SERVICE DETAILS
Grief is a natural process and many people learn to cope with the aid of family and friends. But around one fifth of bereaved people seek professional support to cope with their loss. Whatever stage of grief you’re at, or however recent or long ago the bereavement occurred, if you would like additional support, Cruse Scotland has a range of free, specialist services available to you.
Early Support...
One-off session to offer early support and advice.
Early Support Sessions are available to people who have been bereaved in the last six months.
An Early Support Session is normally a one-off, one-to-one session that provides information and support to help improve an individual’s capacity to cope with their grief.
Trained therapists will meet with a client and during the meeting they will aim to:
- Hear the client’s experience of pain and loss
- Recognise and support the client to trust their own coping strategies
- Encourage the client to build resilience
- Provide information, normalise the grief, and strengthen self-belief
- Assess risk of suicide and other harms
- Identify other available support options, within their own networks and beyond
Why not counselling in the first six months?
Early in bereavement, there can be much emotional upheaval, along with a loss of confidence, so people are inclined to say yes to offers of help. However, most people find their own resources for dealing with the loss within themselves and their permanent support networks.
Research has suggested that when professional counsellors get involved, friends and family tend to withdraw. They may feel the bereaved person is in good hands, or that they are now redundant. They may even feel they have been unhelpful, otherwise the person would not have needed professional help.
The purpose of Early Support is to activate the natural support system, not to replace it.
How much does it cost?
All Cruse Scotland counselling and listening services are free. The counsellors and other volunteers all provide their services free of charge. However, as we rely on client donations to help fund the operating costs of our charity, we do invite adult clients to make a donation if they can afford to.
The first step in getting help is to call our National Bereavement Helpline or to email us at support@crusescotland.org.uk.
