Group Protection Wellbeing Services

Grief Encounter

Support for your family through grief

Who are Grief Encounter?

Grief affects everyone differently. And for children and young people, it can be life changing – as they may be less equipped to manage their emotions.

Grief Encounter is a leading childhood bereavement charity in the UK that helps children and their families work through their feelings after the death of a parent or someone close. They work closely with bereaved children, their family and school, as well as other professionals to help them find a way through grief.

A dedicated bereavement support team

Grief Encounter have been providing free, specialist bereavement support services for nearly two decades. Their dedicated team are there for your children as well as your family if you need a shoulder to lean on. They’ll spend time getting to know your situation so they can support your family in the best way possible.

Workshops, counselling, and therapy

With Grief Encounter, you can discover a wide range of therapies and workshops, including creative therapies like talking, music, art and drama. Whether they’d respond better to a group talking session, a workshop where there’s no pressure to share, or one-on-one therapy, you can find something that fits them.

Online support resources

Grief Encounter have online, on-demand resources that can support you through both the emotional and practical side of grief. Created by professionals, you’ll find useful guides covering a range of issues, from working through the legal matters to coping with world crisis events and tips for special days like birthdays or Mother’s Day.

What can Grief Encounter help with?

Help your child understand grief

What works for one person when it comes to grief may not work for another. Grief Encounter’s bereavement support sessions are about giving your children and family the skills and tools to help them through their feelings. From understanding what your child may need to developing coping strategies, they can support your family for as long as you need it.

Explore grief with people their age

Sometimes, the best people to help your children are those their own age. Split by age groups, Grief Encounter’s group sessions give your children a space to meet peers who might be going through something similar, and learn more about the feelings and experiences that can come with grief. They also run specialist sessions for children and families who have experienced sudden and traumatic bereavement, like murder and suicide.

One-to-one therapy

One-on-one time with a therapist gives your child a safe place to share feelings they might not feel comfortable sharing at home. A therapist can help them explore difficult emotions, understand what they’re experiencing, and find ways to develop healthy coping skills.

Grief Encounter offer one-on-one therapy for children as well as therapy for parents, both to work through your own grief and to help your child manage their grief at home. Their online and telephone therapy is available wherever you are, but you can also find in-person sessions in Grief Encounter’s London and South West hubs.

Time away from it all

Some time away from places that could be full of reminders of your loss can be a much-needed break for your child. Every year, Grief Encounter offer a residential weekend, giving you and other bereaved families a night away from it all – with exciting activities as well as therapy groups.

They also regularly run other fully-funded family days and outings, giving you time together as a family and a network of support with families who understand what you’re going through.

An award-winning resource

Grief Encounter’s Grief Book is designed specifically for bereaved children aged 5-13, giving them a space to explore their memories, feelings, and challenges connected to grief. There are exercises that:

encourage open conversations with their support network
normalise and explore difficult feelings like anger, fear and guilt
give them a chance to learn more about their loved one.

Learn more "about Grief Encounter’s Grief Book"

How you can access Grief Encounter

If you need to talk to someone about death or want to learn more about any of Grief Encounter’s services, you can get in touch by telephone, email, or through their website.