Simone shares her story and thank TALKWORKS

Simone contacted TALKWORKS after experiencing prolonged grief following the passing of her mother. Through working with one of our therapists, she was able to understand her emotions more and work through the difficulties that she was experiencing.

“I referred myself to TALKWORKS after a friend recommended them to me. My Mum passed away in May 2024, which hit me badly, I felt numb, empty and I was struggling to do day-to-day activities such as cooking, shopping, working and found everything such an effort. I felt broken and didn’t know how to move on with my life without my Mum. I had always been an active person who was full of life and was always busy, so these feelings were completely alien to me.

“I met with Liz, my therapist, very quickly after the referral. I felt completely at ease with Liz, Liz was empathetic, non-judgmental and patient from the first session. Liz’s explanation of the stages of prolonged/complicated grief was great, it made me realise early on in my sessions why I was feeling like I was and why I felt so lost. The sessions I had with Liz were very well explained and were paced well, nothing was rushed and Liz prepared me for the next session so I was always prepared for the next session. Some of the sessions were hard, talking about my Mum wasn’t always easy but Liz ensured that I had time to compose myself and explained that my feelings were completely normal, there was a good supply of tissues too!

“Halfway through my sessions, my dad suddenly passed away too, thank goodness I was still having weekly sessions. Losing my dad bought a whole different set of emotions and feelings of shock, sadness and sense of emptiness, all of which I worked through with Liz.

“Without TALKWORKS I’m not sure where I would be now. I know that grief is a price we pay for loving someone so much. TALKWORKS helped me to process my feelings and emotions, providing me with coping strategies, especially with everyday triggers which were one of the hardest things I struggled with. I would highly recommend TALKWORKS, they provided me with a safe and confidential space to help with my grief journey for which I will always be grateful for.”

If you are experiencing symptoms of persistent or overwhelming grief, and it has been more than six months since the loss occurred, please don’t keep this to yourself. At TALKWORKS we have a number of therapists who are trained to help people experiencing prolonged grief. If you are over the age of 18 and living in Devon (outside Plymouth which is covered by Plymouth Options) you can self-refer to our service without needing a referral from your GP.

Simply complete our online self-referral form or call the team on 0300 555 3344 (our phone lines are open Monday to Friday from 9am – 4:45pm). As part of the NHS, everything available through TALKWORKS is free of charge.