Loss can leave us feeling vulnerable and isolated, and so we would like to acknowledge the strength and bravery that it takes to come along to a bereavement support session, be it the first time, or the return after some time away.
For some, bereavement is a relatively new experience whereas for others, it is a familiarity they have known for some time. Everyone has had their own experiences with cancer and with the loss that it has caused, and we share many of these similarities and differences during our bereavement events. It can be very normalising to hear how others experience loss, learning that you are not alone in the events you witnessed and now try to process. However, grief is ultimately a personal journey – nobody can tell you what you should be feeling and when you should be feeling it.
🌱 Grow with our courses
Explore our courses – including Mental Health: Supporting Ourselves and the Grief Journey Workbook – on our dedicated Grief & Mental Health Training page.
Remember that no one emotion is more right or valid than another, but that understanding what you are feeling can be important in helping to identify what you may need at that particular time. That may be a need for comfort, or for solitude, to talk or to cry.
Across all of our support events we aim to provide you with the support you need when you need it, and amongst others who have experienced something similar.
You can find information on our next opportunities to come together on our Calendar.
With warmth and kindness,
Dr Francine Bear
Clinical Psychologist
Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash
🧠 Explore How the ‘Stages of Grief’ Work
The “stages” of grief are one of the most familiar frameworks people turn to when trying to understand loss – yet they’re often interpreted too literally.
Our Stages of Grief guide breaks down where the model came from, what each stage represents, and how it can offer insight without suggesting grief moves in tidy steps.
Explore the page to learn:
🧭 Why grief shifts over time rather than progressing in order
🌊 How emotions can rise and fall in waves
🧩 Other grief models that may resonate more deeply with your experience
