Okay, Diane, so how do people deal with grief during this period? People, unfortunately, and it says that people are going to be dying from COVID-19. You know, we hope they don’t. But this disease is killing us, this virus is killing us. So how do you think people can cope with grief being indoors on lockdown?

Well, the reality is James that people aren’t coping very well with grief in lockdown. And it’s not just COVID-19 because we’re going to have organic deaths as well that go alongside this. So there are people that would know that they’re going to lose family members that maybe have been terminal, and then we’re going to lose them in knockdown anyway. And then there’s obviously the natural things, you know, heart attacks ways going to come as complete shock. So across the board, people are grieving in lockdown. And it’s so sad to think that you’re going to lose somebody that you can’t visit, you can’t visit them in hospital, you can’t go to the [inaudible 01:12] rest.

The other thing about people dying in hospital is that you can’t even go and see them. And then when they do die, you know, there was no family there when they die. I think that’s probably the saddest thing. I saw a viral video just recently of a guy crying in his car, grown man. He’s just so sad that he couldn’t be there for his mother’s death. So, you know, I have no idea how different his grieving is going to be because of this situation.

It’s going to be very different because we are not feelings of guilt, we are going to have feelings of helplessness, you know, in trying to arrange funeral over, you know, Skype or what have you, you’re not being able to pick things in the same way. It’s going to be really, really, really difficult for people. And I think we have to be really prepared for this, not just right now.

But when we start coming out of lockdown when people start visiting the homes of people that they’ve lost, some people might have to sort out estates and houses have been empty for a while, that house is going to be left as that person went to the hospital. And that could be anytime we don’t know when that’s going to be but also there’s going to be a lot of delayed grief.

So it’s easy to sit there and think you know, this person is carrying on because we do that often anyway, if we don’t live next door down the road, you know that this person life still goes on. And every now and again, we get a reminder that they’ve died and then we are going to get some delayed grief when people start sorting things out. And I think it’s important that families talk to each other. I know we can’t get together and we can’t hug each other but we can talk to each other, and are grieving in the UK generally is a difficult process because people avoid it.

And this is a great time to avoid it. And we can’t do that we need to be able to help people by speaking to them, we [inaudible 03:17] present cards, we can send flowers. We can do things that are caring to show that we understand how difficult this must be. And maybe start thinking about with family what you’re going to do after lockdown when you can get together and how you can celebrate that person’s life and talk about the sad way that they left the world.

And I’m sure with COVID-19 there’s going to be a lot of anger because people are seeing this as unnecessary death because people have been taken.

Okay, time so what are you doing at the moment in regards to helping people with their mental health? Click here if you are looking Counselling in London.

So in terms of being a therapist and therapist is still working out there, we are doing it very differently although some therapy is all online therapists anyway. But therapists have changed their business so that they’re now doing online sessions. So that can be Skype or Zoom or Telephone. So when people that do need the mental health support, and there is people out there still offering sessions.

So if you do feel you need counselling, and some people have put it on hold thinking, we will do all this on the lockdowns over if you do need it. There are people out there that can help you. Some therapists have turned their hand to helping local charities and they are offering free services for the NHS and other key workers. So therapists are still trying to do as much as they can and getting information out there to help with mental health. And so don’t neglect your mental health. If you need support, still seek it out.

And you know, for people at home, you know, if you are looking to book, Diane, you can give her a call and there will be a number in the description or maybe be on the screen right now. It will be in the description of this video. So you know you can contact Diane at home and if you need therapy then you can get in contact with her.

Thank you, James.