Grief and bereavement 

Grief is the heartache caused by experiencing a significant loss. Experiencing grief is a normal, natural and expected response to the loss of a significant person in your life.  Bereavement is the human reaction to the loss of a loved person by death.

Everyone will experience grief differently.  How you grieve will depend on many things including your personality, your past history of coping with loss and the relationship you had with the person who died.  There are no timelines for grief; your grief journey may be shorter or longer than you or others expected.

Supporting you or your loved ones through loss

When you are grieving, you may want and need support from others.  Support may come from a variety of sources including family, friends, community groups, faith groups and formal grief and bereavement groups.  If you are concerned about your grief, you can seek professional support and counselling.

There are many grief and bereavement services available through Eastern Health, including individual and group counselling, education sessions, information materials and support groups.

Speak to your doctor or health-care provider to learn more or visit the Pastoral Care, Ethics and Bereavement webpage.

Grief and bereavement support can also be provided by specially trained social workers who work in the Palliative Care Unit and in the palliative care consult service/pain and symptom management team.