My grandparents were such a big part of my life
“My grandparents were such a big part of my life. They were lovely, so sweet and caring. I used to sleep at their house a lot and they were always there to help me.
“When they died, I didn’t feel much at first but then I started to really struggle with it.
"I didn’t want to talk about it, and I felt quite alone. Not a lot of my friends had lost anyone, so it was really difficult.”
A relief to have someone to talk to
Maisie started coming for bereavement counselling here.
It was a relief to finally have someone to talk to. My counsellor told me it was okay to let my emotions out and it was okay to cry.
“I started to feel a lot more calm, a lot more relaxed and it was easier to talk about things. My counsellor was so supportive. If I had anything on my mind, I knew I could just come here and talk about it. Treetops were there for anything.
Maisie’s mum, Zoe, explained how vital our counselling was:
“I think Maisie just didn’t know, or understand, how to feel. She wasn’t sure of her feelings or how to express herself. It was really important for us a as family that Maisie could access some support.
"Once she’d started the counselling, I could see that she was able to express herself more easily and talk about things.
She always felt really safe coming to Treetops. They gave her strategies in moving forward and keeping going while still being able to talk about things and realise her feelings. We’re so grateful to Treetops for their support.
Children can learn to live with their loss
Our Head of Children’s Services, Jules Kirk, explained that the service is experiencing a huge increase in children needing counselling support.
"Children handle grief differently than adults. Often, they can’t put their feelings into words and can find themselves struggling with a powerful range of emotions.
"With counselling, children can be helped to understand what has happened and can learn to live with their loss.
“We are trying our best to support all the local children who need us. At times, we have to prioritise therapy for those most in need, such as children who have suffered a traumatic bereavement.
“Through this appeal, we hope to raise £20,000 to help expand our service so that we can help more local children. Each donation can change a child’s life by offering them support, understanding and hope.”