Compassionate Bereavement Counselling When You Need It Most

For many of us, grieving is a process we will experience several times throughout our lives—however, this doesn't mean it gets any easier. Grief can feel overwhelming, and at times, you may struggle to find meaning in the world around you—and that's totally normal. My bereavement counselling offers compassionate, nonjudgmental support to help you navigate these challenging emotions and find a path towards healing at your own pace.

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What is Grief and Loss?

Grief is the natural and complex emotional, physical, and psychological response to the loss of someone or something important. Individuals may experience grief for several different reasons, whether it’s the passing of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a significant life change. Grief is a deeply personal experience that can affect individuals in many ways—emotionally, physically, and socially—and it often leads to feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, or even confusion. These emotions can vary in intensity over time and can come in waves or fluctuate rapidly.

While grief is a universal experience, each person copes with it differently. However, with time and support, most people find a way to live with their loss and continue their life's journey, even as the feeling of loss becomes incorporated into their experiences.

What is Complicated (Prolonged) Grief?

For most individuals, when they experience grief, they enter a period of sorrow, numbness and even guilt. Over time, with support, gradually, they begin to find a way to adjust to the loss, integrating the experience into their lives and moving forward with a sense of acceptance.

However, complicated grief, also known as prolonged grief disorder (PGD), is a deep and persistent form of grief that does not ease with time and significantly impacts a person’s ability to function in daily life. Complicated grief often necessitates a specialised form of bereavement counselling as a means of helping individuals navigate their grief and develop healthy coping strategies to regain a sense of balance and purpose in their lives.

What Are the 5 Stages of Grief?

When talking about grief or the grieving process, the 1969 theory of The Five Stages of Grief is usually referenced; these five stages include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This theory posits that when grieving, individuals go through a series of emotional responses on their path to understanding and coping with their loss.

It's important to understand that this theory is extremely simplistic. The grieving process is far more complex than passing through these five stages in a set order. Some individuals may only experience some of these stages, some will experience them in a different order, and some may not experience any of them at all. Because of this, the theory is not considered 100% accurate, but it is still worth exploring as a foundation for comprehending the multifaceted, non-linear nature of grief.

What Does Grief and Loss Counselling Look Like?

Grief and loss support services provide individuals with a safe space to process their emotions, navigate their loss, and find ways to cope without judgment. Grief is deeply personal, and there is no right or wrong way to experience it. In counselling, you are given the time and space to explore your emotions at your own pace in a way that feels natural and meaningful to you.

Grief counselling will generally involve confronting the loss, recognising feelings associated with the loss, understanding the meaning of the loss in the context of your life, and identifying adjustments to help you navigate life without your loved one. To support you, loss and grief counselling may incorporate various approaches, including (but not limited to):

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Talk Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Eye Movement and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

When To Seek Professional Help

One of the most important things to understand about the grieving process is that there is no gold standard on what it should look like or how long it should take. Grieving is deeply personal, and one person's grieving process will look totally different to another.

In saying that, there are some common signs or indicators that may suggest the need for professional guidance in the form of loss and grief support services, including:

Persistent or intense sadness that doesn't improve over time
Excessive avoidance of reminders of the deceased individual
Struggling to come to terms with the reality of the loss
Difficulty focusing on anything other than the loss
Prolonged isolation or withdrawal from loved ones
Struggling to sleep, eat, or engage in self-care
Feeling numb, disconnected, or detached from reality
Relying on unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as alcohol or drugs
Having thoughts of hopelessness, despair, or self-harm

You Don’t Have to Go Through It Alone

I recognise that seeking or accepting help from a loss and grief counsellor during this time is a significant and often difficult step. It takes courage to reach out, to share your pain, and to allow someone to walk alongside you in your grief. That is a responsibility I do not take lightly. My role is not to rush you through your grief or tell you how you should feel. Rather, it is to support and guide you with compassion, understanding, and practical tools to help you navigate these new and complicated feelings.

If you have any questions about how I can help you or a loved one during this time, please don't hesitate to contact me.

A welcoming place, to share your journey