Online Bereavement Counselling Service
Find out more about our free-to-access, professional video counselling to people living in the UK and over the age of 18.
Sue Ryder's Online Bereavement Counselling Service offers up to six free sessions with a professional counsellor over video (Zoom).
Who is it for?
We are able to offer you support once you are over the age of 18, and if:
- You are bereaved, meaning you have suffered a loss after someone has died.
- You have been bereaved for two months or more.
- You are not currently receiving, or have recently received, counselling with another service or therapist.
- You are physically within the UK at the time of having counselling.
- You have access to a laptop, tablet or phone with a camera and microphone.
- You have access to a stable internet connection.
We are unable to offer you support if:
- You have long-term, severe or enduring mental health conditions, are in a state of crisis, or are at danger from self-harm - as time-limited online therapy would not be suitable for your needs.
- You have suffered a bereavement that has taken place in the two months before attending the service.
- You are dealing with a death that is anticipated, but has not yet happened (known as pre- or anticipatory bereavement).
- You are not able to attend counselling via video link.
- You are seeking counselling related to pet loss/bereavement.
- You need counselling for any issue other than a bereavement.
Please note that, from time to time, we may temporarily pause new registrations for our counselling service.
This happens during really busy periods, which causes our waiting list to grow. We occasionally take the decision to pause registrations, to ensure we can work through our waiting list, so people who need support do not wait too long to receive it.
In these instances, we will always list alternative forms of grief support available from Sue Ryder.
Our bereavement support is funded entirely by our supporters. It is only with your support that we can continue to provide free-to-access online bereavement counselling to more people in the future.
We need your support now more than ever, and we thank you. Make a donation online.
Not sure if this service is right for you?
Before considering our counselling service, you may find it helpful to explore some of the other free-to-access grief and bereavement support offered by Sue Ryder.
What we offer
- Our Online Bereavement Counselling Service offers up to six free sessions with a professional counsellor over video (Zoom).
- Sessions are online, so you can use the service from the comfort of your home.
- To use the service, you’ll need to have access to a laptop, tablet or mobile phone with a camera and microphone. You'll also need a stable internet connection.
How does it work?
- To get started, you’ll first need to complete a short questionnaire to check
- If we can offer you support, you’ll be asked to give us a few more details about yourself and create your online account.
- Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be placed on our waiting list for an initial assessment.
- When an appointment is available, we’ll invite you to book a time and date for your video assessment.
- After the assessment, if you and your assessor agree that our service can help, you’ll be allocated to a counsellor when one becomes available.
- You’ll then be able to use our online platform to book and manage your 6 video sessions.
Questions about the service?
Find out more about the service we offer and how it works. If you need more information, please get in touch by emailing online.counselling@sueryder.org.
From an Online Community of others with similar experiences, to self-help information and tools.