Find a Mental Health Professional for Suicide Bereavement

About Suicide Bereavement support

Losing someone to suicide is one of the most painful and complex forms of grief. Alongside profound sadness, people bereaved by suicide often experience intense guilt, unanswerable questions, anger, shame, and sometimes their own despair. Social stigma around suicide can make it difficult to talk openly about the loss, and grief after suicide often does not receive the same acknowledgement as grief after other kinds of death. Suicide bereavement can benefit from specialised support that understands the particular nature of this loss. Therapy provides a space to process all the emotions, including those that feel difficult to admit, and to work toward integrating the loss without having to resolve the unanswerable "why." Peer support from others who have experienced suicide loss can also offer a powerful sense of being understood. In Australia, Standby Response Service provides community outreach and support for people bereaved by suicide, and SANE Australia's SuicideLine Victoria and the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467) both provide counselling. StandBy also maintains a national network of local supporters. GPs can refer to subsidised psychology sessions through Medicare, and the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement offers specialist counselling for complicated grief following suicide. If you are experiencing your own thoughts of suicide, Lifeline (13 11 14) is available 24/7, or call 000 in an emergency.