Books to support grief

Some people prefer something very practical with tools to survive a loss. Reading about other people's experiences may also be helpful. These books have all been recommended by professionals who work closely with bereaved people.

Practical guides to grief

  • This Too Shall Pass and Every Family has a Story – by Julia Samuel
  • Griefworks - by Julia Samuel
  • The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of how we learn from love and loss – by Mary-Frances O’Connor
  • The Modern Loss Handbook - by Rebecca Soffer
  • The Grief Survival Guide – by Jeff Brazier
  • Manual for Heartache - by Cathy Rentzenbrink
  • Talking with Bereaved People: An Approach for Structured and Sensitive Communication – by Dodie Graves

Stories of grief

  • A Grief Observed - by C S Lewis 
  • The Madness of Grief - by Richard Coles
  • The Red of My Blood - by Clover Stroud
  • Redemption - by John Gardner
  • The State of Disbelief - by Juliet Rosenfeld
  • When Words are Not Enough - by Jane Harris & Jimmy Edmonds
  • You are not alone – by Cariad Lloyd
  • Notes on grief – by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • The Last Act of Love  - by Cathy Rentzenbrink

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Related Services

Bereavement Advice Centre
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Bereavement Advice Centre

T. 0800 634 9494

W. https://www.bereavementadvice.org/

Bereavement Advice Centre provides practical help when you need it most. They support and advise people on what they need to do after a death.

Child Bereavement Network
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The Childhood Bereavement Network (CBN) is the hub for those working with bereaved children, young people and their families across the UK. Support is provided by the network members.

Child Bereavement UK
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Child Bereavement UK

T. 0800 02 888 40

W. https://www.childbereavementuk.org/

Offer a telephone support service for bereaved young people up to age 25, their families/ carers or individuals or families who have lost a child. 

 

Child Death Helpline
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Child Death Helpline

T. 0800 282 986

W. http://childdeathhelpline.org.uk/

Child Death Helpline is operated by a dedicated team of volunteers who are all bereaved parents. The helpline provides support to a parent who has lost a child of any age, under any circumstances, and however recently or long ago, we’re here to help. They also offer support to grandparents, siblings and the extended family, as well as professionals who have been impacted by the death of a child.

Farleigh Hospice Bereavement Support
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CIRCLE Adult Bereavement Support provides help to bereaved adults in mid Essex, regardless of the cause of death or where the individual died. Each person is affected differently by bereavement, and the aim is to help with the impact of grief and provide support.

Farleigh Hospice Yo-Yo Project
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Yo-Yo is a community bereavement service for children and young people aged 4 to 18.

We offer a range of support options including:

  • 1 to 1 support
  • Counselling
  • Music, Art and Play Therapy
Grief Encounter
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Grief Encounter is a national charity offering a free helpline and online support for children and young people wishing to access bereavement support.

They also offers counselling support in classrooms, online or at their premises in North London. A referral form is available on their website.

Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service
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Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service

T. 020 8951 3881

W. https://jbcs.org.uk/

Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service has counsellors that understand the specific issues raised by bereavement within a Jewish context. This service is sensitive, aware and knowledgeable about social, cultural and religious needs.

Luke’s Counselling and Support for Children and Young People
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Luke’s Counselling and Support for Children and Young People

T. 01375 648175

W. https://www.stlukeshospice.com/bereavement-support

St Luke's Hospice provide bereavement support to children and young people up to 19 years of age, who are experiencing a bereavement or have a family member or friend with a life limiting illness.

Lullaby Trust
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The Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support for bereaved families.

Muslim Bereavement Support Service
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Muslim Bereavement Support Service

T. 020 3468 7333

The Muslim Bereavement Support Service supports Muslim women who are facing bereavement and/or are bereaved. They will speak with Muslim men and signpost them to appropriate bereavement support. 

St Francis Hospice Bereavement Support
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St Francis Hospice Bereavement Support

T. 01708 771436 / 01708 753319 ext. 2276

W. https://www.sfh.org.uk/carers-family-loved-ones

Counsellors and psychotherapists can help with a variety of psychological issues, anxieties or concerns. 

St Francis Hospice Child and Family Therapy
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St Francis Hospice Child and Family Therapy

T. 01708 753319 ext. 2359

The team can help with pre and post bereavement support for children and young people

St Luke's Hospice Pre & Post Bereavement Support
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St Luke's Hospice Pre & Post Bereavement Support

T. 01268 526259

W. https://www.stlukeshospice.com/bereavement-support

The Dove Community Counselling Service team at St Luke's Hospice offer bereavement support to adults living with a life limiting illness, from diagnosis through to end of life or into survivorship. 

Bereavement support is also available to those who may have experienced a bereavement from suicide, sudden, traumatic or accidental deaths, or within the last 5 years due to a life limiting illness.

Stillbirth and neonatal death
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Stillbirth and neonatal death

T. 0808 164 3332

W. https://www.sands.org.uk/

Stillbirth and neonatal death (Sands) is the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK. They ensure that anyone affected by the death of a baby receives the best possible care and support for as long as they need it. 

Sands provides bereavement support services both nationally through its Freephone helpline, mobile app, online community and resources, and locally through a UK-wide network of around 100 regional support groups. 

The Bereavement Journey
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The Bereavement Journey runs an online course three times per year for anyone in the UK who isn’t able to access an in-person course near to where they live, or who would prefer an online course.

The Compassionate Friends
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The Compassionate Friends

T. 0345 123 2304

W. https://www.tcf.org.uk/

The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is a charitable organisation of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents dedicated to the support and care of other similarly bereaved family members who have suffered the death of a child or children of any age and from any cause.

Get support using the telephone helpline or online support groups.

The Good Grief Trust
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The Good Grief Trust helps all those affected by grief in the UK and brings bereavement services together, to ensure that everyone receives the tailored support they need to move forward with their lives.

The trust is run by the bereaved, for the bereaved and aim to normalise grief and raise awareness of the impact of grief on a national platform. 

 

Widowed and young
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Widowed and young (WAY) is a UK charity that offers a peer-to-peer support network for anyone who's lost a partner before their 51st birthday – married or not, with or without children, inclusive of sexual orientation, gender, race and religion.

Winston's Wish
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Winston's Wish is a national charity offering a free helpline and online support for children and young people wishing to access bereavement support.

They also provide resources and further training for schools and healthcare professions.

Young Minds
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Young Minds is a national charity which supports both young people, their parents and loved ones through loss.

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9th March 2023

Notes on grief

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