Butterflies is now accepting referrals for adults.

Butterflies offers group counselling for people affected by bereavement or other forms of loss (such as divorce and family separation).

Due to social distancing requirements, our counselling is now being offered via video link.

We offer support to children, adults or families (supporting recovery of children, parent and carers together). The majority of our appointments are only available to Knowsley residents, people registered with a Knowsley GP or for children attending a Knowsley school. We do have some limited provision for children/ families living in St Helens, Halton, and Wirral who are able to attend sessions in Whiston or Birkenhead after school. These appointments are currently funded by Children in Need.

We also offer counselling for children and young people affected by bereavement in St Helens.

When we accept a referral, you will be offered a telephone assessment initially. This assessment is used to understand your / your child’s issues in more depth and clinically, we assess whether the person/ people referred are suitable for group support. This decision is made by a clinical expert and cannot be requested at referral or assessment.

Listening Ear has some limited capacity for one-to-one appointments each week. Examples of when we might offer one-to-one rather than group support following assessment is, if a child has an ASC diagnosis or if an adult presents with multiple, complex issues. Most people however are offered group counselling, attending with people who have similar experiences of bereavement and loss to their own.

Listening Ear runs the following bereavement and loss groups:

• Loss and separation group counselling (primary school aged children)
• Loss and separation group counselling (secondary school aged children)
• Bereavement group counselling (primary school aged children)
• Bereavement group counselling (secondary school aged children)
• Bereavement group counselling for families (adults and children)
• Bereavement group counselling (adults)
• Women survivors of domestic abuse support group
• Coping with depression psycho-educational group
• Coping with anxiety educational group