How does the program work?
We offer counselling and support groups for people bereaved by suicide.
Counselling
Support After Suicide provides free individual and family counselling to people bereaved by suicide.
Our experienced counsellors have particular expertise and knowledge about suicide, grief and trauma.
By speaking with a counsellor, participants learn how to manage the intense and complex experience of losing a loved one to suicide.
Support groups
Support After Suicide runs a number of support groups throughout the year. There are professionally facilitated groups and peer support groups.
We provide specific group programs for parents, partners, siblings, adult children, and a men’s program. We also run programs for children and young people.
Our support groups offer people bereaved by suicide the opportunity to:
- spend time and communicate with others bereaved by suicide
- experience being understood and not feel so alone
- learn strategies to help find the way through the grief and trauma.
We provide resources to help people better understand their situation
Support After Suicide has a comprehensive range of resources to assist individuals and families bereaved by suicide, including:
- a series of books
- Information sheets about grief, responding to trauma and supporting a person bereaved by suicide
- a recommended reading list
- a dedicated Support After Suicide website, which offers immediate practical information, material to help people understand grief and suicide, descriptions of support services, and stories by others bereaved by suicide
- a secure and private online community, where people bereaved by suicide can share stories, ask advice and support others who have lost someone to suicide.
- a podcast for LGBTIQA+ people who are bereaved by suicide. This was created in partnership with Joy94.9 and Switchboard VIC.
We educate and train professionals to support those who are bereaved
Many people working in health, welfare and education come into contact with people who are bereaved by suicide.
Our training empowers professionals in these roles to:
- understand suicide bereavement issues
- respond effectively and sensitively to people bereaved by suicide.
Topics we cover include current bereavement theory, the unique issues in suicide bereavement, trauma, and providing effective care and support to people bereaved by suicide.
Training for health, welfare and education professionals can be arranged across Victoria and is free of charge.
For more information about Support After Suicide
Visit the Support After Suicide website.