Resources
Baby Loss - and Grief
Losing a baby is one of the most devastating experiences a person can go through. This article covers how to understand the impact of baby loss and how to help those who have gone through it.
Death, Grief and Hope for Adults
FACTUAL: Downloadable Christian resource which looks to tell the truth about what happens when someone dies and how to understand our feelings.
Enable Law – Bereavement Support Fact Sheets
FACTUAL: Bereaved individuals and families needing legal clarity or support after a sudden, unexpected or complicated loss can read these factsheets called: A Guide Through Inquests for Bereaved People and Legal Support Following Bereavement.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists Suicide Support Advice
WEBSITE: The Royal College of Psychiatrists has produced a bereavement information pack for those bereaved by suicide or sudden death.
FuneralCelebrants.org.uk Directory
WEBSITE: Funeral Celebrants.org.uk is a register of funeral celebrants across the UK. A Funeral Celebrant is a person who can help plan, write and lead a Funeral service.
The Long Way Down - Poems of Grief and Hope by Averil Stedeford
POETRY: This is a collection of poems written by Averil, a psychiatrist who worked in a hospice. Soon after she left the hospice, her husband was found to have inoperable cancer. The poems in the book represent a moving account of her experience with him and her journey through bereavement. It has helped many people as they go through the grieving process.
Physical Manifestation of Grief - Understanding How Grief Affects the Brain
This article explores the physical manifestation of grief. Grief not only impacts our emotions but also brings significant changes to the brain, affecting memory, stress levels, and overall well-being.
Dying for Beginners - The Dying Process
This video explains the dying process very gently so that we understand it better and can have conversations with friends and family about it.
Love Your Pet - Grief Support
In this article we acknowledge the value of pets in supporting grief and the pain we can also experience when they die.
Looking After Yourself - When You’re Mourning
After the funeral, everyone else's lives seem to go back to normal, and you may be left wondering how you're going to cope. Read on for advice on taking care of yourself, crucial for your future wellbeing and that of others, when you’re still mourning.
Bereavement Support - in Older Age
Although losing a loved one is perhaps more common in later life, this doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. If someone you know has been bereaved, there are some simple things you can do to provide bereavement support.
How to Cope with Grief - The Benefits of Grief Gardening
When you lose someone, the grief will never go away completely — so you may want to know how to cope with grief. Some people find that gardening as they grieve, known as grief gardening, can gently relieve some of the emotional and physical symptoms after the loss of a loved one.
Losing a Loved One - Coping When Bereaved
AtaLoss Subject Matter Expert, Sabine Horner is a nutritionist. Here she writes about how deep breathing can help us deal with the storms of emotion when we're bereaved.
Top Tips to Keep Well Hydrated - The Physical Effects of Grief
One of the most common physical effects of grief is reduced appetite and a lack of interest in drinking enough fluids. Meanwhile we can often cry a lot which depletes our hydration levels further. Sabine explains why keeping hydrated in grief is important and how that can be achieved.
Bereavement Support - Young People Training
Listening People bereavement support training and resources provide tools for teachers, youth workers, counsellors and anyone who works with young people to safely and confidently enable them to engage around the difficult topic of loss.
Symptoms - The Physical Effects of Grief
Are you puzzled by the physical effects of grief? Sabine explains the hidden causes of common grief symptoms.
Funerals: Find an Independent - Funeral Director near You
Understand how The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (known as SAIF) can help.
Funerals: Everything a - Young Person Needs to Know
A useful film and book to help any young person understand funerals (burial and cremation) and decide whether to attend and what role they can play in saying goodbye to a loved one.
Surviving Christmas - When You Are Bereaved
The video from Sabine Horner offers tips for surviving Christmas when you are bereaved.
Bereavement Counselling - What You Need to Know
We provide some information here about what bereavement counselling is, what to expect and how to find a good counsellor that suits your needs. The information is helpfully provided by the Association of Christian Counsellors.
Anticipatory Grief & the Final Farewell - The Power of Discussing Death
Anticipatory loss is the grief that is felt in anticipation of someone's death and we can better prepare for loss, change the negative narrative, and remove the taboo by talking about death.
Christmas… a Difficult Time for - Those Who Are Grieving
Christmas is a difficult time for those grieving. This is the season of traditions and family gatherings and a by-product is that it highlights the ‘missing-person-shaped’ hole in our lives.
Annually Remembering - In Memoriam
Remember loved ones In Memoriam. We encourage people who have been bereaved to consider activities on offer at this time of remembering. We also offer some advice to help bereaved people with their grief.
Offering Bereavement Support - to Grieving University Students
Supporting young adults as they navigate being away from home at University and providing them with bereavement support can be challenging. Here our Founder, Yvonne Tulloch provides quick tips on how to do so.
Bereavement Support - Befriending
Loneliness is often something we experience following the death of someone important to us and can happen at any age. This article provides links to services that can help by offering bereavement support.
Preventing Drastic - Weight Loss in Grief
Sabine Horner explains why eating can become a major issue after losing a loved one and experiencing grief. In the early days, for biological reasons most people who are grieving simply do not feel hungry.
Losing a Child - and Grieving
Grieving the death of a child, of any age, brings heartbreak and devastation. This article was written by Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds who set up the Good Grief Project following the death of their son, Josh.
Feeling the Physical Effects of Grief? - Nourish Your Body
Nutritionist Sabine Horner recommends ways to nourish your body when you are grieving.
Rosemary for Remembrance - Mourning Cake
A recipe for how to bake a Rosemary for Remembrance Cake from Nigella Lawson’s book Feast. It’s perfect to bake for yourself or someone else who is in mourning.
Bereaved? Why We Can’t Stomach Food - Physical Signs of Grief
Lost your appetite? Of the many physical signs of grief, a decreased appetite and other food related issues are perhaps the most common. Learn what you can do about it.
Michael Rosen's Sad Book by Michael Rosen
BOOK: A beautifully illustrated read for adults and children about love and loss which explains why it's ok to be sad sometimes.
The Boys Are Back in Town by Simon Carr
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: A father bringing up boys after the death of his wife.
Living on the Seabed by Lindsay Nicholson
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Lindsay Nicholson looks at the grieving process and offers a roadmap to help all of us navigate a path none of us chooses but all of us must walk.
Leaving a Legacy and - Reducing Your Tax Liability
Leaving a legacy including a part or your entire estate to a charity can reduce, and in some situations, eliminate your Inheritance Tax liability.
How to - Hold Your Own Memorial
If you have been bereaved and you can’t attend a funeral or have chosen not to do so you may want to hold your own memorial service for the person you have lost.
Learning Disabilities - and Bereavement Support
This briefing is produced by Brake, the road safety charity. It aims to raise awareness of how people with learning disabilities experience grief, and provides advice on how to offer them bereavement support.
The Grief Goes On - A Gift for a Bereaved Friend
Dr Marianne Trent, a Clinical Psychologist and Author of 'The Grief Collective', talks about mourning and letting other people know you are bereaved. She also explains the AtaLoss Remembering Someone badge which we think makes a good gift for a bereaved friend.
How to Cope with a - Tragedy & Complicated Grief
Every death brings its own trauma to survivors. However, when someone is suddenly killed in an accident or murdered, the stress levels rise considerably for those left behind and this can cause what is known as complicated grief.
Traumatic Grief & - Bereavement Support
Trauma refers to the way that some distressing events are so extreme or shocking that they overwhelm a person’s ability to cope, resulting in lasting negative impact. This article contains information to help you understand and respond to people with traumatic grief.
What Is Effective - Bereavement Support?
This article explores effective bereavement support, how we can learn to offer it, and what it looks like.
Magnesium: Managing Symptoms - When Struggling with Grief
When we are struggling with grief one often-overlooked factor in managing the symptoms we experience, is ensuring we are getting enough magnesium. Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a pivotal role in over 300 biological processes within the human body.
Autistic People and - Bereavement
There is not a great deal of research on how autistic people deal with bereavement. However there is useful advice available that can help us support anyone with autism, whatever their age.
Writing a Will or Handling One When Bereaved
You might have to deal with the Will, money and property of the person who's died if you're a close friend or relative, or the executor of the Will. If you are anticipating your death you may be considering writing a will. We’ll talk about both aspects of Wills.
What to Do When - Someone Dies Abroad
What to do when someone dies abroad: there are a whole set of considerations to take into account. However, there are people to help you and you should seek their advice if you find yourself in this situation.
Registering a Death - What to do When Someone Dies
Need to know what to do when someone dies regarding registering the death? The death certificate is the official record that their life has ended and is the formal government record of that fact. We’ll explain how to proceed.
Funerals - How to Plan One
Our guide on how to plan a funeral. A funeral is an opportunity to create a special tribute to your loved one and whilst painful, can also be memorable and a positive experience.
Protecting Against Identity Fraud - What to do When Someone Dies
Wondering what to do when someone dies and has their identity stolen? This advice might help you to prevent it.
Dealing with Belongings - What to do When Someone Dies
This article outlines what to do when someone dies and you need to deal with their belongings, it also covers what the legal rules may be.
Government Advice - What to do When Someone Dies
Do you need to know what to do when someone dies? There’s a lot of Government advice to help and support you during this difficult time. This article explains more.
Funeral Etiquette - in Different Faiths
If you are attending the funeral of someone of a different faith you can get advice here on, for example, what to expect, how to pay your respects, how to send condolences and what to wear to the funeral.
Five Tips for Supporting - a Grieving Young Person
Here are five tips for supporting young people who are bereaved.
Cancelling Mail
This is our guide to cancelling mail. Receiving post for the person who has died can be very difficult. Depending on the type of mail, there are a variety of practical measures you can take to deal with the problem.
How to Easily Cancel Official Documents - What to do When Someone Dies
Do you need to cancel official documents? We’ll tell you what to do when someone dies. Using the Government's ‘Tell Us Once’ service will ensure all government departments are informed. This includes passports, driving licenses, pensions, benefits, national insurance, tax and blue badges.
Benefits - and Bereavement
If you have been affected by bereavement there may be Government benefits you are now eligible for, especially if you are a partner or child of the deceased. Depending on which of your loved ones has died your tax allowances, National Insurance and benefits may change.
Funerals: How to Be Involved - If You Can’t Attend
Saying goodbye at a funeral is a significant part of our relationship with the person we have lost, whoever they are. We may dread it, of course, but we still want to be present and to get it ‘right’ as a fitting tribute to all that they were to us.
Headstones - Advice & Inspiration
FACTUAL: Offering advice and inspiration on choosing a headstone, with over 150 photographs, client stories, and ideas for epitaphs, we believe this book will be invaluable to anyone wanting to create a perfect memorial for their loved one.
When Children Grieve by John W. James and Russell Friedman
FACTUAL: In When Children Grieve, the authors offer a cutting-edge volume to free children from the false idea of “not feeling bad” and to empower them with positive, effective methods of dealing with loss.
The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman
FACTUAL: Incomplete recovery from grief can have a lifelong negative effect on the capacity for happiness. Drawing from their own histories as well as from others’, the authors illustrate how it is possible to recovery from grief and regain energy and spontaneity.
Dancing When the Lights Go Out by Roger Greene
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: an emotional and profound exploration of grief, loss, and the societal taboo surrounding these experiences.
Baby Mail Preference Service
WEBSITE: Free service which allows you to register not to receive baby related mailings.
Your Last Gift: Getting Your Affairs in Order Before You Die, by Matthew Hutton
FACTUAL: 'Your Last Gift' is a practical step-by-step guide to getting your paperwork together, to help your loved ones deal easily with the 'sadmin' after your death. It has received excellent reviews.
Coping With - a Tragedy
ARTICLE: When a death is senseless, involves multiple losses or children, or when it could have been avoided, there is a deeper sense of trauma and grief.
Bereaved by Addiction or Substance Abuse
ARTICLE: Finding support and how to give support to anyone bereaved by addiction and substance abuse
Keeping Your Feet on the Ground When a Loved One Dies
ARTICLE: Deep breathing can guide you through the storm of emotions following the loss of a loved one. Our Ambassador Sabine offers advice and recommends a book to read.
Cooking for One by Simon Beckett Allen
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: This new book is designed to help newly bereaved people learn to love cooking for themselves at a time when they may have lost interest in food or never learned to cook.
The Smart Grief Guide
WEBSITE: Developed to help young people find a way through their feelings .
Help is at Hand
FACTUAL: A resource for people bereaved through suicide or other unexplained death, and for those supporting them.
Understanding Bereavement - The Welsh Version
FACTUAL: A Welsh language short leaflet introducing Cruse Bereavement Care and providing information about bereavement.
Finding the Words - Support After Suicide
FACTUAL: How to support someone who has been bereaved and affected by suicide.
Books Beyond Words - Mini Bereavement Set
FACTUAL: A collection of four books which cover bereavement and death suitable for people who find pictures easier than words, including learning disabilities and those whose first language is not English.
Return to Him
REFLECTION: A book to guide muslims through bereavement. The 99 Names of Allah, are used to present a grief recovery process.
Coroners and Inquests: What to Expect
ARTICLE: If your loved one died unexpectedly, by suicide, in an accident or in unexplained causes, the death will be referred to a Coroner. Find out everything you need to know about this process here.
Good Grief- Embracing Life at a Time of Death, by Catherine Mayer and Anne Mayer Bird
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Mother and daughter Catherine and Anne, face widowhood on the eve of the pandemic. Sandi Toksvig says this is "The most life-affirming book ever written about death."
What to Do When Someone Dies: National Bereavement Service
FACTUAL: A very helpful little guide to everything you need to do following a bereavement and a handy checklist on the back.
Funerals: Organisations That Can Help
WEBSITE: Organisations, both faith-based and secular, that can help and advise about loved ones' funerals and help you find a celebrant.
Government Departments You Need to Notify About a Death
WEBSITE: Useful links to Government departments to notify them about a death.
What Does Dead Mean? by Caroline Jay and Jenni Thomas
REFLECTION: A book for very young children to help explain death and dying.
Death, Grief and Hope - People in Prison
BOOKLET: Downloadable Christian resource which looks to tell the truth about what happens when someone dies and how to understand our feelings.
Goodness Gracious Grief Podcast by Kady Braine
WEBSITE: Looking at how we can help each other grieve.
If There’s Anything I Can Do: How to Help Someone Who Has Been Bereaved by Caroline Voaden
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Caroline Voaden was widowed in 2003 with two very young children. She explains how it feels to try and cope after the death of a partner, and she also passes on the advice of many other people who have lost their partners, some with young families, many in later life.
Funerals: A Guide by James Bentley, Andrew Best & Jackie Hunt
FACTUAL: An anthology of prayers, readings, hymns and music, drawn from a wide range of faiths and traditions.
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy by Sandberg & Grant
REFLECTION: After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again.
Understanding Grief- An Introduction by Richard Gross
FACTUAL: A comprehensive and accessible 'one stop' introduction to all the major models of grief.
When God Weeps byJoni Eareckson Tada & Steven Estes
REFLECTION: Joni Eareckson Tada, a woman who has lived in a wheelchair for more than thirty years, and Steve Estes, a Christian pastor and one of Joni’s closest friends, explore God, death and trust.
Yvonne Tulloch, Faith Questions in Bereavement
REFLECTION: Written by AtaLoss' CEO Rev. Cannon Yvonne Tulloch for anyone who has been bereaved at any time, or anyone who is interested in the faith questions that naturally arise when someone dies.
Simran Jeet Singh, Sikh Ways of Grieving
ARTICLE: A useful website and article that explains how Sikhs comfort the dying, mark death, comfort the bereaved and celebrate life.
Saying Kiddish: How to Comfort the Dying, Bury the Dead and Mourn as a Jew by Anita Diamant
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: A book that helps move one through grief according to Judaism’s beliefs and customs in layman’s terms.
Natural Death Centre
WEBSITE: Informative website about planning a woodland or green burial.
Humanist Funerals
WEBSITE: Website contact details for arranging a humanist funeral in the UK.
Arranging a Funeral in Church
WEBSITE: Church of England advice and resources for a church funeral.
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
WEBSITE: Counselling and bereavement advocacy organisation.
AtaLoss.org: Preventing Posthumous Identity Fraud
ARTICLE: Information from the AtaLoss.org website about protecting yourself and your family from fraud in the event of your own death or after the death of a loved one.
A Valley Journal Resources through blogs, articles and books on grief and how to handle it.
WEBSITE: A Valley Journal is a website which encompasses bereavement advice, dates to book bereavement “Living with Loss” retreats, poetry, blogs and more. It is curated by Abi May.
BBC News Article, If You Die Early, How Will Your Children Remember You?
ARTICLE: A useful article about how bereavement affected Gaby Eirew and how she used 'legacy' to look forward.
National Disasters. Have you been affected?
WEBSITE: A charity website founded by survivors and bereaved people from UK and overseas disasters providing support and guidance.
The Grief Survival Guide by Jeff Brazier
FACTUAL: The Grief Survival Guide is a book that offers practical advice on everything from preparing for the eventuality of death, managing grief, how best to support family and friends, and moving forward.
Grief Works: Stories of Life, Death and Surviving by Julia Samuel
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: In Julia Samuel's book we hear stories from those who have experienced great love and great loss - and survived.
Rainbows Through the Rain: An Anthology of Hope by Fiona Castle
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: A book about the depths of grief and the possibility of hope.
Inside Grief: A Personal Journey: Hope for the Grieving and Those Who Care for Them by Katy Laity O'Brien
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Inside Grief is book and a personal account of coping with grief through which the author reaches out to others in a similar position.
Surprised by Grief (on being widowed young) by Janine Fair
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY In her book, Janine places her grief in the context of a transition in order to understand her 'voyage of hope', ending with gratitude to God for all she has received from his hands.
First Steps Through Bereavement by Sue Mayfield
REFLECTION: First Steps through Bereavement is an indispensable guide through the process of mourning a loved one.
Living With Bereavement by Sue Mayfield
REFLECTION: A helpful guide about living with bereavement.
Grieving God’s Way by Margaret Brownley
REFLECTION: Grieving God's Way is a 90-day Christian reader designed to bring hope and healing to those who have experienced loss.
Lament for a Son by Nicholas Wolterstorff
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: The author of this book, lost his 25-year-old son Eric in a mountain climbing accident, has started the long, unwanted journey to come to terms with his grief.
A Grief Observed by CS Lewis
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Grief Observed comprises the reflections of the great scholar and Christian on the death of his wife after only a few short years of marriage.
A Grace Revealed by Jerry Sittser
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: A biography that has become a classic on the topic of grief and loss.
A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: An expanded edition of this classic book on grief and loss-with a new preface and epilogue.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: A portrait of a marriage and a life – in good times and bad – that will speak to anyone who has ever loved a husband or wife or child. A stunning book of electric honesty and passion.
Alison Wertheimer, A Special Scar: The Experiences of People Bereaved by Suicide
FACTUAL: A 'Special Scar' looks in detail at the stigma surrounding suicide and offers practical help for survivors, relatives and friends of people who have taken their own life.
The Long Sleep: Young People and Suicide by Kate Hill
FACTUAL: This book is an exploration of the origins, symptoms and meanings of young peoples' suicidal crises.
Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide by Kay Redfield Jamison
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: A book about the difficult subject of suicide with references to the authors own experience.
A Parent’s Guide to Raising Grieving Children: Rebuilding Your Family after the Death of a Loved One Phyllis R. Silverman & Madelyn Kelly
FACTUAL: A guidebook for parents about raising grieving children.
I’m Grieving as Fast as I Can (On Being Widowed) by Linda Feinberg
REFLECTION: A book about how Young Widows and Widowers Can cope and heal following bereavement.
Death and How to Survive it by Kate Boydell
REFLECTION: This book is a unique and practical guide to coming to terms with the loss of your partner.
Midlife Orphan by Jane Brooks
FACTUAL: Jane Brooks shows us in her book how to find new sources of strength, in both ourselves and others, after our parents are gone.
Death and the Family: The Importance of Mourning by Lily Pincus
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: This book deals in detail with what happens when death interrupts close relationships.
Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss by Hope Edelman
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Motherless Daughters explores the impact on women of losing their mother.
101 Ways to Cope with Grief and Loss by Bill Merrington
FACTUAL: This book provides guidance and aid to the bereaved on their journey through grief and loss.
The Courage to Grieve by Judith Tatelbaum
REFLECTION: Self help book when coping with grief.
Pets What to Do If You or a Loved One Dies and Can No Longer Look After a Pet
WEBSITE: The Cinnamon Trust and Dogs Trust can help.

