Life After Loss is a content website, not a support service. If you are looking for people to talk to, professional guidance, or specialist support, the organisations and resources below are the right place to turn.
Everything listed here is reputable, UK-based where possible, and free or low-cost unless otherwise noted. We have no commercial relationship with any of the organisations listed.
Bereavement Support
Cruse Bereavement Support
The UK’s leading bereavement charity. Offers a free national helpline, online chat, and referrals to local counselling services. Available to anyone who has been affected by a death.
Helpline: 0808 808 1677 (free to call, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, with extended hours on some days)
Sue Ryder Online Bereavement Support
Free online bereavement counselling and a community forum where people who are grieving can connect with others. No referral needed. Available online at any time.
Care for the Family Bereavement Support
Befriending and support for people who have been bereaved, including those who have lost a spouse or partner, a child, or a parent. Run by volunteers who have experienced similar losses themselves.
The Loss Foundation
Support groups and resources for people who have been bereaved by cancer. Offers in-person and online groups.
Mental Health and Crisis Support
Samaritans
Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For anyone who needs to talk, whatever they are going through.
Call: 116 123 (free, any time)
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Mind
Information and support for anyone experiencing a mental health problem, including guidance on grief, loss and bereavement.
Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm)
Shout 85258
A free, confidential text messaging support service for anyone in crisis. Available 24 hours a day.
Text: SHOUT to 85258
Bereavement Support for Specific Losses
Widowed and Young (WAY)
A peer support network for anyone widowed under the age of 51. Social events, online groups and one-to-one befriending.
The Compassionate Friends
Support for parents and families who have lost a child of any age. Offers a helpline, online support groups and a library of resources.
Helpline: 0345 123 2304
Sands
Support for anyone affected by the death of a baby, including stillbirth, neonatal death and miscarriage.
Helpline: 0808 164 3332 (free)
The Miscarriage Association
Support and information for anyone affected by pregnancy loss.
Helpline: 01924 200799
Suicide Bereavement UK
Support and resources for anyone bereaved by suicide, including a directory of local support groups.
Sudden
Support for people bereaved suddenly or traumatically, including through accident, homicide or sudden cardiac events.
Support for Children and Young People
Winston’s Wish
Specialist support for bereaved children and young people, and for the adults who care for them. Offers a helpline, online resources and therapeutic support.
Helpline: 08088 020 021 (free)
Child Bereavement UK
Support and resources for families when a child is bereaved, or when a child dies. Also offers training for schools and professionals.
Helpline: 0800 02 888 40 (free)
YoungMinds
Mental health support for children and young people, including guidance on grief and bereavement.
Parents helpline: 0808 802 5544 (free)
Pet Loss Support
Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support
Free support by phone and email for anyone who has lost a pet. Staffed by trained volunteers who understand the grief that follows losing an animal.
Available Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 8.30pm.
Finding a Counsellor
If you would like to speak to a qualified bereavement counsellor privately, the following directories can help you find someone in your area.
BACP Therapist Directory
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy directory of accredited therapists. You can filter by location, specialism and whether sessions are offered online.
Counselling Directory
A searchable directory of counsellors and psychotherapists across the UK, with profiles and contact details.
Your GP can also refer you to NHS counselling services, though waiting times vary. It is always worth asking.
Helpful Reading
Books cannot replace human support, but the right one at the right moment can make grief feel considerably less lonely. These are some of the most widely recommended books on grief, loss and bereavement.
It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine
An honest, compassionate account of grief that refuses the usual prescription of stages and timelines. Widely recommended by bereaved people and bereavement professionals alike.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
A memoir of the year following the sudden death of her husband. Precise, unsentimental and deeply moving.
Grief Works by Julia Samuel
Written by a leading UK bereavement therapist, drawing on years of clinical experience. Practical, warm and grounded in the reality of how grief actually works.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
A neurosurgeon’s account of facing terminal illness, and his wife’s epilogue about grief. Quietly extraordinary.
The Dead are Gods by Anna Lyons and Louise Winter
A UK-based guide to death, dying and grief, written by two death doulas. Practical, honest and free of sentimentality.
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
A short, raw account of grief written in the immediate aftermath of his wife’s death. Not explicitly religious despite its author. One of the most honest things ever written about loss.
