Bereavement Grief and Loss
Bereavement Counselling & Psychotherapy
Embracing the Journey of Healing
Nothing can prepare you for the death of a loved one. Life as you know it is obliterated and you are thrown into a whirlwind of difficult, painful and unpredictable emotions that follow and can come over you in waves. At moments you may feel as though you are coping, and then suddenly the grief engulfs you and you feel consumed by it. Despite the difficult and challenging emotions felt, this is a natural and normal response to bereavement, grief and loss. It is not just the person that you may mourn, but also the loss of the life that you have known, or regret regarding what could have been and never was. Grief is deeply personal, unique to each individual and complex.
However, grief and mourning are not just emotions reserved for those that have suffered the death of someone, but can be felt when we lose something important to us, or experience a significant life transition. This could be a divorce, the ending of a close friendship, leaving work, retirement, children leaving the nest, or even moving from a home and area you have cherished. Often this grief is connected to the loss of your life as you have known it. The important thing is that it becomes a transition and a process of re-building. You and your future are not lost, but part of working through the pain of the grief is adjusting and creating new meaning, in the present, and your future life.
The signs and symptoms of bereavement, grief and loss that you may be experiencing are:
- Feeling in shock, numbness, detachment and a sense of denial
- Experiencing a myriad of overwhelming emotions such as sadness, anger, bitterness and guilt, which are unpredictable and can come without any warning.
- Intense and persistent longing or pining for the deceased and unable to accept the death and being unable to focus on anything else
- Feeling abandoned and feeling that life now holds no meaning or purpose
- Trying to find new meaning out of the chaos
- Experiencing intense sorrow and pain at the thought of your lost loved one
- Focusing on reminders of the loved one or excessively avoiding reminders
- Feeling physically exhausted, crying incessantly and feeling in pain.
- Feeling depressed and a sense of hopelessness
FAQs
There is no ‘normal’ or specific time frame for grief to occur and for seeking bereavement counselling. The right time to come to bereavement counselling is the time when you feel it is right.
Bereavement Counselling gives you a compassionate and nurturing space where you are able to mourn your loss. Furthermore, to explore your feelings and gain a greater understanding of them and how you have been affected. Such powerful emotions are then able to be processed, which then leads to a place of healing and hope.
If you are experiencing emotions of grief, following a death, or you are morning the loss of something important in your life, please reach out and make contact. With support and the utilisation of CFT and Integrative Therapy, you will be able to take the first steps in helping you to understand your feelings, gently be able to come to terms with your loss and reduce your present suffering and pain.