We know the loss of a loved one affects everyone differently.
Sometimes it can be easier to talk to someone outside of your friends and family about the impact of bereavement on your life.
The team at MENCAP have put together a helpful, easy-read guide to support someone with a learning disability in using GriefChat. If you have a learning disability, or if you’re part of an organisation that enables employees or clients with learning disabilities to use GriefChat, this guide may help you.
To open the Easy-read Guide to GriefChat, please click on the picture.
23rd March 2021 marks one year since the start of the United Kingdom’s first lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s no overstatement to say that the pandemic has had devastating consequences on how we grieve.
Maybe you’ve received one of these messages recently, from flower or card companies trying to sensitively acknowledge – while holding onto your business, of course – that Mother’s Day isn’t an occasion everyone wants to celebrate or even think about.
We are coming to the end of another Baby Loss Awareness week, an important annual event which aims to improve understanding of prenatal and baby death.
Sarah is an experienced counsellor and a registered and accredited Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Her particular areas of interest and expertise are grief and loss. She has many years experience of providing emotional support and counselling, in a Hospice setting, working with patients and families facing end of life issues and coping with bereavement. In addition to her Hospice experience, Sarah has been a volunteer bereavement support worker for Cruse and a Postvention Practitioner in a Suicide Bereavement Service. She is currently working on a freelance basis in social research, delivers training in loss and bereavement and is a volunteer counsellor with the mental health charity Mind.
Julie is a Person- Centred Counsellor working with both adults and children. She has a particular interest in bereavement and loss volunteering in a hospice setting with clients who are living with a terminal illness or those that are bereaved. She has her own private practice and is registered with the BACP.
In her spare time Julie enjoys weekends away in her caravan with her husband and 2 dogs.
Alys has been a qualified integrative counsellor since 2014 with a strong focus on psychodynamic therapy. She works with primary and secondary school children as well as adults in private practice. She is currently doing a second degree to pursue her passion to carry out social psychological research, with a particular focus on obedience and conformity, in the hope to publish work in the future and to eventually lecture. In her spare time Alys likes to read, study and run/cycle.
GriefChat was established in 2017 by Catherine Betley who has over 20 years’ experience of managing counselling and therapy organisations, starting and developing new projects and ventures and delivering training and support to a huge range of organisations.
Catherine has worked in business and across the voluntary and community sector at local, regional and national levels, including a significant period serving as a Director of a large UK bereavement charity.
Catherine is also a founding Leader in Residence and Honorary Teaching Fellow at Lancaster University Management School, and has a particular interest in end of life and bereavement care.
In her spare time Catherine enjoys running, live music, spending time with her family and walking her two lovely labradors in the beautiful Lake District.
Mandie is a BACP registered counsellor, qualified in 2014 at City Lit in Covent Garden. As well as her two year placement at the City of East London Bereavement Service she has also spent two years working with St Joseph’s Hospice in London as a bereavement counsellor.
As well as running her own private practice, Mandie has been with us at Professional Help since January 2017 seeing clients and working on Grief Chat shifts a couple of times a week.
Her inspiration to become a counsellor came from working on the helpline at Childline for four years where she came to appreciate the power of listening without judgment.
She lives in Hackney in East London with her partner, teenage son and a beautiful dog.
Sarah Hill has worked within the voluntary, public and education sectors for 18 years in a wide variety of organisations ranging from household name charities to outdoor events, and joined Professional Help in 2016 to help set up and launch GriefChat.
She originally worked for Cruse Bereavement Care before training as a secondary school music teacher, then moved into adult education and working within the helplines sector.
Sarah has particular expertise in how to support families after the death of a baby, and is passionate about how bereavement support can make a huge difference to people’s lives.
Sarah manages our ground-breaking GriefChat® service and specialises in developing and managing non face-to-face support services.
She particularly enjoys training and developing a team of people committed to supporting service users.
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys life with her partner, cat and three ducks in South West London.
Joanna is a qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor and hypnotherapist. Her particular areas of professional interest are grief and loss, anxiety, trauma, and self-defeating behaviours.
Joanna’s responsibilities at Professional Help include client assessment and support, counsellor training, and organisational policy and ethics. As well as working for Professional Help and on GriefChat, Joanna has a private practice and is also a tutor for Chrysalis.
Joanna’s personal interests are reading, writing, running and the arts.
She was the winner of the 2014 Bath Novel Award, and her books Precocious and Hush Little Baby were subsequently published by Ebury. Joanna lives in Surrey with her young son.
Day to day business support is carried out by Chantelle Rose, an experienced customer service and administration manager.
Chantelle has enjoyed a varied career working across retail, business and in the charity sector. Chantelle looks after Professional Help’s growing team of Associate Counsellors and ensures that our counselling services are delivered to the very highest standards.
Chantelle also lives in Cumbria with her family where she enjoys the relaxed pace of life, and loves exploring the great outdoors with her highly enthusiastic (!) Labrador/Whippet cross puppy.
Ruth is a qualified therapeutic Counsellor registered with the BACP, and an NLP practitioner.
She strongly believes in finding an approach that works for each individual, placing them and their needs at the centre of the counselling, to help and support them in a way that fits in with them and their life.
Her special areas of interest include bereavement and all types of loss (particularly loss that isn’t always recognised as such i.e. dementia, the impact of long-term health conditions etc), and anxiety.
Ruth also has her own private practice and, in the past, has worked in the funeral industry, managed a women’s centre and been a nurse and a midwife.
In her spare time she enjoys reading, working out at the gym, watching films, walking her furry monster of a dog and crocheting. She will also shortly be training to be a hypnotherapist.
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Nicola works with both adults and children and has a specialist interest in bereavement counselling, previously working for both Cruse and Childline on their support lines.
Following the loss of her own child, she completed further bereavement training for children who have been bereaved.
More recently Nicola has undertaken new qualifications in relationship and family counselling. Nicola practices an integrative counselling model and works with clients to recognise and change issues which are causing distress or anxiety.
Angie is a qualified counsellor, supervisor and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
She has wide of experience of delivering counselling within the voluntary sector, in schools and in private practice.
Angie works with young people and adults and has a particular interest in working with bereavement and trauma and the effects these can have on individuals and their relationships.
Bev has been involved in the Counselling and Psychotherapy world since 2001.
She holds a Diploma in Transactional Analysis Counselling and is a registered member of the BACP.
Bev has worked as a volunteer, counselling adults suffering Bereavement and Loss. She has worked for Pembrokeshire Counselling Service supporting people with depression, anxiety and relationship problems. Bev has also supported people at the end of life with Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Bev has a Private Practice in East Sussex. She has a passion for 1970’s and Folk music and is a nature and animal lover.
Cathy is an accredited counsellor and psychotherapist, a registered hypnotherapist, and also specialises in the field of Equine assisted therapy.
Cathy has also volunteered as a counsellor and Assessor for Cruse Bereavement Care. She prides herself on a wide range of qualifications that give her varied techniques to help individuals effectively.
Cathy aims to work on understanding each service user as an individual and constructing tailor made therapy, while providing a warm and safe space for service users to explore issues presented.
Christine is an experienced BACP Accredited Counsellor and Supervisor, specialising in counselling when people are struggling with anticipatory grief, when someone close is dying, or when they are facing bereavement and feelings of emptiness and loss at the changes losing a loved one brings.
Gabriella is an Integrative therapist delivering therapy predominantly online having completed a diploma in Online Counselling.
Her motivation is to make therapy more accessible and convenient for everyone and reduce the stigma surrounding its use.
She specialises in stress, anxiety, depression, anger, PTSD, phobias, confidence, relationship problems, bereavement, eating disorders, OCD, addictions, and self harm.
She has experience working with adolescents, adults, the elderly, couples and families.
After completing her initial diploma in Psychotherapy she did a foundation course with Cruse in Bereavement Care.
Emma is a qualified integrative psychotherapist, registered with the BACP, and working in private practice since 2014.
She’s worked in London and Bristol providing therapeutic support face to face and online and spent a number of years delivering support in the third sector before moving into private practice.
Grief work was the first area of therapeutic support she practiced in, and has been a valued element of her practice and a continually evolving passion since then.
Special interests include the application of mindfulness in emotional regulation and the use of metaphor in narrative ownership.
When she’s not practicing Emma is most likely to be found chasing after her spaniel or working on some auto-upholstery.
Francesca is a fully accredited counsellor for individuals and couples based in Cambridge. She works with people from all walks of life, regardless of sexuality, sexual orientation, gender, culture, race, age or religion.
Francesca is non-judgemental, empathetic and approachable. Her ‘integrative’ approach means she’s trained in all major therapies and blends them to best suit individual needs.
Francesca also has additional training in couples counselling and works at Relate. She is a volunteer bereavement counsellor with Cruse and is trained in sexual abuse in childhood. She has experience working with depression, low moods, stress and anxiety, self-motivation and more.
Heather is a qualified Integrative counsellor, and holds a BA (Hons) Degree in Counselling. She is a full member of the BACP.
Heather has a particular interest in bereavement after the loss of her own 4yr old daughter and volunteered for 4 years at a local hospice working with bereaved children and adults.
Alongside GriefChat Heather runs her private practice supporting clients of all ages with a variety of issues such as anxiety, depression, low self esteem, relationship issues, suicide ideation as well as those with developmental disorders to name but a few.
When not working, Heather likes to get out into nature and walking with her dog Sable and spending time with her family relaxing.
Ilana qualified as a person-centred counsellor in 2012 following her degree in Childhood, Culture & Education. She is a registered member of the BACP.
Ilana’s counselling journey started as a Childline volunteer in 2007 and she has since worked in a number of settings such as EAPs and in private practice.
Ilana has particular interests in bereavement and trauma and has completed additional training in these areas.
Jacquie is an experienced therapist, coach and trainer and works with both adults and young people, helping them explore and resolve their problems and concerns.
She works with a range of issues including relationships problems, stress, anxiety, depression and the many challenges associated with loss and bereavement.
Jacquie is an accredited member of the NSC (National Counselling Society), a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy) and a member of the Stress Management Society.
She holds a Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, as well as an MA in Education, and has specialist training in Online Therapy Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
As well as significant experience in the corporate, education and voluntary sectors, Jacquie is also accredited by The Foundation for Infant Loss to support parents who have suffered a bereavement by miscarriage, stillbirth or a neonatal loss.
Jamie is a counsellor, Hakomi practitioner, trainer and coach, with a focus on supporting people who have been bereaved and also helping those who help others.
Having worked within education for 18 years, Jamie now works for herself and continues to facilitate groups including a local Death Cafe and introductory workshops to Hakomi, which is a mindfulness-based somatic practice.
With experience volunteering for Samaritans as well as cancer and bereavement support, Jamie brings an understanding of death to her work from different areas of life.
Margaret is an experienced psychotherapeutic counsellor, who has worked in private practice and for voluntary counselling agencies since 2007.
She has counselled people with a range of problems and now specialises in therapy to support people through grief, bereavement and loss. Her counselling approach is integrative, having evolved over time from her initial person-centred training at Network in Bristol.
Margaret is an Accredited Registrant Counsellor with the National Counselling Society and a Registered Counsellor Member of the Association of Christian Counsellors. She is also an Accredited Supervisor with the National Counselling Society.
Michelle has worked in a corporate environment for 25 years in and has managed large teams. During this time she has experienced that many of us really struggle with modern life and what it throws at us on a daily basis.
Michelle specialises in bereavement, stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, confidence issues and work-related confidence issues.
Michelle uses a combination of psychotherapy and hypnosis and some mindfulness tools in her private practice.
Rachael holds a Level 4 Diploma in Bereavement Counselling and a Certificate in Pet Bereavement Counselling for just over a year now.
Using her own personal experience of grief, Rachael works using a very person centred approach, providing a safe and non judgemental space in her private Bereavement Support practice. She is also working towards becoming a Cruse Bereavement Volunteer and also works part time for NHS 111.
In her spare time she loves spending time at home relaxing with her husband Craig and their two fur-baby dogs, Otis and Molly.
Michael is an accredited member of the National Counselling Society. He completed his counselling training in 2011 and continues to update his skills in a range of wellbeing topics. Michael works part time as a counsellor in addition to working as the dementia lead for a national charity.
Michael trained in an integrated approach to therapy and tailors support to his clients needs’ drawing on approaches such as person-centred and cognitive behavioural therapy. He uses this to focus on an individual’s unique experience of distress, understanding that distress and if appropriate addressing negative patterns of behaviour.
He enjoys working with adults and older adults around many issues such as low mood, depression, stress, anxiety, grief/loss, suicidal thoughts, Asperger’s syndrome and people living with dementia.
Rei is a BACP Accredited and Registered Integrative Counsellor/Psychotherapist with a BSc Hons Psychology qualification from the University of London: Goldsmiths (2001) and an MSc Therapeutic Counselling qualification from the University of Greenwich (2006), drawing on CBT, Humanistic-Existential and Psychodynamic approaches.
Rei has been in private practice since April 2016 having previously worked with both adults and young people within the field of substance use for 14 years. Particular interests include working with trauma, bereavement and anxiety.
Rei enjoys Zumba, knitting scarves and writing poetry.
Sheila has been a counsellor for 20 years with a focus on bereavement. After Sheila qualified she worked at the local hospital Bereavement Service where she undertook further training.
Sheila also has a certificate in Art Therapy which she uses with children.
Sheila also works with the Probation Service working with ex offenders for the Circles UK project as a volunteer.
Rowan holds a diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, a diploma in Mindfulness, a BSc Degree in Psychology and is a registered member of the BACP.
She has a variety of experience working in the voluntary sector, supporting those affected by bereavement, domestic abuse and eating disorders as well as general mental health issues.
She now runs a private practice in Barnsley, South Yorkshire working with young people and adults, and is studying for a MSc in Developmental Psychology.
Steve qualified as a counsellor in 2001 and as a supervisor in 2008. He is a registered member of BACP. Since 2003 Steve has been a volunteer for a bereavement counselling charity called Care Concern which offers 1 to 1 Person Centred Counselling.
During his time with the charity he has been the first point of contact for any perspective clients as well as having his own private practice.
Tracy is a qualified and registered BACP counsellor, working in private practice since 2014, alongside work as a sessional bereavement counsellor for a local hospice.
Tracy is an integrative counsellor specialising in relationship issues, bereavement, anxiety and depression with adults over 18 and couples.
Her counselling journey started with her own amazing experience of counselling which completely changed her life. Having experienced a complete transformation, her aim is to help others experience this change.
Susan is a qualified CBT (REBT) Integrative Therapist accredited with the NCS.
She has experience working with mental health and carer support charities and was a civil servant in Whitehall for 20 years.
She now runs a private practice in South East London and is a local bereavement support volunteer. Susan is also a level 2 Reiki practitioner.
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