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Finding bereavement counselling and support services

There are lots of organisations who provide support for people who are bereaved, including The Brain Tumour Charity. Below you’ll find more information about the bereavement counselling and support that’s available.

It can be overwhelming to see so many different options, especially if you’re currently experiencing grief. If you’d like to discuss the different options and what support is available, you can contact our Support team by emailing support@thebraintumourcharity.org or calling 0808 800 0004. 

On this page, we’ll look at  

Support for children and families  

The Brain Tumour Charity’s bereavement support

Bereavement counselling 

Here at The Brain Tumour Charity, we can offer up to eight free counselling sessions for anybody who’s over the age of 18 and has been affected by a brain tumour diagnosis. This includes people who’ve lost a loved one following a brain tumour diagnosis. 

To find out more and to refer yourself please click the link below:

Support team

Our Support team is always here to offer practical and emotional support as well as being there to lend a listening ear.

Our opening hours are Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Please email us at support@thebraintumourcharity.org or call us at 0808 800 0004.

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A man offers advice on bereavement counselling over the phone

Other bereavement support specific to brain tumours

Bereaved by a Brain Tumour Facebook Group 

Bereaved by a brain tumour is a Facebook support group for those who have lost a loved one to a brain tumour to connect with and support each other.  This page is monitored by the groups admin.

Brain Tumour Support 

Brain Tumour Support, primarily supports those who are 18+. They offer a specialised, supportive and friendly one-to-one counselling service as well as holding online bereavement support group sessions.  

Their support line telephone number is 01454 414355 and their email address is info@braintumoursupport.co.uk 

Brainstrust 

Brainstrust offer bereavement counselling with no age limit. They support everyone who reaches out to them in the most supportive way for them to work with and process together.

You can reach Brainstrust by email at hello@brainstrust.org.uk or via their telephone line 01983 292405. They can also be reached by completing this online form for an initial chat. 

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National bereavement services  

Marie Curie 

The Marie Curie Bereavement Service is for people over the age of 18 who want to have ongoing support, from the same person, over the phone. You can access up to six telephone sessions of 45 minutes.  

They aren’t a counselling service. All their support is delivered by volunteers who are trained to provide a listening ear.  

The first point of contact is to their Support Line which you can call 0800 090 2309 or you can email them at support@mariecurie.org.uk 

Sue Ryder 

Sue Ryder’s bereavement support includes helpful resources and information, as well as a counselling service for those over the age of 18. The bereavement must have been at least two months ago and the person can’t have had counselling elsewhere in the last six months. 

They also have an online support community.  

They now also offer Sue Ryder Grief Kind Spaces across the country, giving people who are grieving access to informal, in-person, peer-to-peer support.

The Loss Foundation 

The Loss Foundation supports anyone over 18 who has lost a loved one to either cancer or coronavirus.  

Their main channel of support is through their online support groups where people can meet others who have been through a similar loss. They also organise walk and talk events where people can meet others. 

Their grief support meetings provide some psychological education around various aspects of grief.  

People can register themselves to their services through their website and see what upcoming support events they have in their calendar through the link below.

WAY 

WAY (Widowed And Young) is a membership-based peer support charity with an annual joining fee of £25 (as of September 2023). They support anyone with a UK address who has lost a partner before their 51st birthday.  

They have an online member’s only website aside from their public website, a closed Facebook group, virtual events, a helpline and in person local and national meet-ups. 

The quickest way to sign up is through their website where you can complete an online application and pay for the subscription.

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Local Bereavement Services  

Local hospices 

Your local hospices can often provide bereavement support, even if you were not in contact with that hospice during or at the end of your loved one’s life.

Good Grief Trust 

The Good Grief Trust has a local service finder that highlights bereavement support organisations local to you and further afield.

While grieving is not a mental health condition. Bereavement can cause mental health struggles such as anxiety or depression. If you feel as though this is the case for you or you would like to find more support, you can contact your local GP to share how you are feeling as there may be additional support available. You can also access counselling through the NHS as well as the counselling options above.  

The Samaritans are a service who are available 24/7. The Samaritans are a service there for those who want to talk or need someone to talk to. 

Call: 116 123  

There are also mental health organisations such as Mind and Calm.  

For Mind call – 0300 123 3393 Please check the cost of calls from your mobile or landline. 

For Calm call – 0800 58 58 58  

If you are interested in hearing about different mental health organisations please contact our support team and they will be able to talk through different options with you. 

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If you have further questions, need to clarify any of the information on this page, or want to find out more about research and clinical trials, please contact our team:

Support and Information Services

0808 800 0004 Free from landlines and mobiles
Phone lines open Mon-Fri, 09:00-17:00

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Get support

If you need someone to talk to or advice on where to get help, our Support and Information team is available by phone, email or live-chat.

A woman feeling supported as she scrolls through the posts in one of The Brain Tumour Charity's Online Support Groups.

Join our community on Facebook

Our closed Facebook groups are a great place to connect with other people affected by a brain tumour and share your experiences.