I'M A BEREAVED YOUNG PERSON .......... What help can I get?
If you need urgent support you can get help from the following:
Samaritans call 116 123
SHOUT text helpline 85258
Grief Chat www.griefchat.co.uk
Bereavement and pre-bereavement counselling & Wellbeing therapy
Edward’s Trust offers pre-bereavement and bereavement support to young people who have had someone important to them die, or who have a parent, significant carer, brother, sister, other family member or friend who is terminally ill.
What is Counselling?
Counselling can be helpful when you are going through something that you are struggling to cope with. It can useful to talk to a trained bereavement counsellor instead of ignoring your feelings after a loss. Lots of people have counselling for all sorts of reasons. It is a sign of strength when you acknowledge that you need some help to cope better, and we all need help sometimes.
Our trained Counsellors at Edwards Trust can offer you 1-1 support to make sense of what you are going through. We can help you to understand how you are affected by having to face the fact that someone is dying, or to help you with managing your feelings and to cope after a loss.
Bereavement counselling helps you to cope when you have experienced losing someone through death. Finding your way through this experience of loss on your own with the many emotions you may feel, can be very hard.
Pre-bereavement support and counselling can help you to cope with your experiences of having someone you are close to who is living with a terminal illness; which means that they will die. When you are going through something so painful, we want you to know that you don’t have to deal with it on your own.
It may seem a bit strange to talk to someone you don’t know about things that are personal and painful. Sometimes it can be hard to talk to your friends, or your family because you know that they are finding it hard too. Speaking to someone who is outside of the situation can be helpful because they have that bit of distance and are less emotionally involved. All of our bereavement counsellors are qualified and have years of experience of helping young people work through exactly the kind of thing you are going through… It’s bound to feel a bit scary…. But taking the first step is the hardest bit!
What are Wellbeing Therapies?
If you are 16 years old or older we can offer you wellbeing sessions to help you to look after your emotional wellbeing. You can ask your counsellor to refer you for 1-1 sessions with our wellbeing therapists who can teach you techniques to manage stress and anxiety through mindfulness, mediation, relaxation, and therapeutic massage.
We are also able to offer wellbeing walks (often at the Botanical Gardens which is down the road from Edward’s Trust). We know that being outdoors, getting some fresh air and physical activity is good for our health and wellbeing.
Films
Personal Stories
Many people talk about feeling isolated when they are bereaved and that they feel that no-one really understands what they are going through. These short films were made by young people who have been supported by Edward’s Trust. Although everyone experiences grief differently, listening to their stories may help you know that you are not alone in what you are feeling.
What does grief feel like?
Everyone is unique which means we all experience grief in different ways, but here is how some of of our young people talk about their experience.
What’s it like coming to Edward’s Trust for support?
Sometimes it can feel a bit scary talking about what you are feeling and getting help. Here is video about how other young people felt about coming to Edward’s Trust for support.
How has your grief changed over time?
It may feel that your feelings are overwhelming at times but the pain won’t always feel this raw.
What would you say to a young person experiencing bereavement
From those who have received support from Edward’s Trust here is the advice they would give others who have been bereaved.
How has coming to Edward’s Trust helped?
Here is another video about our work with young people and how helpful others have found it.
How do you remember your loved one?
Finding ways to remember your loved one and think about everything they meant to you is important as go our your grief journey. Our counsellors will help you to do that and here our our young people talking about how they remember their loved one.
Here are some films you might find useful that other organisations have made.
To anyone grieving – Young Minds
The following films are personal stories about the loss of a sibling
The following films are personal stories about the loss of a parent
Community
Edward’s Trust community of young people
Here at Edward’s Trust we are a community. After you have finished with your counselling support you can stay in touch by coming to socials events, getting involved in fundraisers and remaining part of our community.
We run social events for young people who are in our Edward’s Trust community on a regular basis from boxercise to biking to baking…. Sometimes being a bereaved young person can feel a lonely place, so we provide a space (& some fun) to be with people of a similar age who have been through similar experiences.
Once the pandemic is over we look forward to resuming real life social activities.
We also have a group called, ‘Young Ambassadors.’
We want young people to have a say in how we support other young people, so this group of young people get together 4 times a year to share their ideas about resources, planning socials or remembrance events, doing fundraisers. We’ve just finished making a film together about the work of Edward’s Trust.
You might also be interested in these groups who meet in Brum
Resources about Grief
What is grief & how do I cope with it?
Support from other bereaved young people
Websites
Here are some great websites about grief that we hope you will find informative and useful
When you are bereaved it is important to look after yourself. Here are some great websites about health & wellbeing that we hope you will find helpful
Podcasts, Blogs & Documentaries
If podcasts & blogs are your thing, then here are some you might find interesting
Winston’s Wish: My brother Simon
Cruse: Talking to people who have experienced a bereavement and asking them about their own personal grief journey.
BLOG Young Minds: Coping with the death of my best friend
Griefcast: Funny People Talking About Death
Winston’s Wish: The impact of losing a sibling
Winston’s Wish: Going back to School
Grief is my Superpower: A number of different Podcasts
If documentaries are your thing, then check these out!
Learning to Grieve
In May 2017, the musician and presenter George Shelley tragically lost his sister in a sudden accident. Harriet Shelley was 21 and her brother’s closest confidante. In his first documentary, George courageously opens up about his struggles with grief. (BBC 3, Sept 2018)
Suicide - Death on campus
Suicide rates in British universities have reached an unprecedented high – nearly doubling in the last 10 years.
This documentary uses the testimony of loved ones to piece together the last days and hours of three students who took their own lives under the pressures of the academic, financial and social expectations of university. (BBC i-Player, Nov 2017)
Grief: It's not something you get over
Grief is something that nearly all of us will experience but it’s something that most of us find difficult to talk about. This week on Like Minds, we find out what grief is, that it’s very individual for all of us and why you don’t have to “get over” it. (BBC Stories, ‘Like Minds’ Ep.12)
Gaming
APART OF ME: A world built to help you through your darkest moments
When someone you love dies, it can feel like everything has turned upside down. But you’re not alone. Apart of Me is a beautiful world, built to guide you through your darkest moments, where…
- You can feel safe and rediscover a sense of calm
- You can hear the stories of people like you who have had similar experiences, so you know you aren’t alone
- You can learn to accept your feelings, however intense or uncomfortable they are
- You take on real-world quests to discover the strength and wisdom deep inside you.
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JOURNEY: Play with others to explore ancient and mysterious lands
The aim of Journey was to create an experience where players could have a deep emotional connection with other players. Rather than competing, players can guide and help each other to succeed. Explore the ancient and mysterious desert world as you soar above ruins and glide across sands and connect with others along the way. Many people have said that playing Journey has helped them cope with the death of a loved one – providing a place to escape and connect with others.
