Child Bereavement Support: Parents of Angels
Support for Those Grieving the Loss of a Child
At Listening 2 U, we provide specialist child bereavement counselling for parents and families coping with the devastating loss of a child, at any age or stage of life.
We understand that every loss is unique. Whether your child was an infant, teenager, or adult, your grief is real, valid, and deserves gentle, compassionate support.
Our child bereavement counsellors offer a safe, understanding space where you can express your pain, process emotions, and begin to find your way through grief at your own pace.
Support for Those Grieving the Loss of a Child
At Listening 2 U, we provide specialist child bereavement counselling for parents and families coping with the devastating loss of a child, at any age or stage of life.
We understand that every loss is unique. Whether your child was an infant, teenager, or adult, your grief is real, valid, and deserves gentle, compassionate support.
Our child bereavement counsellors offer a safe, understanding space where you can express your pain, process emotions, and begin to find your way through grief at your own pace.
There is no timeline for grief and no right or wrong way to feel. At Listening 2 U, our child bereavement counselling service offers a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental space to help you process emotions, find comfort, and heal at your own pace after the loss of a child.
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It is important to remember: there is no "right" way to grieve, and no timeline for healing. Support is available, and you do not have to carry this pain alone. |
At Listening 2 U, we use the term “child” in its broadest sense — because to a parent or loved one, a child is always a child, no matter their age.
Child loss can occur at any stage, including:
Each loss carries its own form of grief, yet every experience is equally valid. Whether your child was never born, passed in infancy, or died in adulthood, your pain is real. Our child bereavement counselling service offers a compassionate, safe space to help you navigate grief and begin to heal, you don’t have to face it alone.
Child loss can occur at any stage, including:
- Miscarriage
- Stillbirth
- Neonatal and post-neonatal loss
- Infant and child loss
- Adolescent or adult child bereavement
Each loss carries its own form of grief, yet every experience is equally valid. Whether your child was never born, passed in infancy, or died in adulthood, your pain is real. Our child bereavement counselling service offers a compassionate, safe space to help you navigate grief and begin to heal, you don’t have to face it alone.
How We Can Help
We offer a specialist child bereavement counselling service designed to support individuals and families through child loss in any form. You will be met with empathy, understanding, and a space to process your grief in your own time and way.
We also provide training for professionals working with bereaved clients to ensure compassionate, informed, and sensitive care.
We offer a specialist child bereavement counselling service designed to support individuals and families through child loss in any form. You will be met with empathy, understanding, and a space to process your grief in your own time and way.
We also provide training for professionals working with bereaved clients to ensure compassionate, informed, and sensitive care.
The loss of a child is one of the most devastating experiences any parent or family can endure. A life lost is a family forever changed.
"After Months of Anticipation..."
After months, or years of hope, planning, and dreams for the future, it’s hard to imagine anything more devastating than the loss of a newborn or child. The silence left behind is immeasurable.
At Listening 2 U, we honour each and every loss, offering compassionate child bereavement support to those grieving regardless of the child’s age or the circumstances of the loss.
If you or someone you know has experienced the loss of a child, please know: you do not have to face it alone. We are here to listen. We are here to support you.
After months, or years of hope, planning, and dreams for the future, it’s hard to imagine anything more devastating than the loss of a newborn or child. The silence left behind is immeasurable.
At Listening 2 U, we honour each and every loss, offering compassionate child bereavement support to those grieving regardless of the child’s age or the circumstances of the loss.
If you or someone you know has experienced the loss of a child, please know: you do not have to face it alone. We are here to listen. We are here to support you.
After the Loss of a Child, a Parent/Carer May Feel...
The grief that follows the loss of a child is profound, complex, and deeply personal. Every parent's experience is unique, but some common emotions may include (though this is by no means an exhaustive list):
- Overwhelming sadness – A deep, constant sorrow that may feel impossible to escape.
- Guilt – Wondering if something could have been done differently, even when nothing could have changed the outcome.
- Anger – At themselves, at others, at circumstances, or even at the world for the unfairness of the loss.
- Shock or numbness – Feeling emotionally detached or unable to comprehend what has happened.
- Fear or anxiety – Worrying about the future, other loved ones, or experiencing intense anxiety from the trauma.
- Isolation or loneliness – Feeling as though no one else can truly understand their pain.
- Hopelessness – Struggling to imagine a future without their child.
- Longing – An intense yearning to be with their child again or to relive moments shared.
- Confusion – Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, or a sense of disorientation.
- Relief (and guilt about it) – In cases where the child suffered illness, relief from their pain may be followed by guilt.
The Loss of a Child: A Grief Like No OtherI
It doesn’t matter what age your child was, whether they were a baby, adolescent, or fully grown, a parent who loses their child is still a parent grieving for their child. That bond never ends, and neither does the love.
Hearing the traumatic news of your child's death throes you into a state of shock and disbelief. Your mind tries to defy reality, to pretend it hasn’t happened. The sheer intensity of emotion, the depth of despair, and even the physical pain that comes with such loss can lead to a deep numbness a form of protection from the enormity of the truth.
The death of someone you love is devastating but the death of your own child turns your world upside down. To see the life you created, someone who is quite literally a part of you, gone while you remain, defies the natural order. It leaves parents trying to make sense of what feels like senselessness.
We expect to grieve our parents not to outlive our children. There is no rulebook for grief. Every parent’s journey is different. The overwhelming, raw emotions may make you feel like screaming at the unfairness of the world, or like shutting down completely, unable to face the reality of your pain for fear of being swallowed by it.
The Long Road of Grief and Adjustment
Bereavement means being robbed, robbed of your future, your hopes, and your plans. As the reality of the loss sinks in, it can bring with it anger, hatred, blame, and guilt. Often, the person a grieving parent blames most is themselves.
This guilt and anger can spill over into relationships, even the strongest ones. Partners may grieve differently, and that difference can feel like emotional distance, even isolation. When the child was from a previous relationship, the only person who might fully understand the depth of that loss could be an ex-partner and this can bring confusion and conflict in current relationships.
As time goes on, you may begin to feel glimpses of relief or even happiness but these moments can be followed by a renewed wave of guilt. How can life go on? How can I smile when my child is no longer here?
Daily life becomes a mountain to climb. Even basic existence getting out of bed, functioning at work, engaging with friends can demand immense energy. Others may struggle to understand your fatigue, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, or emotional reactions around anniversaries and milestones.
The Pain of Final Goodbyes
One of the most surreal and agonising moments for a parent is planning their child’s funeral. Seeing the small coffin. Hearing the words spoken. Watching as people gather to say goodbye. It’s the moment when the finality of the loss becomes painfully, brutally real.
And then there is the heartache a real, physical pain. It lives in your chest like a weight that won’t lift. It’s not imaginary. It’s the pain of a broken heart a grief that words cannot fully describe. Our child bereavement counsellors understand what you are going through and are there to guide you through.
A Grief That Evolves, But Never Ends
There’s no time limit on grieving a child. At every life stage they didn’t reach, the wound can reopen: their first day at school, birthdays, exams, graduations, weddings the grandchildren who will never be. Grief returns in waves, sometimes gentle, sometimes crashing.
The truth is, nobody "gets over" the loss of a child. The grief doesn’t end. Instead, you learn to carry it, to live alongside it, to adjust as best you can.
It doesn’t matter what age your child was, whether they were a baby, adolescent, or fully grown, a parent who loses their child is still a parent grieving for their child. That bond never ends, and neither does the love.
Hearing the traumatic news of your child's death throes you into a state of shock and disbelief. Your mind tries to defy reality, to pretend it hasn’t happened. The sheer intensity of emotion, the depth of despair, and even the physical pain that comes with such loss can lead to a deep numbness a form of protection from the enormity of the truth.
The death of someone you love is devastating but the death of your own child turns your world upside down. To see the life you created, someone who is quite literally a part of you, gone while you remain, defies the natural order. It leaves parents trying to make sense of what feels like senselessness.
We expect to grieve our parents not to outlive our children. There is no rulebook for grief. Every parent’s journey is different. The overwhelming, raw emotions may make you feel like screaming at the unfairness of the world, or like shutting down completely, unable to face the reality of your pain for fear of being swallowed by it.
The Long Road of Grief and Adjustment
Bereavement means being robbed, robbed of your future, your hopes, and your plans. As the reality of the loss sinks in, it can bring with it anger, hatred, blame, and guilt. Often, the person a grieving parent blames most is themselves.
This guilt and anger can spill over into relationships, even the strongest ones. Partners may grieve differently, and that difference can feel like emotional distance, even isolation. When the child was from a previous relationship, the only person who might fully understand the depth of that loss could be an ex-partner and this can bring confusion and conflict in current relationships.
As time goes on, you may begin to feel glimpses of relief or even happiness but these moments can be followed by a renewed wave of guilt. How can life go on? How can I smile when my child is no longer here?
Daily life becomes a mountain to climb. Even basic existence getting out of bed, functioning at work, engaging with friends can demand immense energy. Others may struggle to understand your fatigue, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, or emotional reactions around anniversaries and milestones.
The Pain of Final Goodbyes
One of the most surreal and agonising moments for a parent is planning their child’s funeral. Seeing the small coffin. Hearing the words spoken. Watching as people gather to say goodbye. It’s the moment when the finality of the loss becomes painfully, brutally real.
And then there is the heartache a real, physical pain. It lives in your chest like a weight that won’t lift. It’s not imaginary. It’s the pain of a broken heart a grief that words cannot fully describe. Our child bereavement counsellors understand what you are going through and are there to guide you through.
A Grief That Evolves, But Never Ends
There’s no time limit on grieving a child. At every life stage they didn’t reach, the wound can reopen: their first day at school, birthdays, exams, graduations, weddings the grandchildren who will never be. Grief returns in waves, sometimes gentle, sometimes crashing.
The truth is, nobody "gets over" the loss of a child. The grief doesn’t end. Instead, you learn to carry it, to live alongside it, to adjust as best you can.
It is important to remember: there is no "right" way to grieve, and no timeline for healing. Support is available, and you do not have to carry this pain alone.
© Listening 2 U Ltd Company Number 07925832