Finding Support

Talking with someone

Talking about the person you've lost, and about what you're feeling, can help. It might be a friend who listens without trying to fix it, a grief counsellor, a psychologist or a support group with people who truly understand.

If you'd rather not talk yet, that's okay too. Writing, art, music and movement can also give grief somewhere to go.

Grief support services in Australia

• Griefline, now part of SANE Australia, offers free phone support and online forums: 1300 845 745
• StandBy Support After Suicide supports anyone bereaved or affected by suicide: 1300 727 247
• Red Nose Grief and Loss supports families after the death of a baby or child: 1300 308 307
• National Centre for Childhood Grief supports bereaved children and their families: 1300 654 556
• Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement: 1800 642 066

When grief is tangled with trauma

If a loss was sudden or traumatic, or grief has brought older pain to the surface, a trauma-informed therapist may help you work with what your mind and body are still holding. Approaches such as EMDR, somatic therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS) may form part of that support.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is another area worth exploring. Small clinical trials of psilocybin with psychological support have found lasting reductions in depression, anxiety and fear of death among people facing terminal illness. In one study of 51 participants, around 80% continued to show meaningful reductions in depressed mood and anxiety six months later. Participants also described greater meaning, connection and acceptance around death.

Research into grieving someone else is still in the early stages, but growing. People in a retrospective survey reported improvements in grief following psychedelic experiences, and Australia's PARTING pilot trial is investigating psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for prolonged grief after a cancer-related death. These are hopeful avenues, with more work needed to understand benefits, risks and who may be helped. Treatment involves screening, preparation, professional support and integration.

→ Toolkit · EMDR, Somatic Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies

Rituals and remembrance

Rituals can give grief a shape and a place to go. Lighting a candle, visiting a special place, writing a letter or marking an anniversary in your own way can help you honour what was lost.

→ Toolkit: Rituals & Ceremony

Gentle everyday support

Time in nature, gentle movement, breathwork and rest can help your nervous system find moments of calm. They won't take grief away, but they can help you carry it.

→ Toolkit: Breathwork, The Basics