From fundraiser to melting 10K runner: why I’m taking on a challenge for Team TLF
By day, I’m The Loss Foundation’s fundraiser. By September… Apparently, I’m also a 10K runner. 😅 When I signed up for the Vitality London 10K as part of Team TLF’s 10K for £10K challenge, I had a brief moment of confidence. Then I remembered I actually had to train. I used to love running. I…
105 people are helping keep grief support free: an update from The Loss Foundation
The charity sector is facing one of the most challenging periods in recent memory. Rising costs, reduced funding and increasing demand for services are creating a “perfect storm” for charities across the UK. Many organisations are being asked to do more while having fewer resources available to do it. For small charities like The Loss…
Your story matters: how sharing your grief journey can help others feel less alone
Grief is a very personal experience. When someone we love dies, we often find ourselves trying to navigate emotions, memories and challenges that can feel difficult to put into words. But while every grief journey is unique, sharing our experiences can create something powerful: connection. At The Loss Foundation, we know that hearing from someone…
Bereavement Training for Social Workers
Specialist bereavement training to help social workers support people through grief with confidence, compassion and evidence-based practice Social workers regularly support people experiencing some of life’s most challenging circumstances. Whether working with children and families, adults, older people, mental health services or palliative care, grief and loss are often woven into the situations they encounter…
Bereavement Training for Nurses
Compassionate, evidence-based bereavement training for nursing teams Supporting patients and their families through serious illness, dying and bereavement is one of the most meaningful – and emotionally demanding – parts of nursing. Yet many nurses receive little formal training in supporting bereaved relatives, navigating difficult conversations or caring for themselves after repeated exposure to death.…
Small Steps for Summer When You’re Grieving
When you’re grieving, summer can feel surprisingly difficult. The world seems to shift into holiday mode. Gardens fill with laughter. Social media fills with sunshine, family gatherings and days out. There can be an unspoken expectation that longer, brighter days should lift your mood. But grief doesn’t work with the seasons. You may be missing…
Bereavement training for HR professionals
Help your organisation respond to grief with confidence, compassion and consistency Grief affects every workplace. Whether an employee has lost a loved one, a colleague has died, or a team is supporting someone through bereavement, HR professionals often play a central role in helping organisations respond with compassion while balancing legal, practical and operational responsibilities.…
Bereavement Training for Psychologists
Deepen your understanding of grief with evidence-based bereavement training Many psychologists will work with clients whose experiences of grief and bereavement intersect with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties or life transitions. While grief may not always be the presenting issue, it is often an important part of the therapeutic picture. Our evidence-based bereavement training explores…
Bereavement Training for GPs
Supporting patients and families through grief with confidence and compassion General practitioners are often one of the first healthcare professionals people turn to following the death of a loved one. Whether supporting someone experiencing anticipatory grief, responding to the death of a patient, or helping a bereaved family member navigate the weeks and months after…
Bereavement Training for Doctors
Supporting people through bereavement is an important part of medical practice, yet many doctors receive little formal training in grief or bereavement communication. Whether you’re breaking bad news, caring for patients at the end of life, or supporting families after a death, having the confidence and skills to respond compassionately can make a lasting difference.…
The Backpack We Never Put Down: A Bereaved Mother’s Story
I lost my son, Michael, 26 years ago. And if there is one thing I have learned during all this time, it is this: grief does not end. It changes shape. It changes weight. But it never truly leaves. It is like a backpack we carry for the rest of our lives. In the early…
Guilt and Self-Blame After Loss – A Guide for Therapists
Understanding Guilt in Grief Guilt is one of the most common and distressing experiences reported by bereaved individuals. Following the death of a loved one, many people find themselves replaying conversations, decisions and events leading up to the loss, searching for explanations and wondering whether they could have changed the outcome. Thoughts such as “I…
Meaning-Making in Grief – A Guide for Therapists
Understanding Meaning Reconstruction After Loss Meaning-making is one of the central processes involved in adapting to bereavement. Rather than reducing grief, it involves helping clients gradually integrate the loss into their understanding of themselves and the world. Bereavement can challenge fundamental assumptions about ourselves, other people and the world. Following a significant loss, clients may…
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in Grief Work
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can make a valuable contribution to grief work, but not because grief itself needs to be challenged or treated away. Grief is a natural response to loss. Rather, CBT provides a framework for understanding the thoughts, beliefs and behaviours that may become obstacles to adaptation. For example, CBT can be particularly…
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Grief Work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a flexible, evidence-informed approach to grief that recognises painful emotions are not problems to be solved. Rather than trying to eliminate grief, ACT helps people develop the psychological flexibility to make room for painful thoughts and feelings while continuing to move towards a meaningful, values-led life. In grief work,…
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) in Grief Work
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) can be particularly valuable in grief work when bereavement is accompanied by persistent shame, guilt, self-criticism or emotional overwhelm. Rather than trying to reduce grief itself, CFT helps clients develop a kinder, more compassionate relationship with their grief and with themselves, supporting emotional regulation and adaptation to the loss. Developed by…
Workplace Bereavement Training
Building confidence, compassion, and practical skills to support grief at work When someone experiences a bereavement, workplaces often want to help – but managers, HR teams, and colleagues may feel unsure about what to say, what support to offer, or how to respond over time. Our workplace bereavement training helps organisations develop the confidence, knowledge,…
How Long Does the Grief of Losing a Parent Last?
Losing a parent is one of the most significant and life-changing experiences a person can go through. It can affect emotions, identity, relationships, and how someone moves through the world. One of the most common questions people ask is: how long does this grief last? The truth is that there is no fixed timeline for…
Which Types of Death May Lead to Disenfranchised Grief in Patients?
Grief is not only shaped by the loss itself, but also by how society responds to that loss. In some situations, people are not fully supported or recognised in their grief, which can make the experience even more painful. This is known as disenfranchised grief, a concept developed by bereavement scholar Kenneth Doka. Disenfranchised grief…
Meaning-Making in Grief: Finding Purpose After Loss
Grief is a deeply personal experience that changes over time. While some models of grief describe emotions such as shock, anger, sadness, and acceptance, many people also experience a need to understand what their loss means and how it has changed their life. This process is often referred to as meaning-making. Meaning-making does not mean…
Values After Loss: Finding Meaning and Purpose During Grief
After someone important dies, many people find themselves thinking differently about what matters most in life. Priorities may shift, relationships may change, and things that once felt important may take on a different meaning. This can be part of the grieving process. The Meaning Reconstruction Model of grief suggests that after a loss, people often…
Who Might the Dual Process Model of Grief Help?
When you are grieving, it can sometimes feel confusing to understand why your emotions change so much. One moment you may feel overwhelmed by sadness, memories, or longing. Another moment you may find yourself laughing, working, making plans, or focusing on everyday life. The Dual Process Model of Grief may help explain why this happens.…
What Does Research Say About Grief and Processing Loss?
Grief research suggests that processing a loss is not a simple or predictable journey. Instead of following a fixed timeline or a series of stages, studies show that people often adapt to bereavement through a combination of emotional processing, meaning-making, and adjusting to life changes. Modern grief research highlights that people cope with loss in…
Why Grief Models Matter (Even When They Don’t Fit)
If you’ve spent any time reading about grief, you’ve probably come across at least one grief model. Perhaps it was the Five Stages of Grief. Perhaps it was the Dual Process Model, Continuing Bonds, or Meaning Reconstruction. For many people, discovering a grief model can feel like a relief. Finally, there is a framework that…
Building Confidence in Bereavement Conversations: Grief Awareness Training for NHS Primary Care Teams
Healthcare professionals encounter grief every day. Whether supporting a patient following the death of a loved one, speaking with family members, delivering difficult news, or caring for those living with life-limiting illness, conversations about loss are a routine yet often challenging part of healthcare. Recently, The Loss Foundation delivered Grief Awareness Training to a group…
5 Lessons We Shared in Our Bereavement Training for Charity Professionals
Recently, we delivered bereavement training to colleagues at Blood Cancer UK, exploring how charity professionals can communicate compassionately with bereaved supporters. While every organisation is different, the challenges are often similar. Here are five key lessons from the session that we believe can help anyone working with people affected by loss. 1. Grief Doesn’t Look…
Upcoming Grief Training Webinars with The Loss Foundation
We’re really pleased to share that our grief and bereavement training webinars are returning for autumn/winter 2026. These sessions are designed to support the reality of the work you do every day – whether you’re holding difficult conversations, supporting someone in acute distress, or simply trying to feel more confident when words feel hard to…
Meaning-Making After Loss – Rebuilding Narrative, Identity, and Continuing Bonds
Meaning-making is one of the most misunderstood aspects of grief therapy. It is often assumed to be a cognitive exercise—an attempt to “find a lesson” in loss. In clinical reality, it is far more embodied, relational, and gradual. For therapists, supporting meaning-making requires patience with ambiguity and respect for the client’s evolving relationship with loss.…
Working with Traumatic Memories in Grief – Clinical Considerations for Therapists
Grief is rarely a linear experience, but when traumatic memory is part of the loss, the clinical landscape becomes significantly more complex. Many clients do not simply mourn a person – they also carry intrusive images, sensory fragments, and physiological reactivity linked to how the loss occurred or was discovered. For therapists, this intersection of…
The Grief We Carry Is Heavy Enough: Learning Self-Compassion After Loss
Grief is often described as the pain of losing someone. But for many people, grief also brings a collection of difficult emotions that can be harder to talk about. Guilt. Shame. Regret. Anger. Fear. And sometimes, a feeling that we are somehow not grieving “the right way”. Many people find themselves thinking: “Why am I…
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