SOUTHAMPTON adults who are struggling with the death of a loved-one due to Covid are being offered free support by a charity in the city to coincide with a National Day of Reflection (March 23, 2022).
Options Wellbeing Trust is offering those who need help and advice a free, confidential 20-minute telephone consultation as part of its bereavement counselling support service.
Claire Trent, Service Manager at the charity, which offers a range of professional wellbeing support, on Shirley Road, says: “We’re supporting and raising awareness for a National Day of Reflection being run by the charity Marie Curie on March 23. It’s a day to support people who are grieving and remembering the family, friends, neighbours and colleagues lost during the pandemic.
“According to Gov.uk more than 185,000 people in the UK have a death certificate that mentions Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.
“Many of us have lost loved ones during the pandemic and there’s no right or wrong way to feel when dealing with bereavement. You might feel a lot of emotions at once, or feel you’re having a good day, then you wake up and feel worse again.
“Generally, there are four stages of bereavement, these include accepting that the loss is real, experiencing the pain of grief, adjusting to life without the person you lost and eventually moving on.
“You may go through all these stages but won’t necessarily move smoothly from one to the next. Your grief might feel chaotic and out of control. Give yourself time, these feelings will pass, mourning is a process with an ending. However, if these feelings last for a period of time that you feel is too long, or your family say they’re worried, then it’s time to seek help.
“Talking and sharing feelings can help. For some people, relying on family and friends is the best way, for others it is seeking professional one-to-one counselling. A bereavement counsellor can offer time and space to talk about your feelings, the person who has died, your relationship with them, family, work, fears, and the future.
“As part of our bereavement counselling support service, we offer a free, confidential 20-minute telephone consultation, where people can talk to one of our team and find a way forward together.”
Options Wellbeing Trust is a long-established registered charity with more than 50 years’ experience in offering a range of professional and affordable therapeutic support, counselling, training and development services to people across Southampton, Hampshire and Dorset.
It is proud to assist people in communities at a grassroots level, making a difference to their lives, leading to a brighter future.
The charity supports people and helps them explore ways of recognising what is negatively impacting on their lives and finding ways of addressing and improving their wellbeing.
It delivers workshops and one-to-one help on a number of life issues including anxiety, stress management, bereavement, trauma, relaxation, and educational awareness groups on a range of topics including addictions, such as gambling, drinking, and gaming.
For further details, please visit www.optionswellbeing.co.uk.
