieving a Suicide: A Loved One's Search for Comfort, Answers, and Hope
BOOK: Hsu's book draws on the Christian faith to assist suicide survivors to the God who offers comfort in our grief.
First Steps Through Bereavement by Sue Mayfield
BOOK: First Steps through Bereavement is an indispensable guide through the process of mourning a loved one.
Grieving God’s Way by Margaret Brownley
BOOK: Grieving God's Way is a 90-day read designed to bring hope and healing to those who have experienced loss.
Insight into Bereavement by Wendy Bray & Diana Priest
BOOK: An insight into bereavement gives practical advice for these times in our lives and points to the eternal hope we have in God.
God on Mute by Pete Greig
BOOK: A book about Pete's own experience of the miraculous power of prayer alongside the pain of unanswered prayer and the common human struggle.
Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring by Henri Nouwen
BOOK: In this book of personal reflections, the author hopes to encourage those who are dying to die well and those who care for the dying to care well.
Alan D. Wolfelt, Healing your Grieving Heart – For Teens
BOOK: A book of simple tips for understanding and expressing your grief for teens
Stubbs, Stokes & Baker, Beyond the Rough Rock (Suicide)
BOOK: A book to help with supporting a Child Who Has Been Bereaved Through Suicide.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
BOOK: A portrait of a marriage and a life – in good times and bad – that will speak to anyone who has ever loved a husband or wife or child. A stunning book of electric honesty and passion.
The Long Sleep: Young People and Suicide by Kate Hill
BOOK: This book is an exploration of the origins, symptoms and meanings of young peoples' suicidal crises.
Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide by Kay Redfield Jamison
BOOK: A book about the difficult subject of suicide.
Phyllis R. Silverman & Madelyn Kelly, A Parent’s Guide to Raising Grieving Children: Rebuilding Your Family after the Death of a Loved One
BOOK: A book for parents about raising grieving children.
Colin Murray Parkes, Bereavement – Studies in Grief in Adult Life
BOOK: Colin Murray Parkes draws on his own research to develop some new theories around bereavement and its effects.
Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy by William Worden
BOOK: New counselling techniques, incorporating a refined basic model of mourning, and added information on special types of mourning.
Pets What to do if you or a loved one dies and can no longer look after a pet
The Cinnamon Trust and Dogs Trust can help.