Ask the counsellor
Bring your question.
Write what is on your heart. A grief counsellor will read it and write back. You choose whether your question stays private between us, or whether it might be gently anonymised and shared so others walking a similar path can find comfort.
If you are wondering whether to see someone
There is no rule about when grief is 'enough' to warrant professional support. If you are wondering, that is reason enough. A grief counsellor or therapist is not there to make you 'better'. They are there to walk beside you, with skill and patience, while you find your own steady ground.
Look for someone who specifies grief and bereavement as part of their practice. Ask for a short introductory call. Trust your gut on fit. It is permitted to try one and then try another.
Grief asks a great deal of the people living it, and of the people who sit beside it, too.
This is a growing collection of practice notes, recommended reading, useful frameworks and thoughtful resources for counsellors, professionals and anyone wanting to better understand grief. We explore continuing bonds, traumatic loss, difficult conversations, the language of grief, and the words that can help, as well as the ones that often don't.
For those who are grieving, there is space here to better understand what you may be experiencing, to find language for what can feel impossible to explain, and to know that there is no single right way to carry your loss.
For those supporting someone, there is guidance for showing up with greater understanding, without trying to hurry, solve or make sense of what cannot be fixed.
For those grieving, a place to feel understood.
For those beside them, a place to learn how to stay.
A small guide, to share
When a Child Is Grieving
A gentle guide for helping children navigate the loss of someone they love, written by play therapist and registered counsellor Caitlin Kennedy.
Download PDF
A small guide, to share
A Permission Slip
Some days, grief needs permission more than advice. This is a gentle reminder of all the things you are allowed to feel and be while you grieve.
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A small guide, to share
Coping with Grief
There is no right way to grieve, but there are gentle things that can help you carry it. These are small, kind ways to tend to yourself.
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A small guide, to share
Grief Burnout
When you have been carrying grief and daily life for a long time without rest, exhaustion can creep in quietly. These are some of the ways grief burnout can show up, in the body, the heart and mind, and daily life.
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A small guide, to share
Things No One Tells You About Grief
Grief holds many surprises that few people warn you about. None of these mean you are grieving wrongly, they mean you loved.
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From the library
Questions others have asked. Shared in the hope that they might help you too.
Gathering…
For practitioners
Are you a counsellor or therapist who would like to walk alongside us?
If you are a counsellor, therapist or companion who holds space for the bereaved, and you feel drawn to the work of the Erin Foundation, we would love to hear from you. Reach out and introduce yourself, and we will find a time to talk.
Contact the foundation