Grief is an emotional reaction to the death of someone close to us. It can produce feelings of loss, helplessness and sadness that are very difficult to cope with. This page lists counselling services intended to help people in Victoria find ways of coping with the effects Grief by providing information about support services and how to find them and gain access to them.

Telephone Counselling

• Grief Line: Calvary Health Care, Bethlehem. Tel: (03) 9596 7799 
• Care Ring: 24-hour counselling/support service. Tel: 13 6169
• Lifeline: 24-hour counselling/support service. Tel: 13 1114.
• Kids Helpline: 24-hour telephone counselling service. Freecall 1800 55 1800.
• Lifeline Suicide Help Line Victoria. Tel: 1300 651 251

Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement

McCulloch House, Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton.

Provide individual grief counselling, couple and family sessions. Support groups for younger bereaved partners, children and adults whose parent has died. Refer to private counsellors and other agencies. For any person who needs bereavement support.

Tel: (03) 9265 2100, direct line: (03) 9265 2111, Geelong 5226 7745, Ballarat 5336 4285, Bendigo 5427 3463, Shepparton 5823 3200 and Moe 5127 9173.

Website: www.grief.org.au

NALAG (Vic)

National Association for Loss and Grief (Vic), Suite 4, Level 1, 182 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne.

Provide a statewide telephone and referral service, which put people in contact with accredited Loss and Grief Counsellors. These counsellors are private practitioners and professional fees for service apply.

Tel. (03) 9650 3000, Freecall (country Vic) 1800 100 023

Website: www.nglagvic.org.au

Mercy Western Grief Service

3 Devonshire Road, Sunshine.

Provide support and counselling for people in the Western region

Tel: (03) 9364 9838.

Calvary Health Care Bethlehem

476 Kooyong Road, Caulfield.

Provide one-on-one bereavement counselling for adults and children. The Children's program "Helping children to heal" is free to any child in Victoria. The counselling for adults is only for adults with a link to the hospital and is free as well.

Tel: (03) 9596 2853.

Centacare

Provides individual grief counselling and runs a range of loss and grief programs for adults and children. Counselling and the Loss & Grief programs are provided in a range of areas, the fee is means tested. Contact details for the different locations are the following:

Bendigo: (03) 5443 9577, Dandenong: (03) 9793 2200, East Melbourne: (03) 9287 5555, Footscray: (03) 9689 3888, Geelong: (03) 5221 7055, Malvern: (03) 9576 2377, Mitcham: (03) 9873 4344.

Statewide Specialist Bereavement Service (SSBS)

Rural counsellors have been employed by the SSBS - contact details are as follows:

Barwon South WR Geelong 5226 7745, Gippsland Region Moe 5127 9173, Grampians Region Ballarat 5336 4285, Hume Region Shepparton 5823 3200, Loddon Mallee Region Bendigo 5427 3463.

Compassionate Friends

267 Canterbury Road, Canterbury.

Provide support for bereaved parents and siblings.

Tel: (03) 9888 4944 or 1800 641 091

Solace Association Inc

The Association runs self-help support groups in centres around Victoria for those suffering the loss of a partner.

Tel: (03) 9384 1722.

Further information about grief counselling and bereavement support can be provided by local Palliative Care services or contact us on Freecall 1800 448 339.