Our specialist and compassionate funeral support Bereavement Support in Minehead, Taunton & across Somerset & Devon
Our specialist and compassionate bereavement support
A listening ear and support to those grieving
Our Bereavement Support
With our background, we have experience of working with families who have been bereaved, and sometimes being the first person they have spoken to.
Grief can be different for everyone,there are days when you feel okay and others where the simplest of things make the day seem unbearable. And as we are all different, so we are different in how we manage things.There is no wrong or right. We know if we bottle things up, it can present itself unexpectedly in the future, which is why its of benefit to consider our wellbeing now.
As a compassionate funeral directors,we care for our clients and offer a range of support. Below is how we do this:
Practical Support
We provide access to our online guides with practical help what to do when someone dies, our clients receive our 24/7 access with Amanda-Louise our Funeral Director with help planning a funeral. Our practical comprehensive guide bereavement support highlights what we offer, links to lots of useful websites, books suggested to read and podcasts to listen to. Often families tell us they do not understand where their emotions have come from, so the video link in that guide is useful to recognise your own grief.
Our listening ear
Amanda-Louise who is trained in bereavement counselling gives time to those who need a listening ear, to talk about precious memories to help to come to terms with a loss. We know that having a funeral ceremony/service helps everyone with their healing process too, so we work hard to ensure you have a funeral that provides that.
Our community support
Grief can be isolating and can cause a negative impact on our mental health. Talking to people does help, which is why we open our doors to those who are grieving in a safe environment. We affectionately call them our social bereavement coffee afternoons where anyone is invited, whether they have used us as their funeral directors or not.We do not charge – these are informal in format over a cuppa where you can stay for the whole session or just pop in,its really up to you. Its chance to connect, to talk about any concerns you may have, or reminisce over fond memories of your loved one. Again, its up to you. See our home page for the next date or contact Amanda-Louise.
Our child friendly grief support
Our experience working with children who have experienced loss, is that they grieve differently to adults, particularly at different times. Often a family have said to us they were surprised that the behaviour of their child had changed all of a sudden, although it was months after the death of someone they loved. So we offer free child-friendly worksheets so that parents can help their children come to terms with their loss, and to understand.
Amanda-Louise has also run an art therapy bereavement session with children before a memorial service, which was held at a hotel. The parents enjoyed their time sitting together reminiscing as a family, whilst we held the child friendly session in the restaurant to make use of the tables.The planned activities not only enabled the children to have fun making things for the person who had died, but their drawings expressed how they were feeling. One of the parents didn't know how their teenage was feeling,so that session benefited all of the family as they were able to sit and talk more freely.
Access to our specialist partnered services
For those who need more structured support, we provide access into our favoured counselling services of Woven Threads Counselling Somerset, who are an independent service. Being specialist and independent, their private charges are affordable for their expertise. Let us know if you would like to be referred.
Our way at Amanda-Louise Funeral Services
Whilst providing a variety of practical support and advice, our way is not to rush you. We tailor our support to meet the needs of our clients, and each of them are different.
Our way is to be that ear to listen, that shoulder to cry on if needed, hug when you need one, and when you are ready to smile and laugh with if that’s appropriate of course; all wrapped up in our woman’s understanding and care.
More Services We Offer
Can't find what you are looking for?
Whether you want to talk through our funeral services or need help choosing from our range of funeral products. Get in touch with us today.
More services we offer
What to expect from us
The enduring strength of women
We care for you and your family
As your Lady Funeral Directors, Amanda-Louise can meet you in the comfort of your own home, or in our peaceful office, or via video call if you'd prefer. We will never tell you how 'things should be done', or rush you, but support you to understand and consider your choices, so that you can decide what is right for you and your family and friends.
We will listen to you, and can help you plan a funeral ceremony. We'll respect your personal beliefs, values and culture and ensure your requirements, and those of the person that has died, are reflected in the funeral. You may prefer a religious funeral, a more secular service or might want to include a number of different religious and spiritual perspectives within the same service.
We can help you to reflect on the life of the person who has died and enable you to create some positive memories to support you at a time when people can often feel sad and alone. We can support you to have a farewell that you desire - so we will support you to understand the wide range of options such as visual, musical, floral, donations, readings/poems for example, as well as organising venue and/or hospitality for your after funeral wake or reception, if you wish.
Importantly, we will be flexible to your needs and wishes and give you our time to help put your ideas into action. You can take as much control as you like. We are able to support families from across Somerset or Devon, are not regionally restricted, we can help you create an event at a time and place that is best for you.
Amanda-Louise Funeral Director, can also personally deliver a heartfelt celebrant led service on your behalf should you wish, or we can recommend other talented professional ceremony leaders including religious ministers, celebrants and humanists.
We work hard to support the wellbeing of every family we support (adults and children).We can also provide a wealth of practical bereavement information for adults and children, and we'll ensure the funeral is meaningful for you, which helps in coming to terms with loss too.
We care for the person who has died
In our care you have trusted us to look after your loved one and we take enormous pride in treating people with respect and dignity. From the very moment the person who has died comes into our care, to the moment they leave, we will treat them with compassion, kindness and consideration. We see this as part of the cycle of life
We reach out and support people from 15 to 50+ miles away from us, as we safely transfer the deceased into our facilities. We'll care for the person entrusted into our funeral home with compassion and dignity, and treat everyone as guests in our home. Or we can assist if you prefer the deceased to remain at home or liaise with a repatriation company for deaths abroad.
We provide a comprehensive range of coffins in different materials, including coffin accessories to suit all tastes. This is a very personal choice, so we happily talk about them or can show you the differences.
We can provide the ability for family to spend time with their loved one, and to change clothing if this is important to you. Plus you can be involved in as little or as much of their care as you desire. We will gently prepare them for their funeral following your wishes including hairstyles or makeup, and whilst we do not routinely embalm we can provide this if you desire. We’ll take great care of any person effects, and give them to you ,or they will remain with the person Plus we can arrange for your items to be placed in the coffin if you wish.
We can even support you to keep your loved one at home right up until their funeral if you wish.
On the day of the funeral
We understand that attention to detail is really important, from considering the way people enter the service to carefully calculating the journey time.
We can provide our professional pallbearers to convey the coffin. We can help you bear the coffin if that's important to you. We can arrange special routes to the funeral if you wish, or alternative hearses and limousines.
We can arrange to collect family from railway station or airport if helpful.
Some families prefer not to hold the funeral ceremony at a crematorium chapel or in church, so we can support you to have a service in a chosen hotel, hall or alternative venue that is meaningful to you.
Amanda-Louise will be by your side giving you that reassuring presence ensuring everything is going to plan smoothly, and we leave when you are ready for us to go. We can also provide attendance cards so you know who has attended the funeral ceremony service.
After the funeral
We remain connected should you need us. If we collected donations, we will provide you with audit trail so you know they have been forwarded to the relevant people, organisation or charity. We'll collect ashes if that's helpful & deliver them to you. We can arrange for you to scatter them or preserve them if you wish.
We will have spoken to you about the arrangements of the funeral flowers and carried out those wishes. And if required, we can organise graves and headstones to be put in place at a suitable time after a burial or ashes placed.
And we welcome you to stay in touch. Often our clients pop in to talk about how life is treating them, or to attend one of our coffee afternoons as life can be isolating at times following the loss of a loved one. Our kettle is always on, likely biscuits too. Rest assured, we will never stop caring - here for you whenever you need us, wherever you are.
Do you need more help?
"We all felt totally safe opening our hearts to Amanda-Louise and were so impressed in the skills and empathy she has to understand how we all felt."
Bereavement Support
Our frequently asked questions to guide you
"Dedicated to giving you the funeral you deserve & want"
"With my vision on providing wrap-around-care from start to finish. Our team are here to help you with every aspect of planning and organising your funeral needs from the preparation of the body to events and memorial services, I will be with you every step of the way"