Child and Young Person Bereavement Support

Foyle Hospice provides bereavement support to children and adults in the northern sector of the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT), who may be finding it difficult during their bereavement journey.

Healing Hearts

Children & Young Person's support service (4-16 Years)

Healing Hearts provides specialist bereavement support for any child or young person, aged 4-16 years, who have experienced a loved one receiving the diagnosis of a life-limiting illness or death of someone close to them regardless of the cause. We are a child and young person counselling service specialising in Child Bereavement based in the Derry-Londonderry area of Northern Ireland.

Our children and young person’s facilitator Michelle Kosky and team of Counsellors are available to those that have experienced a death through illness, suicide, accident or sudden death.

How do I access this service?

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 child/young person who has been referred. This may include:

There is no cost for this service to you, your family or referral source.

Explaining death and grief to children and young people can be challenging. Below are some helpful videos that could give some guidance.

The Invisible Suitcase from Child Bereavement UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmzy6fRLcCU

Children’s understanding of death at different ages from Child Bereavement UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBA2U_AFBng

Let’s talk about grief – explaining death to children (condensed version 5 min) from My Grief Assist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBKOs1bLqIE

Explaining to a child that someone has died from Child Bereavement UK: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/telling-a-child-that-someone-has-died

How do I explain a funeral to a young child from Child Bereavement UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMpDam54eOc

Healing Hearts Leaflet

Healing Hearts Referral Form

Post the referral form to:

Michelle Kosky

Children & Young Person’s Facilitator

61 Culmore Road

Derry/Londonderry

BT48 8JE.

On receipt of the referral we will contact the family and arrange an assessment meeting so we can decide on the best way to help the child/young person.