Through the process of counselling, our unit counsellor, Patricia McGurk, supports parents with particular emphasis on their emotional needs whilst having a baby on the nnu at St George’s. Patricia is on the unit Monday to Friday each week and is able to be flexible in terms of seeing parents at a time to suit them, either in an informal way, chatting to parents in the nursery, or in the privacy and calm of the Counselling or Quiet Rooms, to explore the things that are causing most concern and worry. She also facilitates a weekly Parent Support Group, which is supported by First Touch, where parents can come along and discuss ways of supporting each other through sharing their experiences of life on the NNU. The counsellor supports bereaved parents, offering them ongoing counselling sessions and sometimes supporting parents through the next pregnancy, which can often be a time of extreme anxiety.
If you would like to contact Patricia you can leave a message on 020 8725 4733.
These organisations also offer support to parents:
www.uk-sands.org (Stillbirth and neonatal death charity)
