One-to-one support
Time with a counsellor to talk through what has happened and how you are coping.
Our services · Adult counselling
AdultBereavementSupportat Foyle Hospice
You do not have to face this alone.
Grief can feel overwhelming, whether you are facing the loss of someone close or have already lost them. Our counsellors offer free support to adults in Derry~Londonderry and the northern part of the Western Trust area.
- Free of charge
- One-to-one, family and group support
- You can contact us yourself
Read this page in short
- Foyle Hospice offers free counselling to adults who are grieving, or facing the loss of someone close.
- It is based in Derry~Londonderry and serves the northern part of the Western Trust area.
- You can have one-to-one support, family support or group support.
- The person who died does not need to have been a hospice patient.
- You can ask for help yourself, or a doctor or nurse can ask for you.
- Phone 028 7135 1010 or email care@foylehospice.com.
Is this for me?
Support before and after a death
Grief is different for everyone. There is no right way to feel and no deadline. If you are struggling, you are welcome here.
Our Adult Counselling Service supports people after a life-limiting diagnosis, and after a death, whatever the cause. That includes loss through illness, suicide, accident, sudden death or miscarriage. The person who died does not need to have been a Foyle Hospice patient.
What support looks like
After an assessment, support is shaped around you
Family support
Help for families to understand and support each other through loss.
Group support
The chance to share with others who understand, in a group setting.
Our counsellors
Our three counsellors provide 22.5 hours of counselling for adults every week. They are supported by student counsellors and volunteer counsellors, and are trained and supervised to help with a wide range of experiences of loss.
Getting started
What happens when you get in touch
- You or a professional makes contact
Phone us, email us, or ask your GP, district nurse or palliative care team to refer you.
- We arrange an assessment
A counsellor talks with you about what you are going through and what would help.
- Your support begins
Support is tailored to you, whether that is one-to-one, family or group.
Adult counselling in 2025/26
Support when it was needed most
105referrals to the service
93new clients
755counselling sessions
722hours of counselling
Figures from the Foyle Hospice Annual Report 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026). Of the 105 referrals, 26 were before a bereavement and 79 were after.
It has guided me through my losses. My counsellor was full of empathy and understanding.
Counselling client, 2025/26
The calm environment was lovely and the counsellor made the space very welcoming and safe.
Counselling client, 2025/26
Always professional, understanding and considerate.
Counselling client, 2025/26
Referrals
How to get support
You can contact the service yourself. A professional can also refer you. Referrals can come from:
- You (self-referral)
- Your GP
- A district nurse
- The Foyle Hospice Community Specialist Nursing Team
- A palliative care team
To refer, ask us for a referral form and post it to Adult Counselling Service, Foyle Hospice, 61 Culmore Road, Derry~Londonderry, BT48 8JE, or contact the counsellors directly.
Questions
Things people often ask
Does it cost anything?
No. There is no cost for this service to you, your family or whoever refers you.
Did the person who died need to be a Foyle Hospice patient?
No. You can use the service whether or not your loved one was cared for by Foyle Hospice.
Can I contact the service myself?
Yes. You can refer yourself, or a GP, district nurse, the Foyle Hospice Community Specialist Nursing Team or a palliative care team can refer you.
What kinds of loss can you help with?
We support adults after a death from illness, suicide, accident or sudden death, after a miscarriage, and before a bereavement when someone close has a life-limiting diagnosis.
What kinds of support are there?
After an assessment, support is tailored to you. It can be one-to-one, family support or group support.
Where does counselling take place?
At Foyle Hospice, 61 Culmore Road, Derry~Londonderry.
Chaplains are also available to patients, families and carers, offering a listening ear and spiritual help. Find out about chaplaincy.
Where we are
Care across the Western Trust
Foyle Hospice supports people across the Western Health and Social Care Trust area. The Inpatient Unit, Day Therapy and our bereavement services are at the hospice on Culmore Road, Derry~Londonderry. Our Community Specialist Palliative Care nurses work in two sectors, so that care reaches people where they live.
- Foyle Hospice, Derry~LondonderryInpatient Unit, Day Therapy, adult counselling and Healing Hearts. 61 Culmore Road, BT48 8JE. Home of our Northern Sector community team.
- Omagh Hospital and Primary Care ComplexBase for our Southern Sector community nurses supporting people at home in the Omagh area.
- South West Acute Hospital, EnniskillenBase for our Southern Sector community nurses supporting people at home across Fermanagh.
Together we care
Bereavement support is free because our community keeps it that way
Donations help us offer counselling to everyone who needs it, without charge. If you would like to help, there are many ways to give your time or support.
Adult Bereavement Support
Foyle Hospice provides bereavement support to adults in the northern sector of the Western Health and Social Care Trust, who may be finding it difficult during their bereavement journey.
Adult Counselling Services
Support to patients and their families after they receive the diagnosis of a life-limiting illness or death of someone close to them, despite the cause of death. We are based in the Derry-Londonderry area of Northern Ireland. We currently have three counsellors on staff that work with adults as they navigate their way through the uncertainty and grief that they are experiencing.
Our counsellors Dr Anne Tracey, Aine McCusker and Jeanette McCole are available to those that have experienced a death through illness, suicide, accident or sudden death.
How do I access this service?
- General practitioner (GP)
- District nurse
- Foyle Hospice Community Specialist Nursing Team
- The adult's loved one does not need to be a patient of Foyle Hospice.
- Palliative Care Team
- Self-referral
What happens?
Once an assessment has been carried out we will be able to plan the appropriate service to suit the individual needs of the person who has been referred. This may include:
- One-to-one Support
- Family Support
- Group Support
There is no cost for this service to you, your family or referral source.
Post the referral form to:
Adult Counselling Service
61 Culmore Road
Derry/Londonderry
BT48 8JE
For further details
Contact Adult Counsellors: Jeanette McCole, Dr Anne Tracey or
Aine McCusker.
- 028 7135 1010
- care@foylehospice.com