More counselling services made available bereaved people

People living in Bristol who are struggling with the death of a loved one will now have more support available to them, as bereavement care charity Cruse partner with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) to promote the benefits of counselling.

Cruse Bristol, based on St James Barton roundabout, offer help and guidance to people of all ages who are dealing with the loss of a loved one, from advice for talking to employers about grief, to supportive volunteer-run sessions. The charity has been supporting people for 40 years.

BACP is a national organisation that can help people to discover whether therapy might be right for them, and to find an accredited local therapist. Both organisations share a commitment to making quality counselling more accessible for bereaved people, and plan to do this by creating new resources and providing more support to trained local counsellors.

https://www.facebook.com/crusebereavementcare/videos/10153540518321512/

“Bereavement is the most common devastating experience anyone is ever likely to face in their lives,” said Debbie Kerslake, chief executive of Cruse. “The death of someone close can have a profound impact on physical and mental health and yet far too often this fails to be recognised and people are left isolated and unsupported. Cruse and BACP share values and a strong commitment to ensuring access to the highest quality of care and support whenever and wherever that support is needed.

“We believe that by bringing our understanding, knowledge and skills together we can enhance our capability to achieve shared interests including enhancing our influence. We look forward to working together to driving forward the rights of bereaved children, young people and adults, improving their access to those with counselling skills and setting standards so that all those delivering this support have the appropriate training and skills to practice.”

Dr Hadyn Williams, chief executive of BACP called the collaboration “pioneering”. He went on to say it would allow the organisation to “better promote the positive impact that counselling can have on the lives of those who have lost someone close to them and need extra support.

“As well as leading to a better understanding of how counselling can help, it will improve access to counselling for those who need it. In addition, the more consistent standards of practice we plan to introduce will give people confidence that the counselling professional they talk to has the training, skills and experience to be able to help them.”

For support from Cruse Bristol, call the national 24-hour freephone helpline on 0808 808 1677 or visit www.crusebristol.org.uk.