I started Counselling sessions with Vicki Nash, as in May 2019 I sadly lost my beautiful and wonderful son suddenly. 

When you lose someone, especially a child, you don’t know where to turn to, not even family or friends can help you through this awful ordeal. But I was lucky to be given a counsellor called Vicki. I will be forever grateful to Vicki. I would say that I wasn’t really ready to talk to anyone, but Vicki saved me, she sat and listened to me, she was easy to talk to. Vicki offered a quiet space and opportunity for me to talk freely about all sorts of things, eventually opening up about the loss of my son. Vicki enabled me to address and accept the events of my traumatic loss and events that occurred earlier the previous year, and to be confident and optimistic for my future. I don’t know where I’d be now if I hadn’t found a leaflet with the organisation Vicki worked for at my previous Counsellor’s office. Vicki is an excellent Counsellor and a wonderful human-being.

- Elaine

On the 13^th  of July 2019, our beautiful baby girl Margot was born. Due to rare complications during labour, she was severely deprived of oxygen at birth and sadly passed away in our arms two days later. 

We had never imagined this could happen after a straightforward pregnancy and had been looking forward to spending the summer as a family of three. Very quickly, we were referred to bereavement counselling services where I met Vicki for the first time. Vicki was instrumental in how I coped in the first few weeks and months after Margot died, a true lifeline. She was an understanding ear, a safe space to express all emotions, and absolutely key in helping me develop healthy coping strategies that I still use now. There were moments where I just had to say the same things over and over, others where I felt I had nothing to say, and times when I would just cry. Vicki dealt with all of these magnificently. Vicki’s passion for what she does is anchored in a real understanding of what her clients are going through and a desire to help them reach a place where their loss is not forgotten but somewhat accepted.

 - Charlotte

When I first met Vicki I instantly felt comfortable and able to express myself in the worst time of my life.

Being able to have a counsellor who had also been through child loss was the most beneficial outlet for me after my son died. Anything I said was held in a safe space, there was nothing I could say that phased Vicki as she had been through it herself. It made me realise I wasn’t going mad- I was just traumatised and grief stricken. I liked the fact that Vicki self- disclosed parts of her journey-it gave me hope without that probably being her intention. Having counselling in the first year after Addison died gave me a reason to get out of bed and function for a few hours. I left feeling encouraged and heard- I didn’t feel rushed or that she was watching the time, I felt validated and that she truly cared. No thoughts were too crazy and I just felt she really understood me and what I was going through. If I wanted to go and be angry or cry, I knew I could do that. I cannot recommend her enough- she was a life- line for me and didn’t sugar coat and try to fix the situation as she knows there isn’t a way of doing that after death- but instead she allowed me to just be- by doing this I made it through the first year and I eventually could see ways in which I could find a new kind of happiness but a different life. I will always feel extremely grateful for being paired with Vicki as my counsellor and I couldn’t have got through that first year without her. She has continued to be there for me 4 years on and I think that she is an amazing woman who has a lot of time for other people even though she is on her own journey of grief also.

- Rebekah

To introduce myself, my name is Stephen, I’m in my 60’s and I am Autistic (High Functioning).

I’ve had many issues to cope with in my life,

 ...but bereavement I thought was not one of them! In brief, after the loss of my mother over 10 years ago to dementia, it was only around 5 years ago I started to have emotional and behavioural problems! My doctor referred me for N.H.S bereavement counselling only to be informed there would be a long wait. So I was signposted to a non N.H.S bereavement counselling service. After contacting them it was only a matter of weeks before I received an appointment. Attending my first session I was very anxious who I would be seeing! I needn’t be, as this was Vicki. Having experienced past counselling and therapy for other issues, I attended my sessions with Vicki with no expectations! But as counselling progressed, that was to change. I found Vicki to be a gentle unassuming person with a quiet- calming nature, this put me at ease, and I was able to relate my thoughts- feelings in an open- free manner. As counselling progressed, Vicki was quite willing to let me follow my own trail of thoughts and emotions, this I appreciated as past counselling could at times be polarised and restricting. Overtime, Vicki with empathy and patience helped me to move forward and deal with my emotions in a more excepting way. Thank you so much Vicki.

- Steve