Your Voice Can Help Someone Take the First Step
Your Voice Can Help Someone Take the First Step At The Loss Foundation, we know that grief can feel incredibly isolating – especially when it comes after losing someone to cancer. Finding the right support can make a real difference, but too often, people discover us by chance. That’s why we want to share the…
📚 Books That Help in Grief
📚 Books That Help in Grief World Book Day recommendations from The Loss Foundation community For many people, grief can make it difficult to concentrate or absorb long pieces of information. In the early weeks and months after a loss, even reading a few pages can feel like a lot. But sometimes the right book…
Grief Isn’t a Mental Health Condition. It’s a Human Experience.
Grief Isn’t a Mental Health Condition. It’s a Human Experience. If you’ve ever felt unsure what to say to someone who is grieving – or wondered if you’re “doing grief” the right way – you’re not alone. In this podcast conversation, Dr Erin Hope Thompson MBE (Clinical Psychologist; Founder and Director of The Loss Foundation)…
📢 Our New Course: Foundations of Bereavement Support
Supporting someone through grief can be challenging, emotional, and sometimes overwhelming – but you don’t have to do it alone, and you don’t have to feel unsure about how to help. That’s why we’re excited to announce the launch of our Foundations of Bereavement Support course. Designed for anyone who wants to support others -…
What Grief Has Taught Me About Kindness – By Sarah, our new Chairperson
What Grief Has Taught Me About Kindness – By Sarah, our new Chairperson In September 2025, I was honoured to be appointed Chair of the Board at The Loss Foundation. I joined the charity at a time of both challenge and opportunity – and my decision to do so was shaped not only by my…
Dr Erin Hope Thompson: Why I Founded The Loss Foundation
Grief is something I know intimately. When I was 20, my dad was diagnosed with lung and spine cancer. What began as a sudden, terrifying diagnosis became a two-year journey that ended with his death in 2008. I was just starting my career as a psychologist, and I had never faced anything like it. What…
🙏 The Founding 500: Keeping Grief Support Free for Everyone
At The Loss Foundation, we know that grief doesn’t wait. People come to us at one of the hardest moments of their lives – after losing someone they love to cancer. Our mission has always been to provide compassionate, accessible support to everyone who needs it, but right now, the demand for our services is…
Understanding Self-Care in Grief
Understanding Self-Care in Grief Grief is exhausting – emotionally, mentally, and physically. Sometimes the most compassionate thing you can do is rest, eat something simple, step outside for a moment, or just breathe. Looking after yourself isn’t selfish. It honours your loved one by caring for the person they cared about – you. 12 Days…
Understanding Continuing The Bond
Understanding Continuing The Bond People often say grief is about letting go, but for many of us, it’s actually about holding on differently. The relationship doesn’t end – it changes shape. You might speak to them, write to them, or visit places they loved. Do what brings you comfort. Your bond doesn’t have to fade.…
Understanding Traumatic Memories in Grief
Understanding Traumatic Memories in Grief If distressing or traumatic images and memories return, know that this doesn’t mean you’re broken. It’s a common response to loss, especially sudden or distressing loss. When this happens, try grounding yourself in the present: name five things you can see, four things you can touch, and bring your body…
Understanding Memories in Grief
Understanding Memories in Grief Memories can be painful, and they can also be deeply comforting – often both at the same time. If you feel able, try choosing one memory today that makes you smile – something small, something ordinary. Let it remind you that love is still present, even in the midst of loss.…
Recognition and Solidarity in Grief
Understanding Recognition and Solidarity in Grief Grief can feel incredibly isolating, especially during holidays or family occasions when the world around you seems joyful and you feel anything but. You might not have the energy for conversations, but if you can, try reaching out to just one person today – even with a short message.…
Understanding Loneliness in Grief
Understanding Loneliness in Grief Grief can feel incredibly isolating, especially during holidays or family occasions when the world around you seems joyful and you feel anything but. You might not have the energy for conversations, but if you can, try reaching out to just one person today – even with a short message. Human connection…
Understanding Guilt in Grief
Understanding Guilt in Grief Many people experience guilt after someone dies – thoughts like “I should have…” or “If only I’d…” can feel overwhelming. These thoughts often come from loving someone deeply, not from having done something wrong. Try reminding yourself: “I did the best I could with what I knew at the time.” Because…
Understanding Triggers in Grief
Understanding Triggers in Grief Grief can arrive out of nowhere. A smell, a song, a street – and suddenly the pain can feel as raw as it did before. When this happens, try to pause and gently name it: “This is grief visiting.” Triggers don’t mean you’re going backwards. They’re signs of love and loss…
Understanding Grief Coping Mechanisms
Understanding Grief Coping Mechanisms When someone we love dies, our mind looks for ways to cope. Sometimes that shows up in ways that feel supportive – talking with others, resting, journaling. And sometimes it shows up as distraction, overworking, drinking more, or eating less. Any behaviour that helps you survive the moment can become a…
Understanding Anger in Grief
Understanding Anger in Grief Anger is a very human response in grief – and a common one. Not everyone will experience it, but for many people it can show up directed at professionals, at circumstances, at themselves, or at the world for feeling so unfair. It can be confusing or uncomfortable, especially if anger isn’t…
Understanding Numbness in Grief
Understanding Numbness in Grief Numbness can be one of the most confusing parts of grief. Many people expect to feel overwhelmed with emotion, and instead feel very little – which can be frightening or make you wonder if something is wrong. But numbness doesn’t mean you’re grieving “incorrectly”. It’s your brain’s way of protecting you…
Understanding Shock in Early Grief
Understanding Shock in Early Grief One of the first experiences in grief is often shock – that inner voice saying, “No. This cannot be real.” In a single moment, your world can feel completely changed. Shock can feel strangely calm, or utterly overwhelming – both are normal. It’s your mind’s way of protecting you while…
Voices from Ethnic Minority Communities
Get Grief Support with The Loss Foundation If you’re finding it hard to cope with loss, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to go through it on your own. At The Loss Foundation, we offer grief support for people who have lost loved ones to cancer. We provide a range of free services and…
Grief Comes in Waves
This piece about grief was taken from a Reddit page which you can access by clicking here. Get Grief Support with The Loss Foundation If you’re finding it hard to cope with loss, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to go through it on your own. At The Loss Foundation, we offer grief support…
📢 Now Open – Our Free Bereavement Therapy Groups
We recognise that grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal journey. Support needs vary from person to person and can evolve as you navigate grief. While peer support can be invaluable, we also understand the importance of professional therapeutic guidance during this challenging time. That’s why we’re offering free 12-week bereavement…
💔 How Children Grieve – And How We Can Support Them
Grief is one of life’s hardest experiences, and when a child loses someone important, it can feel overwhelming for everyone involved. Whether you’re a parent, carer, or teacher, knowing how to help a grieving child can make a lasting difference. Grief looks different for every child. Some might talk, others might draw, play, or stay…
✍️ New: Grief Worksheets for Children and Young People
Supporting a child through grief can feel overwhelming – especially when you’re grieving too. 💛That’s why we’ve created a new series of child grief worksheets, designed by Clinical Psychologists to help children and young people express feelings, process memories, and find moments of calm and connection after loss. Each bundle is tailored to a specific…
📢 Coming Soon… Child Grief Resources
Helping a child through grief can feel overwhelming. We’re here to support you. Our upcoming resources are designed to help you feel more confident guiding a grieving child – with gentle language, practical tools, and age-appropriate activities. 💛 Created by our Clinical Psychologists📚 Guides + worksheets tailored for parents and children📝 Support for children, plus…
As the Season Turns: Supporting Yourself Through Holiday Grief
As the weather turns colder and the nights draw in, many of us begin to feel the weight of the upcoming holidays. For those who are grieving, this season can bring a particularly sharp ache. The lights, the music, the family gatherings: all of it can remind us of an absence, of traditions we once…
Grieving Through Thanksgiving: Finding Your Way in a Season of Togetherness
Thanksgiving is often pictured as a time of gratitude, warmth, and family gatherings. But for many who are grieving, this holiday can feel less like a celebration and more like a reminder of who’s missing. The empty chair at the table, the traditions that no longer feel the same, or the pressure to feel “thankful”…
📢 New Online Grief & Mental Health Training is Here
After two years in the making, we’re so pleased to share that our new online training courses are now live. Designed by bereavement-specialist Psychologists, these courses bring together expertise, compassion, and practical tools to support anyone navigating grief – whether you’re a professional, a facilitator, or someone caring for your own mental health. 🌱 For…
An 8 year reflection – Navigating grief
An 8 year reflection – Navigating grief I am now 8 years into living life without my daughter here. Zoë died just two months before her second birthday; after 18 months of fighting a rare type of leukaemia. 8 years on and who am I now? I am not the same person I was before,…
📢 Coming Soon: New Online Training Courses
We’re excited to share that we’ve been developing a range of new online trainings to support facilitators, professionals, and people who simply want to be able to better support themselves and others. Here’s what’s on the way: 🌿 How to Run and Manage a Grief Support Group A 2.5-hour course for anyone facilitating groups around…
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