Anyone over the age of 18 who is caring for, or who has cared for someone, who is aged 18 or over can access this 'person-centred' counselling. The counsellor will listen to you, try to help you understand your feelings, make sense of what is happening, and try to find ways of making changes.
The Carers Loss and Bereavement Counselling Service is free and confidential. All counsellors work within the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Ethical Framework.
Caring for someone who relies on you can sometimes bring practical and emotional problems and may affect your health and wellbeing. Being a carer can be tough. Perhaps you don’t have as much free time as you used to because of things you have to do at home, and perhaps you are always worried about the person you look after.
Loss
Caring for someone can bring with it feelings of loss
- Loss of independence
- Loss of finances
- Loss of friends
- Loss of spontaneity
- Loss of freedom due to restrictions on your lifestyle
- Loss of the person you are caring for because they are not the same as they were
- Loss of the relationship you had with the person you are caring for
Bereavement
When someone close to you dies, especially if you have been caring for them, many difficult and conflicting emotions can surface, for example:
- Relief
- Anger
- Sadness
- Loneliness
- Loss of identity
How can counselling help you?
The type of counselling we offer is 'person-centred'. This means that the counsellor will listen to you, try to help you understand your feelings, make sense of what is happening, and try to find ways of making changes.
Counsellors do not normally give you advice or tell you what to do. The aim is to help you sort things out for yourself, because you are the person who knows the most about yourself and your own needs, and so will know more about what will and will not work.
Who can access the service?
Anyone over the age of 18 who is caring for, or who has cared for, someone who is aged 18 or over.
If you think Bereavement and Loss Counselling may help, you can either request the service yourself (the address and phone number are below) or ask your social worker, doctor or the Carers Support Team to do this on your behalf.
