Veronica has come in to speak to you as she requires support to help her get through the current situation that she is in. Veronica has recently lost custody of her two (2) children in a nasty divorce battle. Veronica shares with you that her and her partner have been having issues for a long time and that their marriage has been slowly breaking down every year. Veronica tells you "We wanted to see if we could make it work and stick it out for our children and make their lives as easy as possible but unfortunately, it seemed to do the complete opposite". Veronica explains to you that when her ex-husband filed for divorce, he wanted to take full custody of their children. "It came as a complete shock to me. I was blindsided in court by this, and I just could not believe it. It just felt like a terrible nightmare". Veronica shares with you that when the decision was made to allow for her husband to take custody of their children, she felt like "someone had ripped out my heart and threw it on the ground. I just could not believe it. My life revolves around my kids and now I don't even get to have them at home with me every night".

Veronica explains to you that she has been feeling miserable and lost since her children moved in with their father. "I feel as if there's no purpose or point to my life if I can't have my kids in it. My children meant the absolute world to me and now I only get to see them on the weekend." She also tells you that "I often find myself just sitting by myself being upset and crying because I don't have my kids anymore. I know I'll always be their mum, but I just want to have them at home every night." Veronica also explains how she feels like "I've lost a massive part of me and who I am since I lost custody. It's like I don't even know who I am or what I'm doing anymore." Veronica also explains how she often feels guilty and helpless for losing custody of her kids and she wonders if there was something she could have done to fight harder for custody. She admits that she hasn't been eating as she is not cooking dinner anymore during the week. Veronica tells you that one of her friends said to her "you can't be grieving they aren't dead.". Veronica explains to you that the house just sounds so quiet without the kids. Veronica explains she doesn't know how to talk to her mother or her sister, they are very close about these feelings.

*A suicide risk assessment was completed by intake officers. No Suicidal ideation, plan or means identified.

Demonstrate your ability to respond effectively to at least three (3) diverse situations of loss, grief, bereavement or trauma. This will involve using skills that include:

Empathic listening skills

Verbal and non-verbal techniques

Providing information clearly and sensitively

Obtaining feedback to confirm understanding.

Following policies and procedures