Counselling and emotional support

Hearing that you, your child or a family member has been diagnosed with a neuromuscular condition or related condition, may lead to confused and overwhelming feelings.

For some people, it helps to talk to someone outside their immediate family and friends. For example a GP, health visitor or social worker. Other people may feel they need or want more professional emotional support. This support can be offered by someone such as a counsellor or child/family psychologist. A referral to these people can be made by your GP and, for children, through their school or social worker.

There is a factsheet called Let’s talk about feelings: counselling, which some people may find useful.

Helplines for bereavement and counselling

Organisations that provide bereavement and/or counselling support on their websites and helplines are listed below:

• Child Bereavement Charity
  Tel: 01494 446648
  Fax: 01494 440057
  Email: enquiries@childbereavement.org.uk
  Web: www.childbereavement.org.uk
  
  
• Child Death Helpline
  Helpline: 0800 282 986 (open every evening from 7-10 pm; Monday to Friday 10am-1pm, except Wednesday when it's open from 1-4 pm
  Web:www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk
  
  
• Compassionate Friends - Supports bereaved parents and their families.
  Helpline: 0845 1232 304
  Web: www.tcf.org.uk
  
  A part of its website is dedicated to siblings who have lost a brother or sister: www.tcfsiblingsupport.org.uk
  
  
• Cruse Bereavement Care
  Youthline (12-18 yrs): 0808 808 1677
  Web: www.rd4u.org.uk
  Adult Helpline: 0844 477 9400
  Web: www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk
  
  
• Samaritans - Provides 24 hours a day confidential emotional support.
  Helpline: 08457 90 90 90
  Web: www.samaritans.org
  
  
• Support Line - Provides confidential emotional support to any individual on any issue. Its website also features a lot of information about emotional issues.
  Tel: 020 8554 9004
  Web: www.supportline.org.uk
  
  
• Winston's Wish - Provides support to bereaved children and young people trying to rebuild their life after a family death.
  Helpline: 0845 203 0405
  Web: www.winstonswish.org.uk