To get the best help for your situation, first answer the questions on the Preliminary questions page.
Death of a close family member
Support for grieving
Urgent help
Talking to professional personnel helps you to cope with the crisis situation and to decide what to do next.
Crisis counselling is available at the social and crisis services of your own wellbeing services county. A number of localities also have crisis centresOpens in a new window. .
You can also contact
- the Mieli crisis centre – Mieli.fiOpens in a new window.
- national crisis helpline – Mieli.fiOpens in a new window.
- crisis counselling provided by the Evangelical Lutheran Church – Evl.fi (the information is in Finnish).Opens in a new window.
Persons close to you can also help. You may know people who want to help you in daily chores and in funeral and other arrangements.
In addition to your loved ones, there are also persons that did not know the deceased personally but are willing and able to support you in your grief.
Peer support
Many people feel that peer support and professional assistance comforts them in grief and help them to get through the pain. Support is provided in groups, by support persons, by phone and online.
Peer support and counselling is provided by
- peer support groups of the crisis centre (in Finnish) – Mieli ryOpens in a new window.
- grief support groups in parishes (in Finnish) – Evl.fiOpens in a new window.
- Close family members of the victims of violent crime (in Finnish) – Huoma.fi Opens in a new window.
- Young widows and widowers – Nuoretlesket.fiOpens in a new window.
- Child Death Families Finland – Kapy.fiOpens in a new window.
- Counselling and help for close family members of people that have committed suicide – Surunauha.netOpens in a new window.
You can find support organisations and groups in the internet and you can contact your wellbeing services county or your parish for more information about these activities. Patient organisations also have their own peer support groups.
Organisations also offer support for children that have lost family members.
Professional help
Grief is accompanied by strong emotions and physical reactions. It is quite normal that mourning saps your strength and your ability to concentrate.
If you have suicidal thoughts or you cannot sleep or eat or you feel otherwise overwhelmed, you should contact healthcare professionals.
A wide variety of therapy forms are available and if you cannot find the right one, contact healthcare providers for advice.
You can also enhance your own wellbeing by thinking about matters that you like and that make you happy.
Help is provided by
- crisis centres
- crisis helplines
- health and social services
- home help services for families with children
- occupational health care
- student health services
- private health care clinics
- parish workers
- hospital priests.
Supporting a child after the death of a close family member
You should discuss the death of a parent, a sibling or other close person with a child as openly as possible.
Professionals working for health and social services and other service providers help children and young people to cope with the loss.