Grief and loss are complex emotional issues which affect us all at some time or another. At the Hospice of the Good Shepherd we have a dedicated and professional team providing support to people throughout West Cheshire who are dealing with bereavement following the death of a loved one, regardless of when, where or how they died. Counselling is also available to those affected by a life-limiting illness.
Bereavement Help Points
Community bereavement drop-in groups via Zoom. No referral needed. Everyone is welcome. Drop in for a few minutes or stay for the whole session. Attend once or every time. A great space to tell your story and listen to how others are coping. We support people with any bereavement, regardless of the time, place or manner of the death.
The online Bereavement Help Points run:
- The 1st and 3rd Monday of the month 18:00 – 19:00
- The 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month 11:00 – 12:00
See our Facebook page for imminent dates. Email bereavement@hospicegs.com to register. If you’re unsure of how to use Zoom, we can talk you through it.
If you are interested in setting up a Bereavement Help Point in your community or organisation, please contact eleanor.warman@hospicegs.com to discuss how we can support you.
Counselling
Our Bereavement Support Service is able to offer one-to-one counselling to support adults (aged 18+) who are dealing with bereavement. A service called Reflect exists to support children and young people aged under 18.
Counselling provides an opportunity for you to talk openly about your feelings and concerns in a safe, caring and confidential environment. Your counsellor will listen respectfully and non-judgmentally, giving you the opportunity to explore thoughts, feelings and memories. A counsellor won’t tell you what to do, but they will help you to consider your situation and help you make your own informed decisions.
People may find counselling helpful to:
- explore challenging emotions like anger or guilt
- manage physical responses like sleep loss, lack of concentration, anxiety or panic attacks
- cope with other crises, pressures or health problems
- understand and handle changes within families
- develop their resources and skills to deal with grief and other difficulties
Often the process of sharing can be difficult – where there are painful memories, complicated emotions, relationship difficulties and areas of conflict – but talking these things through often proves to be very helpful.
If you’d like to know more, or if you feel you would benefit from counselling, please contact our Bereavement Support Services Team on 01244 853193 or email bereavement@hospicegs.com.
If at any point you decide not to continue with the counselling, just let us know, and the service will be available to you again in the future.
Befriending Service
Our Befriending Service and Mollington drop-in sessions are available for bereaved people.
Some people may feel that individual counselling isn’t the right fit for them, but would still appreciate somebody to talk to for additional support. Our befriending team of trained and supervised volunteers are able to meet you in your own home to offer support and a listening ear. If you prefer, we can arrange for our befriending team to call on the telephone instead.
Our befriending team also run a drop-in session at Mollington Village Hall every first and third Tuesday of the month from 10:00am until Noon. This is an opportunity to meet our team, and other people who have experienced bereavement, in an informal and welcoming atmosphere.
If you’re interested in meeting with one of our befriending team, or have questions about attending our Mollington drop-in session, please call our Bereavement Support Service on 01244 853193 or email bereavement@hospicegs.com.
Reflect Children’s & Young People’s Service
Reflect offers information, support, signposting and one-on-one counselling for people aged 3-17 and their families living in Western Cheshire, dealing with bereavement or who have a family member with a life-threatening or life-changing diagnosis.
We work with children and young people to identify and develop their own resilience and resources to support them in difficult times. Children are given the opportunity to explore their story in relevant ways, and through a range of different media.
Children can be seen at their school during term time or in the welcoming Family Room at the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.
If you’re interested or have any questions please contact the Reflect team on 01244 851104 or email reflect@hospicegs.com.
Further Information
For more information and advice regarding some of the emotional reactions experienced by adults and children during bereavement, please visit our Coping with Bereavement and Grief page. To access further resources view our Bereavement Booklet or Counselling & Bereavement Leaflet.
