Grief Chat

Understanding your grief

Most people expect to be very upset or distressed when someone close to them has died. What often takes many people by surprise is how strong the emotions can be, how they can change very quickly, and how long they last.

“People around you may seem to think you should be ‘back to normal’ after a few weeks or months. You might appear to be your usual self to other people, but you know that on the inside, you’re not even sure what normal is anymore” – Charlotte, Bereavement Counsellor

Everyone grieves in a way that is unique to them and their relationship with the person who has died. Well-intentioned people may say to you, ‘Time is a great healer.’ Sometimes, however, it can seem that life is more difficult as the weeks and months go by.

We know that no-one can understand exactly what your loss feels like to you. But we do understand that it’s sometimes easier to talk to someone outside of your friends and family about grief and the impact of bereavement of your life and this is why we offer the GriefChat service.

What is Grief Chat?

GriefChat was created by bereavement experts and by clicking on the GriefChat box below, you can chat directly to a specially trained bereavement counsellor. GriefChat counsellors are experienced in supporting bereaved people and will listen to your story, explore how your grief is affecting you and help you to find any additional support you might need.

GriefChat is a completely free service and is available Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm or by email out of these hours (please note the service is unavailable on Bank Holidays). GriefChat provides emotional support for bereaved people, access to trained bereavement counsellors and referral into other specialist bereavement services.

Please note that by clicking the GriefChat you’re interacting with their website. Willen Hospice does not collect data from you via the GriefChat service. GriefChat is run by a separate organisation who will collect data from you when you start a new chat. Please visit their website to read their Privacy Notice and cookie policy on how they collect your data.

In a typical year...
£11.23
our cost, per minute
11,000
phone calls to patients at home
600
fabulous volunteers
700
patients cared for at home
3,200
home visits
300
patients at the hospice
18,000
of cups of tea
290
counselling sessions
We can only provide the care we do thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, through their continued volunteering, fundraising and donations throughout the year. Your donation will enable us to continue providing care and support to those facing a life-limiting diagnosis, and to support their loved ones.