Our Services
How Does Bereavement Counselling Work?
Everyone has a unique experience after someone they were close to has died and each person has to find their own individual way through their feelings.
Alongside sadness and pain, they may also experience guilt, anger, resentment, confusion about changes in surviving relationships, a reassessment of the past or uncertainty about the future. The bereavement might be recent, or a long time ago.
People use counselling support for many different reasons. Some may have friends and family but feel reluctant to burden them with their grief or wish to protect those who are also grieving from further pain. Sometimes people surrounding the bereaved person fail to understand what they’re going through or do not want to hear. Perhaps the bereaved person is far from family and friends who may be living in different parts of the country or even across the World. Others may be coping with demanding work or family commitments and find there is little time to grieve or that they have to put on a ‘brave face’ for much of the time, despite complex feelings which may be affecting their day to day life.
Counselling offers the opportunity to meet each week, to talk about all the different thoughts and feelings following bereavement or loss.
Counselling Services
We offer counselling support in different ways:
Early Intervention Counselling
Aimed at providing timely, grounding support after an unexpected or traumatic death. Sessions are with the same counsellor each week on the same day and the same time. Each session lasts 50 minutes. Clients are offered three sessions. Referrals for early bereavement support can be accepted within the first three months of the bereavement.
Bereavement Group Counselling
Facilitated by two experienced bereavement counsellors, clients create a bereavement community and learn to support each other. Bereavement Counselling groups run in person for 8 weeks and each session is 2.5 hours. Bereavement counselling groups are open to those who experienced a bereavement more than 12 months ago.
Loss Counselling
Loss counselling is aimed at clients who need support with a significant loss in their life, such as a relationship or job.
One-to-one Counselling
Clients see the same counsellor each week on the same day and the same time. Each session lasts 50 minutes. Clients are usually offered up to 12 sessions. In specific circumstances this may be extended to up to 20 sessions. Referrals are accepted once six months have passed since the bereavement.
Pre-Bereavement Counselling
Counselling for people who are not bereaved yet but have a terminally ill friend or relative.
Employee Support
When an employee or a colleague dies, the personal and professional worlds meet. This can create additional strain for everyone. We can work with employers to offer support by arranging group or individual counselling sessions. Please contact our Director, Vybra Morris, to discuss further.
Who Are Our Counsellors?
Our counsellors come from all walks of life and are varied in age, social group and background. All of them work voluntarily. These include: qualified counsellors, counsellors in supervised training and others with considerable experience of this area of work. All are particularly interested in working with the bereaved.
All of our counsellors are carefully selected. They receive regular clinical supervision and adhere to the Ethical Framework of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
If you are interested in volunteering with us, please click here to find out more.
Confidentiality
Counselling is a confidential service. We are an organisational member of the BACP abide by their code of ethics.
In-Person or Remote Counselling?
Counselling is mainly offered in-person in our offices in Kentish Town.
We continue to offer remote counselling over the phone or video call for clients who are unable to access counselling in person. Remote counselling spaces are limited and clients can discuss their counselling requirements at assessment.
CCIWBS does not offer home visits.
One of our counselling rooms at our York Mews service.
Natural Grief Walks on Hampstead Heath
Throughout the year we run local support groups to give people who have experienced bereavement and loss opportunities to meet and be with others outside and experience nature in London. These are not therapy groups and each project aims to encourage social inclusion, peer support and friendships with others.
To find out more, click here.
Cost of Counselling with CCIWBS
We receive funding for clients in Camden and Islington to access individual or group bereavement counselling for free.
Our services are available to clients from other London boroughs and UK-wide on a low-cost contributions basis. The cost is dependent on a client's financial means and starts at £15 per session.
We have a limited number of fully funded places for clients who would not otherwise be able to access bereavement counselling through our hardship fund.