Triple Zero
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).
Grief, Loss and Finding Support
Find practical advice, trusted support services and guidance for navigating grief, supporting others and helping children and young people through loss.
Support for Every Grief Journey
Grief can touch every part of life, and there is no right way or set timeline for finding your way through it. This page offers practical ideas to help you care for yourself, support someone who is grieving and find trusted help, including options for children, young people and remote, rural and regional communities. Take what feels useful, move at your own pace and remember, you are not alone.
Here you will find practical ideas and trusted support to help you take the next small step. Use what feels helpful right now and come back whenever you need to.
Need Immediate Help?
Suicide Call Back Service
Suicide Call Back Service is a 24-hour, nationwide service that provides free phone and online counselling to people who are feeling suicidal, are worried about someone, or have lost someone to suicide.
Griefline
Griefline provides free, confidential support for anyone experiencing grief or loss, by phone or online.
Getting Help
Where to start locally
Make an appointment with your local doctor to discuss how you are coping. A GP can provide an assessment and prepare a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan, which lets you claim Medicare rebates for sessions with a qualified psychologist or grief counsellor
Remote, rural and regional considerations
Living in a remote, rural or regional community can make it harder to access grief support. Services may be a long drive away, waiting lists can be lengthy, internet or phone coverage may be unreliable, and seeking help in a small community can feel difficult when privacy is important.
Steps to Access Support Remotely
Living in a remote, rural or regional community can make accessing support more challenging, but there are practical ways to connect with help that feels right for you.
Start with your GP
Ask about telehealth appointments, visiting specialists, outreach services or grief counsellors who support people in your area.
Explore phone and online support
Many services offer counselling by phone, video call or online chat, which can reduce the need to travel.
Plan around connectivity
If internet access is unreliable, ask for a phone appointment, use a private space with stronger reception or request resources that can be downloaded or posted to you.
Ask someone you trust to help
A friend, family member or local support person can sit with you while you call, help find services or make first contact on your behalf.
Draw on safe community connections
Schools, sporting clubs, neighbours, local groups and community health services may be able to offer practical help or connect you with further support.
Protect your privacy
Ask a service how it manages confidentiality and whether you can speak with someone outside your immediate community.
Try another option if the first practitioner is not right
It is okay to ask for a different practitioner, communication method or service. You deserve support that feels safe and helpful, wherever you live.
What Grief Can Feel Like
Grief is different for everyone, and it can feel different from one day, or even one moment, to the next. There is no right or wrong way to experience it. Some days may feel manageable, while others may feel heavier or catch you by surprise.
You might notice changes in how you think, feel, connect with others or get through everyday tasks. These reactions can come and go, and you may experience some, all or none of the following:
difficulty concentrating, remembering things or making decisions
changes in sleep or appetite
tiredness, headaches or physical tension
sadness, anger, guilt, confusion, relief or numbness
wanting company at some times and privacy at others
finding birthdays, anniversaries and reminders difficult
grief returning unexpectedly, even a long time after the loss
wanting to isolate or withdraw from the world
What may help today
Tell one trusted person what you need, even if it is simply company.
Focus on basic needs such as water, food, rest and regular medication.
Break decisions and tasks into small, manageable steps.
Accept practical help with meals, transport, childcare, school, household or farm work.
Write down important information, as concentration and memory may be affected.
Limit news or social media if it is making things harder.
Keep a simple routine where possible.
Find a safe way to remember the person, such as sharing stories, creating a memory box or visiting a meaningful place.
Speak with a GP, counsellor or grief support service if you would like additional support.
Supporting Someone Who is Grieving
When someone is grieving, it can be hard for them to know what they need, let alone ask for it. Do not wait for them to reach out or say they need help; just show up.
Send a message, make a cup of tea, drop off a meal or offer to help with something practical. Keep your offer simple and specific, without expecting a reply. You do not need to have the right words or try to fix their grief. Being there, listening and continuing to check in can make a real difference, especially after the first few weeks when other support may begin to fade.
Helpful things to say:
“I am sorry. I am here with you.”
“Would you like to talk, or would company without talking feel better?”
“I can/ I am bringing dinner on Thursday. What would you like?”
“There is no pressure to reply.”
What to avoid:
“Everything happens for a reason.”
“At least…”
“You need to stay strong.”
Comparing their loss with someone else’s, or your own.
Pressuring them to talk, attend events or appear to be coping.
Tip
Offer specific practical help and try to remain in regular contact after the first few weeks, when other support may begin to reduce. Keep showing up for them.
Support After Suicide
Losing someone to suicide can bring many emotions at once, including deep sadness, shock, anger, guilt or confusion. You may be left with questions that have no clear answers, or feel unsure about what to say to family members and friends who are also grieving. Whatever you are feeling, you do not have to face it alone.
Specialist support is available for individuals, families, schools, workplaces and communities, with people who understand the complexities of grief after suicide and can help you take the next step.
StandBy Support After Suicide, free support across Australia on 1300 727 247
Suicide Call Back Service, free professional counselling 24 hours a day on
1300 659 467Additionally, you can call Dolly's Dream Counsellors on 13 DOLLY (13 36 55) for assistance.
When to Seek Additional Help
Intense grief is not automatically a mental health condition. Encourage people to seek additional support if they:
are unable to manage basic daily activities
are increasingly using alcohol or other substances to cope
have severe or ongoing sleep problems or distress
experience intrusive memories or intense fear after a traumatic death
feel unsafe, hopeless or unable to cope
are worried about their own safety or someone else’s
A GP can help assess what is happening and discuss suitable support. If there is immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).
Supporting Children and Young People with Grief
Children and young people can experience grief in many different ways. Their feelings and behaviour may change from day to day, and they may move between sadness, questions, play and everyday activities. This does not mean they have forgotten or are not grieving.
They need calm, honest and age-appropriate support from trusted adults who can listen, answer questions and remind them they are safe and not alone.
You do not need to have all the answers. Being present, keeping routines where possible and making space for their feelings can help them find their way through grief, one step at a time.
Use clear, age-appropriate language. Avoid confusing phrases such as “gone to sleep”.
Give honest information in small amounts and check what the young person has understood.
Reassure them that the death was not their fault.
Let them know that all feelings, including having no obvious reaction, are acceptable.
Maintain predictable routines where possible.
Offer choices about funerals, memorials and family conversations.
Tell the school or relevant activity leaders what has happened and what support may help.
Remember that children may revisit grief as they grow and understand the loss differently.
Seek professional support if changes in sleep, behaviour, relationships, school attendance or daily functioning are persistent or concerning.
Information for schools, clubs and community groups
Give children and young people a say in decisions that affect them, when it feels appropriate. Ask whether they would like to attend or take part in the funeral, memorial or other family rituals, and let them know it is okay to change their mind.
Be led by the child; instead of deciding how they should remember the person who died, give them some options. They might like to draw a picture, share a story, choose a song, create a memory box or find another way that feels meaningful to them.
Grief Australia has some great resources for primary school-aged children:
Suggested Reading List for Those Who are Grieving
Explore a more extensive reading list, thoughtfully compiled by St Vincent’s Hospital.
The Year of Magical Thinking, Didion, Joan - Random House, New York (2005)
A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis - Faber & Faber, London (1961)
Young Widow’s Guide to Home Improvement, Virginia Lloyd - University of Queensland Press, Australia (2008)
For parents and caregivers
Bereaved Children and Teens: A Support Guide for Parents and Professionals, Earl Grollman
Talking About Death, Earl Grollman
For young people
Something I've Never Felt Before: How Teenagers Cope with Grief, Doris Zagdanski (AUS)
Interactive and activity books for children and young people
Help Me Say Goodbye: Activities for Helping Kids Cope when a Special Person Dies, Janis Silverman
Something Has Happened: An Activity Book for Young Children, Tricia Irving (NZ)
What's Dead Mean? Doris Zagdanski (AUS)