What grief support is
Grief support covers a wide range: grief counsellors and psychologists, bereavement groups, phone lines, and the follow-up some palliative care services and hospices offer to families after a death. Some of it is one to one. Some is a room, or a call, with other people who have lost someone.
None of it is about fixing grief. It is about having somewhere to put it, and someone who knows the shape of it.
How people in Australia usually reach it
Many people start with their GP. A GP can talk through what is happening and, where it fits, set up a mental health treatment plan, which lets Medicare pay part of the cost of a limited number of sessions each year with a psychologist or other eligible professional. Ask about any gap fee. Griefline is a national helpline you can call without a referral. Many palliative care services and hospices offer bereavement support to families, and community organisations run groups.
This is general information. What is available differs from place to place, and it can take a few tries to find what fits. That is normal.
What to have ready or ask
You do not need to have the words ready. Saying that someone close to you has died is enough to start. It helps to know roughly what you want: someone to talk to now, regular sessions, or people who have been through the same thing.
Questions worth asking: whether there is a wait, whether sessions are by phone or video, what it costs, and what happens if you need to talk between appointments.
Finding support near Hervey Bay
The finder below shows grief and bereavement services near Hervey Bay, drawn from Google Maps. A listing there is not a recommendation by 18December. It is a starting point. Your GP, and the palliative care service that cared for the person if there was one, can also point you to bereavement support in Queensland.
Our guides go deeper on grief support, counselling, and the months that follow.
Grief support: what exists and how to reach it · Grief counselling · Moving forward