Clontarf Parish Launches a New Bereavement Support Service

The Dublin Bereavement Support Service (DBSS) was launched by Clontarf Parish. Comprising of a team of trained bereavement counsellors who are volunteering their time and expertise, the service will initially operate via Zoom until such time as it can safely transition to a person-to-person counselling service.

The new DBSS was born out of conversations between the Rector, Rev. Lesley Robinson, and parishioners Jim Kieran and Dr. Tony Walsh, both of whom are experienced bereavement counsellors, focussing on the impact that the pandemic and all the associated restrictions have had on the experience of loss and grief. Not only have many families lost a loved one to Covid-19, most of whom could not be with the dying person in their final days and hours, but everyone who has been bereaved over the course of the last year has been denied many of the supports and rituals which are usually such an important part of the grieving process. All of this is so counter-intuitive and counter cultural in a society like ours which normally puts such emphasis on the rituals around death and bereavement and will no doubt lead to a lot of unprocessed grief around the loss of loved ones. Jim used his network to bring on board a number of trained and experienced counsellors who agreed to be a part of this new venture, and the seed which had been sown began to sprout.

Although the DBSS is run under the auspices of Clontarf Church of Ireland parish, and is rooted in the Christian calling to show love and compassion to all, the service will be offered in an impartial, non-judgemental way which will not seek to impose religious beliefs on others and will acknowledge that people’s experiences of grief may differ, but all are equally valid.

The support service is offered free of charge although donations can be given if desired. Prospective clients can contact the volunteer counsellors directly by accessing the contact details on the DBSS website.

We hope you will avail of this service, and please pass on the information to those who many need it.

Taken from the press release announcing the Dublin Bereavement Support Service