We cannot 'work through' grief. We cannot 'get over it'. Sadness is painful. Bereavement changes us forever. We can only trust that we will eventually find a new way forward. And bereavement support can help us do this - providing a unique place of safety, care, impartiality and experience in which we can learn to understand and adapt.

The bereavement support process offers the time and space to talk about the past, present and future. There may be an emphasis on understanding the feelings accompanying change. But each bereavement is unique and the bereavement support process will always follow a different path within the new territory of life without the deceased person. It will be a difficult journey at times. But we aim for you to leave Cruse bereavement support with a more certain and confident direction for the future without your loved one. And of course we acknowledge that 'loved one' may not always be the right description for your relationship with the person who has died. Bereavements take a multiplicity of forms and affect us in surprising ways. It is not unusual for a person to realise they need to talk several years after a death.

Work is done on a one-to-one basis. You will normally be invited to weekly sessions that last about an hour in a bereavement support room at Cruse. Your sessions will be at the same time every week.