FAQ’s

How do I apply for this service?

Referrals for this service can be made only via your bereavement midwife, chaplain or support group. We’re sorry, but we are unable to accept self referrals at this time. Please get in touch with either Trudy, Guy, David or the person who runs your support group to be referred. They will complete a form with you that will then be passed onto us.

How do I choose a therapy / therapist?

We can help you to choose a therapy / therapist by providing any information that we know here, but ultimately the choice will be yours. Everybody has such different needs and will feel more comfortable with different things / people. Have a good look through the treatments and  therapists to see what / who appeals to you the most. Pretty much all of the therapists would be happy to have a no pressure chat with you on the phone, or a brief meeting to help you decide.

Does the therapist report back to the charity / my referrer?

Absolutely not, other than possibly a very simple “have you been helped?” type form at the very end. Once you have chosen a therapist, all discussion, treatment, appointment making and any contract made is entirely confidential between you and them. We simply pay the bill!

How many sessions can you fund?

That depends on the therapy that you choose. Each of the therapists listed have offered a reduced price for their treatments for our referrals, however we of course must set a limit to ensure we can help as many families as possible. We can currently fund sessions up to £250 per family. This for example will cover the recommended number of sessions for one person to receive a full course of acupuncture, or a number of relaxation sessions for a couple who would like to try reiki. Your therapist will let you know when the funding has run out so that you wont receive any unexpected bills.

What expectations should I have of receiving an alternative therapy?

That’s a difficult one to answer and depends on lots of factors. It is certainly a question you need to discuss with your therapist during your first meeting. The hard truth is that nothing can ever take the pain of losing a precious baby away, but it may be that an alternative therapy can help with managing those difficult feelings that follow.

It’s important to understand that any therapy could open up a whole range of feelings and emotions that you may have previously hidden away, so it could be that you end up actually feeling worse to start with while you work through those feelings before later on feeling the benefits.

It may be that as well as offering treatment, a therapist offers advice about your wellbeing that only you can then control. As a general example, if you are receiving acupuncture for anxiety, but during your assessment you say that you drink gallons of coffee each day, it is likely that you would be advised to cut back on caffeine. If you then continue to drink gallons of coffee each day, it would be difficult for acupuncture to have an effect with regards to anxiety, so the full benefits of any treatment may sometimes depend on the things you do as well as the actual treatment itself.

Where has the funding for this service come from?

Well back in April 2015, over 50 people linked to the Kidderminster Harrier’s Independent Supporters Trust (KHIST) and fans walked 35 miles in memory of Charlotte May. Charlotte’s mummy and daddy arranged this amazing event and together with the walkers, they raised almost £20k, making this service possible for bereaved parents in the Worcestershire area.

This is a staggering amount for a small charity! But to ensure we can maintain this service in the future, we welcome any fundraising or donations from those who would also like to raise funds in memory of a baby to help others.

What about counselling?

There is a free counselling service specific to the loss of a baby in Worcester City center via The Cedar Tree. We have met many parents who have received counselling from The Cedar Tree following the loss of their baby and their service comes highly recommended to us.