Your stories

Five years ago, at around 8.15pm in February, my eldest daughter, Abi, suddenly complained she felt ill and woozy. Within 45 minutes she had collapsed on our bed with me and her dad with her. Her younger sister and brother were in their bedrooms, listening to us scream, cry and panic as we watched her fade away before our eyes. It was the most terrifying night of our lives. Abi had suffered a...

My grandfather passed away this morning. It didn’t come as a shock; he was in and out of hospital over the last few months after being diagnosed with throat cancer. Nethertheless, it was a difficult thing to hear. My sister called me on my way into work. I could tell she had been crying from her voice, and from this, I expected the worst. As she explained what had happened, I remember...

Three months ago, Counselling Directory team member Ellen shared her experience. After writing her feelings down in ‘a personal story: grief and loss’, Ellen found that it helped manage a lot of the sadness that was unexpectedly taking over her life. Nearly three months later, a lot has changed. Losing a loved one is a tragedy, but life goes on and you have to learn to manage the...

"Last week, I had the sad news of my grandfather collapsing. I was back at my parents when we heard and while my dad was in the hospital with him, me and my brother were sat waiting for news, but not feeling too worried. My grandad was 79 years old. He was relatively healthy, witty, sarcastic and a man with many stories to share. We never expected the sudden sadness that would visit our...

As a live-in-carer, I never managed to take time to look after myself. I realised I was becoming very low and unhappy. So, I decided I needed to see a counsellor - and I found one using the Counselling Directory. I connected with my counsellor within the first five minutes and she has done wonders for me. I had a huge sense of guilt over a bereavement that happened 23 years ago and had been...

I decided to look at the Counselling Directory website after being on a waiting list, and time was running out. I studied all the therapists, and found photos of them made it easier to make a decision as well as the profile, and their description of expertise. Often speaking to family and friends about problems isn't enough to address the issue in hand, and this is where only professional help...

I lost my husband last year, we had been married for 42 years. I met my counsellor and from the first meeting I felt very comfortable with her as she was a good listener and I found I could easily open up to her. Without her help I wouldn't be where I am today.

I started counselling during an absolutely terrible year - I think it was the worst year of my life. I guess it all started when my partner of four years split from me. I was absolutely devasted and in an incredibly vulnerable place. To make matters worse, I was experiencing bullying in the workplace and, through no fault of my own, it led to me losing my job. My work and home life were...

I have been having counselling for 12 years, working through the physical, emotional and sexual abuse I experienced as a child - and as an adult. During this time, one of my therapists sadly died from cancer so, in addition to my ongoing struggles, I had grief to deal with as well. I've been with my current counsellor for two years now. It has been tough but also rewarding to finally find a...