St Mary’s Hospital Maternity Unit is situated just across the road from the Whitworth. Since the beginning of the Still Parents project there has been regular contact with both the bereavement midwives and counsellors at the hospital who advocate for the workshops and regularly refer bereaved families to the Still Parents programme. Through conversations with the bereavement counselling team it was communicated that it was often difficult for the counsellors to find spaces within the hospital grounds to run their sessions and if they did find spaces they were often on the labour ward where bereaved families had experienced their losses. Bereaved parents were not only having to revisit the place they had experienced their trauma but also witness other parents giving birth.

Marjorie, St Mary’s Hospital counsellor, had expressed that she often suggested parents visit the Whitworth after their counselling in order to de-compress before returning to the busy hustle of life. The quiet, contemplative nature of the gallery allowed some time for reflection and an opportunity to breathe before returning to real life. With this in mind, a space within the Whitworth was offered to Marjorie, to be able to run her sessions from the gallery rather than the hospital.

‘Working in the gallery is so tranquil after seeing clients in the hospital with all its hustle and bustle. It offers me the opportunity to not only offer therapy in a secluded, quiet and safe environment but also to be able to walk though the galleries or the gardens with clients if that is helpful for them, such as walking through the Still Life exhibition or a guided mindfulness walk. The peacefulness of the gallery allows me the space opportunity to reflect on my practice and my feelings following therapeutic interventions‘ . 

Marjorie Finnigan, Bereavement Counsellor

Now situated within the gallery, our Counsellor in Residence, Marjorie regularly meets bereaved clients who can access their counselling away from the hospital environment. Instead of the medicalised setting they can instead visit the neutral and inspiring setting of the gallery. Their waiting room is the gallery, their consultation space is a light and airy room with large windows and lots of natural light and after their consultation they have the opportunity to walk around the gallery or the park to reflect on their session.

‘Coming into the gallery is very peaceful, it helps to calm me before I see the therapist and gives me the space to think about what I want to bring to the session. It also gives me a peaceful space to reflect after our session, whether I use the cafe or the garden.’

Bereaved Parent

The intention was that this Counsellor In Residency opportunity would be for the duration of the Still Parents exhibition. However, the response from the Residency has been so positive that it is being considered whether this could become a more permanent feature.

For more information contact lucy.turner@manchester.ac.uk