Grief and loss counselling
Grief can follow any significant loss, including the loss of a person, relationship, role, opportunity, identity or expected future.
This restorative process supports growth and gradually lessens the pain of loss.
There is no single correct way to grieve
Grief is most commonly associated with the death of someone important to us, but bereavement is not the only kind of loss that can have a profound emotional effect.
People may grieve the end of a relationship or friendship, a change in health, the loss of a career or professional identity, infertility, redundancy, retirement, migration, estrangement or a major change within their family. Sometimes the loss involves something that was deeply hoped for but never occurred.
Each person’s experience of grief is different. It may involve sadness, anger, guilt, relief, numbness, confusion or a mixture of emotions that changes from one day to the next. There may be periods in which you function relatively well, followed by moments when the loss again feels immediate and overwhelming.
Grief does not follow a predictable timetable. Nor does it necessarily progress through a fixed series of stages. The nature of the relationship, the circumstances of the loss, previous experiences and the support available to you can all influence how grief is experienced.
Some losses are openly acknowledged and supported by others. Other forms of grief can be less visible. Friends, colleagues or family members may not fully understand the significance of what has been lost. You may feel pressure to recover, move on or appear stronger than you presently feel.
How counselling can help
Counselling cannot remove the loss or require you to leave an important person or experience behind. It can provide a confidential place in which your grief can be acknowledged, understood and gradually integrated into your life.
I work with clients to explore the meaning of the loss, the emotions connected with it and the ways in which it has affected their sense of identity, security and direction.
Depending on your circumstances, counselling may help you to:
- talk openly about the person, relationship or future you have lost;
- understand and process sadness, anger, guilt, regret or relief;
- manage memories or reminders that feel especially painful;
- make sense of a loss that was sudden, traumatic or difficult to understand;
- cope with anniversaries, family occasions and other significant dates;
- adjust to changes in your roles, relationships or identity;
- respond to people who do not fully understand your grief;
- find ways to maintain a meaningful connection with what has been lost;
- rebuild routines, relationships and a sense of purpose; or
- recognise when grief has become entangled with trauma, anxiety or depression.
Where appropriate, I may also discuss whether EMDR could assist with particularly distressing memories associated with grief or loss.
Learning to live alongside loss
Healing does not mean forgetting, minimising the importance of the loss or returning to exactly who you were before it happened. It means finding a way to carry the loss that allows space for connection, meaning and life to grow around it.
Counselling can support that restorative process and help the pain become less dominant over time.
01.
Next Steps & 15-minute free initial consultation.
Discover if we are a good fit
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Book Your Counselling Sessions
I meet with clients in person or online and have some availability to meet during evenings and weekends. I suggest in person meetings, at least initially, if possible.
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Results
This restorative process supports growth and gradually lessens the pain of loss.