A woman who lost her teenage nephew in a car crash told yesterday how the tragedy inspired her to undergo training as a counsellor to help other families.
Donna Davies was left devastated when 16-year-old Craig Wright and his 17-year-old friend Niall Horne were killed in a collision near Birkenhills on the A941 in 2005.
But she felt helpless watching the effect of her nephew’s death on her sister whose world was turned “upside down”.
However, she was inspired to made a difference to other people’s lives after learning how a counsellor helped Sylvia cope with her grief.
Mrs Davies, of Elgin, said: “The devastation we felt was indescribable.
“My sister Sylvia, Craig’s mother, was inconsolable.
“Sylvia struggled to cope with our grief and we struggled with not being able to help her with hers, creating a divide in a once very close family.”
The following year, Sylvia contacted Cruse and was allocated a counsellor and her sister noticed that this had made a difference to her life.
She said: “I was delighted she was getting help, but it evoked a curiosity and a little resentment within me.
“What was this counsellor doing or saying to help my sister that I wasn’t doing or saying?
“I wanted to be the one who could sit with someone in this amount of despair and make a difference – so I signed up for the counselling skills course at Moray College and went on to do the Diploma.”
Mrs Davies spoke out yesterday in support of a five year research study led by a Scottish charity that has revealed for the first time that bereavement counselling is effective for adults coping with grief.
Almost 350 adults were interviewed in the study, carried out for Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland and the research showed counselling had its biggest impact after 18 months.
Stewart Wilson, the chief executive of the charity, said counselling was effective when delivered by trained volunteers.
He said: “There was a significant difference in wellbeing after 18 months between clients who had received counselling and those who chose not to proceed.
“This shows the positive impact that getting the right support at the right time can have and is wonderful validation of our amazing Cruse Scotland volunteer counsellors and their supervisors.”
The charity is holding a conference to provide training for people working with young people affected by suicide at the Credo Centre in Aberdeen on May 10.
