Grief Support Services in Waitaha Canterbury
Grief can affect everyone differently. Whether you’ve lost someone recently or are carrying grief from the past, it can impact your emotions, your relationships, and your day-to-day life. Grief is not just about death — it can also come from changes, loss, or big life shifts.
In Ōtautahi Christchurch, there are a range of services that offer support, understanding, and guidance through grief and loss. Whether you’re looking for counselling, group support, or someone to talk to, these services can help you navigate your grief in your own way and at your own pace.
Yellow Brick Road
Yellow Brick Road provides support for whānau after suicide, offering guidance, connection and understanding for families navigating complex grief. Their services include information, peer support and practical help for those impacted.
Website: yellowbrickroad.org.nz
Phone: 0800 732 825
Grief Centre
The Grief Centre provides counselling and support for people experiencing all forms of loss. They offer individual sessions, resources and guidance for navigating grief. Standard counselling rates apply, with some funding or EAP options available.
Website: griefcentre.org.nz
Phone: 0800 331 333
Email: admin@griefcentre.org.nz
Sands New Zealand
Support for pregnancy, baby, and infant loss. Sands provides non-judgemental support for parents, families, and whānau who have experienced the loss of a baby at any stage and for any reason. They offer peer support, group meetings, and ongoing connection.
Christchurch support meetings are held monthly.
Website: sands.org.nz
Phone: 0508 726 372
Email: info@sands.org.nz
Aoake te Rā
Aoake te Rā provides free, brief therapeutic support for individuals and whānau bereaved by suicide. Support is available face‑to‑face, online, by phone or through a combination of approaches.
Website: aoake-te-ra.org.nz
Phone: 0800 000 053
Email: referrals@aoake-te-ra.org.nz
Luma Counselling Christchurch
Luma Counselling offers compassionate, professional counselling for people experiencing grief, loss and other life challenges. Their services aim to help people feel heard, supported and able to move forward with clarity.
Website: christchurchcounselling.nz
Phone: 03 567 4340
Email: info@christchurchcounselling.nz
The Fifth Season
The Fifth Season provides grief, loss and palliative support for people navigating death, dying and bereavement. They offer space to talk about grief, loss, sad news, coping, and planning ahead, with a focus on compassionate, practical support. Please note The Fifth Season is a paid service, there may be subsidies available through MSD or the Cancer Society, they also offer a free inital session.
Website: thefifthseason.co.nz
Phone: 027 618 4891
Email: liza-w@outlook.com
Te Rau Ora – Huarahi Ora
Huarahi Ora is a 24‑hour national bereavement triage and coordination service for anyone impacted by suicide. They provide emotional support, advocacy, practical assistance such as ACC navigation and repatriation, and can facilitate whānau hui.
This is not a counselling service, but a specialised support pathway for suicide‑related loss.
Phone: 0800 437 009
Email: huarahi.ora@terauora.com
Nurse Maude – Grief Counselling Service
This service is available for patients, whānau, and significant others who have received palliative care through Nurse Maude. They offer counselling to support people through grief after caregiving or loss.
Phone: 03 375 4200
Seasons for Growth (Nurse Maude)
Small group programmes focused on understanding grief and building coping skills. These run weekly over four sessions in a supportive group environment.
Private counselling or therapy
There are many private counselling services available in Christchurch that can support you with grief and other life challenges. These services offer professional, tailored support, and you can choose a counsellor who feels like the right fit for you. If cost is a concern, it’s still worth reaching out — many providers offer payment plans, sliding scale fees, or can guide you toward funding or subsidies that may help make counselling more accessible.
You can explore options through individual providers or directories like positiverelationships.co.nz or psychologytoday.com.
How The Loft Can Support You
The Loft can help you navigate grief support services in Ōtautahi and connect you with the right type of help for your situation. Whether you’re looking for counselling, suicide‑bereavement support, peer groups or practical guidance, we can talk through your needs and guide you toward the most suitable services. We can meet with you by phone or Zoom, making it easier to access support in a way that feels safe and manageable. If you’d like someone to walk alongside you as you explore grief supports, Contact Us and we will help you get connected.