Healing Hearts provides specialist bereavement support for any child or young person, aged 4 -18 years, who have experienced a loved one receiving the diagnosis of a life-limiting illness or death of someone close to them regardless of the cause.
We are a child and young person counselling service specialising in Child Bereavement based in the Derry-Londonderry area of Northern Ireland.
Our children and young person’s facilitator Michelle Kosky and team of Counsellors are available to those that have experienced a death through illness, suicide, accident or sudden death.
Support is provided to any child or young person who have been bereaved despite the cause of death. The family do not need to have had a family member receive care from Foyle Hospice to avail of this service.
Check out the video below from Anthony Fitzgerald who lost his wife Helena in 2019. Their two young sons received support from our Healing Hearts service.
How do I access this service?
- Self-referral
- District nurse
- Foyle Hospice Community Specialist Nursing Team
- School
- Palliative Care Team
- General practitioner (GP)
Check out the video below from local teachers Fiona and Ciara who discuss their journey with Healing Hearts and how the service can help teachers and schools.
There is no cost for this service to you, your family or referral source.
How do I access this service?
Once an assessment has been carried out we will be able to plan the appropriate service to suit the individual needs of the child/young person who has been referred. This may include:
- One-to-one Support
- Family Support
- Group Support
Explaining death and grief to children and young people can be challenging. Below are some helpful videos that could give some guidance.
- The Invisible Suitcase from Child Bereavement UK
- Children's understanding of death at different ages from Child Bereavement UK
- Explaining to a child that someone has died from Child Bereavement UK
- Let's talk about grief - explaining death to children (condensed version 5 min) from My Grief Assist
- How do I explain a funeral to a young child from Child Bereavement UK
Post the referral form to:
Michelle Kosky
Children & Young Person’s Facilitator
61 Culmore Road
Derry/Londonderry
BT48 8JE.
On receipt of the referral we will contact the family and arrange an assessment meeting so we can decide on the best way to help the child/young person.
For further details
Contact Michelle Kosky, Children & Young Person’s Facilitator
- 028 7135 1010
- healinghearts@shop.foylehospice.com