Petals was founded in 2011 by Karen Burgess, our Chief Executive. Originally working as a counsellor within the NHS in Cambridge, Karen witnessed first-hand how critical her specialist counselling work was for bereaved parents. So when the funding for her role was cut, she was determined to keep it going. And so Petals – which originally stood for Pregnancy Expectations Trauma and Loss Society – was born. Since achieving charity status in 2013, the service has grown to the size it is today, with aspirations to expand nationwide.
Petals specialises in supporting parents who experience mental health issues as a result of bereavement, trauma or loss related to pregnancy including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination for medical reasons (TFMR) and neonatal loss.
Petals’ counselling programme is unique and has been specifically designed and developed to meet the needs of parents who have suffered pregnancy complications, the loss of a pregnancy or the death of a baby. Our counsellors are experts in this field and between them have many years of experience in counselling people after all types of baby loss.
Our Vision
At Petals, it is our vision that all parents across the UK can access our specialist counselling support when they need it no matter where they live or the type of loss they have experienced. We are working hard every day to make this vision a reality.
We are working towards providing a nationwide specialist counselling service for parents affected by any of the following:
Miscarriage
Poor pregnancy diagnosis
Termination for medical reasons
Stillbirth
Neonatal loss
Antenatal anxiety following a previous loss/losses
Women, men and couples affected by baby loss
Online information and resources.
Locations for counselling sessions vary, please see website for details.
This is a free service
Request Counselling
We currently receive funding from a number NHS Trusts and hospitals. If your maternity care was provided by one of these, please click on the relevant button for more information and to request counselling.
To find your local service please Visit the Request Counselling page on the Petals Charity website
Additional Support for bereaved parents
We understand that it can be confusing and overwhelming when you are looking for support and resources after you’ve lost a baby.
For further support and resources please Visit our Additional Support page on the Petals Charity website
Email: contact@petalscharity.org
For more information about Petals search Petals in this directory.
Visit the Petals Charity website
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