Samaritans and Cruse Bereavement Care have created Facing the Future, support groups for people bereaved by suicide.
Facing the Future
Facing the Future has been developed by Samaritans and Cruse Bereavement Care to help support people who have been bereaved by suicide.
Facing the Future gives you the opportunity to meet others who have lost someone to suicide and share your experiences and feelings.
What does it involve?
Support groups run weekly for six consecutive weeks and last for 90 minutes with a maximum of eight participants. Groups are free of charge and are run by two trained volunteer facilitators from Samaritans and Cruse Bereavement Care.
Benefits of attending a Facing the Future group
- Understanding: People grieving because of suicide can feel very alone, suffering from a kind of loss they feel others may not understand. Even with supportive family and friends, participants find it helpful to talk with others who have experienced a similar loss.
- Safety: Participants tell us they feel safe in the group. They’re free to express themselves with others who are also grieving as a result of suicide.
- Coping: The group supports one another to come to conclusions that often lead to acceptance and increased hope for facing the future. Everyone who has taken part in a group has said they would recommend groups to others.
- Respect: Participants feel they are listened to in a respectful environment. Even when people are sharing things they may never have said out loud before, there is a non-judgemental and supportive atmosphere.
I can't speak highly enough of the excellent Facing The Future sessions being offered by Samaritans and Cruse Bereavement Care to those bereaved by suicide.
Mark Thomas, Facing The Future paricipant
Eligibility
You must be over 18 to join a group and have lost someone to suicide over three months ago. Many people experience shock when they lose someone and it can take several months before they are able to share and hear experiences in a group setting.
Our experience shows that people get more out of sessions if they don’t know other group members. This means it’s not possible to join one with a family member or friend. Each group will include people with differing experiences, backgrounds and relationships to the person who has died.
Find out more
Find out more about the groups or to book a place on the Facing the Future website.