Every Bereavement is Different
Grief is so individual that there is no single fixed approach to finding a way forward. This is your grief and your experience, there is no set amount of time in which people should expect you to feel okay. What healing means to one person doesn’t necessarily mean the same to another. It can all be overwhelming and confusing, but you don’t have to be alone on this journey, I can walk alongside you to help you, support you, and together we can find ways to make your life fulfilling again.
Symptoms of Grief and Loss
Although everyone is different, there are some common experiences and feelings following a loss of a loved one. These include:
- Shock
- Feeling numb
- Denial
- Feeling abandoned
- Overwhelming sadness
- Tiredness or exhaustion
- Crying, seemingly without end
- Pain
- Anger
- Guilt
- Depression
- Longing
- Struggling to sleep
- Struggling to cope with others’ reactions
- Relief, sometimes followed by guilt
These emotions may not be constant, but may come and go. They may even surprise you when they do appear, and sometimes it may even be difficult to recognise that an emotion is due to the bereavement.
My Commitment to You
I will listen to you without judgment, try to understand what you want to achieve in your sessions and work with you towards that. My role is to provide a space where you can talk about your loved one, your feelings, and how they are affecting you, without having to worry about judgment or upsetting me.
Your Counselling Session
You may choose to use your session to talk about your loved one, the memories you shared and the hopes you had. Sometimes you may not want to talk about your loved one, but instead how things are for you right now and the effect the death is having on you. This space is yours to explore any feelings and experiences you wish, there is no right or wrong way to process your grief. This is your grief and your session.
Is Now The Right Time to Start Bereavement Counselling?
There is no correct timeframe for when you feel it’s right to seek bereavement counselling. It could be immediately after a loss, days, months or even years later. All that matters is that you feel it’s the right time for you and that you feel you would like to talk about what you are experiencing.