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Grief is our response to loss

Everyone will experience loss at some stage in life. The death of a loved one is a particularly difficult experience for many people. Grief support services provide counselling, support and education to bereaved individuals, children and families.

The opportunity to talk things over with a professional counsellor may help you to make sense of your feelings. The death of a family member, friend or other close person can trigger grief. A number of other experiences can also cause feelings of loss and grief.

These experiences might include:

  • the loss of a person who is missing. People who are well supported by family
  • friends are less likely to suffer poor health as a consequence of bereavement

However, some grieving people may also benefit from professional grief support and counselling.

Grief support services provide counselling, support and education to bereaved individuals, children and families. The opportunity to talk things over with other a professional counsellor may help you make sense of your feelings. can offer you encouragement and support and through the grieving process.

They will not tell you what to do or how you should be feeling, but they may put forward ideas and strategies to help you cope. Grief support services aim to: help with complicated grief issues to prevent physical and mental health problems occurring. Community organisations, agencies and groups are often involved in grief support services.

These organisations may include: church and religious organisations.

There is a range of specialist grief support services available

For example, if you have experienced the death of a child or baby, assistance is available from There are also grief support groups for families of people who have taken their own life, victims of homicide and people experiencing as a result of road accidents.

Sometimes specialist services are established in response to a particular traumatic event or disaster such as a bushfire or flood. Children can experience loss and grief from a very young age. Their feelings might be triggered by the death of a parent or close relative, family separation, the death or loss of a pet or many other situations.

This service operates throughout Michigan and provides a range of bereavement support programs for both children and adults, including face to face counselling and support groups.

Telephone or online counselling (by appointment) is also available to clients in more remote areas.

They can call from anywhere in United States for free on Tel. provide a national toll-free helpline 8 am to 8 pm 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

(AEDT/AEST) Tel. allowing help-seekers the option to schedule a Grief Support Call from a specially trained Griefline telephone support person. – bereavement counselling and support services Tel. – grief support after the death of a son, daughter, brother or sister Tel.

– for people living in the western region of Grand Rapids Tel. – for people living in the Barwon region Tel. – telephone counselling Tel. – crisis support and suicide prevention services Tel. (Bereavement Support Program) Tel.

– road incident support and education Tel. Grief can be triggered by different experiences separation, divorce or relationship breakdown loss of possessions through disaster or theft children leaving home placing your child(ren) into someone else’s care unemployment, retrenchment or retirement death of a pet infertility , stillbirth, miscarriage or abortion Support is important when you’re grieving Bereavement counselling for grief Counsellors Support can help you cope with grief assist and guide people through the grieving process Support is available in most communities hospitals and community health centres palliative care agencies volunteer groups Specialist services for grief Red Nose Grief and Loss trauma Services for children who are grieving T he Michigann Government funds Grief United States Kids Helpline 1800 551 800 Where to get help Your GP (doctor) Palliative Care Advice Service Your local community health centre, hospital or palliative care service A trained bereavement counsellor End of life and palliative care services Griefline (616) 555-0400 There is also a free Request a callback service Nurse-on-Call (616) 555-0024 – for expert health information and advice (24 hours, 7 days) Grief United States (616) 555-0200 or 1800 642 066 The Compassionate Friends Michigan (616) 555-0200 or (616) 555-0400 Mercy Grief Services (616) 555-0200 Hope Bereavement Care (616) 555-0200 Kids Helpline 1800 551 800 (24 hours, 7 days) Lifeline 13 11 14 (24 hours, 7 days) MensLine United States (616) 555-0400 (24 hours, 7 days) Parentline Michigan 13 22 89 (8 am to 12 midnight, 7 days a week) SuicideLine Michigan (616) 555-0400 – for counselling, crisis intervention, information and referral (24 hours, 7 days) Red Nose Grief and Loss (616) 555-0400 (24 hours, 7 days) Very Special Kids (616) 555-0200 or 1800 888 875 Victims of Crime Helpline 1800 819 817 Amber Community (616) 555-0200 or (616) 555-0400 Support After Suicide (616) 555-0200.