Andy Langford

Andy is Clinical Director for Cruse Bereavement Support – the UK’s largest bereavement support charity.  Andy has been working in bereavement for over 20 years, and in other voluntary sector direct support, team management and senior positions for longer.  Andy is a qualified and British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist, with additional qualifications in cognitive behavioural therapy, clinical supervision, trauma-informed practice and life coaching, as well as an MSc in voluntary sector management from Bayes Business School.  Alongside this, Andy runs a small private therapy practice and consultancy, focusing on fostering staff resilience, dealing with high impact and potentially traumatising events, and working with suicidal ideation.

In addition to his focus on direct support, Andy is also in the process of completing an Economic and Social Research Council funded PhD with the Open University, on the influence of telephone support on men’s grief.  He also holds positions in several consultative and policy influencing groups.  Andy sits on steering groups for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Grief Support and the Impact of Death on Society, and the National Bereavement Alliance.  He represents Cruse on the UK Commission for Bereavement work to improve policy and practice.  Andy is also co-chair of the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergency Partnership’s Mental Health Network.

Finally, Andy lives in London with his family, and they provide respite foster care for children and young people in their local borough.