Support group for suicide bereaved

I am writing in response to your article (Irish Examiner, Oct 15) by Caroline Doherty entitled ‘Mothers who lose a child to suicide at risk themselves’.

Given the complex nature of this particular type of bereavement parents and families bereaved through suicide need specialised support in the aftermath of a suicide. Kerry LifeLine at SouthWest Counselling Centre Killarney holds a support group for parents and families who have lost loved ones through suicide.

Meetings are free and are held on the last Monday of each month and participants are given the opportunity to talk and to support each other.

Each session is facilitated by a counsellor in a safe and comfortable environment. Feedback from parents attending this group has been extremely positive, and one participant described how “I don’t know what I would have done in the past year without this support — the group has literally been a lifeline for me”.

Dr Geraldine Sheedy

Clinical Director

SouthWest Counselling Centre

Killarney

Co Kerry