Bereavement and Grief Counselling
Over our lifetime we may come to experience grief and bereavement in a variety of ways. Whether we experience the death and loss of a loved one or the inevitable loss that accompanies certain life events such as moving house and losing a place we call home, friendship groups and possibly even our identity, the grieving process is incredibly individual and unique from one loss to the next.
If you feel like your world has fallen apart and you feel that pieces of you are scattered all over you may not want to hear that everything will be OK. You may not want to be cheered up or encouraged out of where you are. You may not want to hear that your loved one would want you to “cheer up”. What you do want may be validation. You may want someone to be able to sit with you and your grief. You may want a supporting environment in which you are able to process what is going on for you. Your grieving process won’t ever go away, but with the right therapeutic support you will be able to carry on. You will have a place in which you can gain further understanding and compassion for your grief. My goal is to help you feel heard.
Grief and bereavement can affect each of us in very different ways. There may be a huge mix of emotions that comes with any loss and it can feel like a very lonely time as we try to make sense of what is an intense and emotional response to the pain of our loss. Grief is our response to a relationship that has been broken.
There is no ‘right’ way to grieve and it’s OK to not be OK.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The terms ‘Psychotherapy’ and ‘Counselling’ are often used interchangeably and essentially they are both characterised by a form of “talking therapy”. You will see many practitioners will use both terms when referring to themselves.
Fundamentally both psychotherapy and counselling have the same goal of providing relief to someone with some sort of psychological symptom or obstacles although there are some subtle differences.
‘Counselling’ is often used to describe a shorter-term process than psychotherapy. A goal in counselling is to enable someone to make better use of resources they may already have in place. Counselling often focuses on a specific issue, life event or experience or on a particular symptom.
‘Psychotherapy’ is often a longer process of treatment and focuses on facilitating the exploration and development of new resources for a person. In psychotherapy you will have the chance to look deeper into the root of your issues. You will have the chance to explore patterns of behaviour, thinking and feeling in your life at a greater depth that allow you to focus more on your way of being in the world.
Psychotherapy training is also a more rigorous and academic process.
Someone who may be in training to be a Psychotherapist may refer to themselves as a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor until they have completed certification to be known as a Psychotherapist.
I hope that my website has given you an overview of who I am and how I work and if you are interested in finding out more I would recommend an initial consultation to meet each other to see if it feels right for you when we are in the room together. We will probably be able to establish quite early on if I am the right person for you.
Choosing a therapist is a very individual choice and I recommend you take the time to meet at least a couple people with a view to having some thought about who you may work best with. I believe that each relationship is individual and unique and it is a privilege for me to get to know people I see and to support them on their therapeutic journey. Relationship is central to building a therapeutic alliance and working together, so trust your instinct to make a decision and start your own journey.
I look forward to meeting you!
Following our initial assessment, if you would like to start sessions together we will agree a day and time for your sessions. I will send you a standard therapy agreement that outlines my commitment to you and it details much of what I would have discussed in the assessment session. This includes details of my professional commitments and of the administrative aspects of our therapeutic relationship. We will both have a signed copy of this agreement.
Payment is due each session and I accept cash or BACS transfers. Any missed sessions with less than 48 hours notice will be payable on the following session.
If you want to work longer term I am also happy to work on monthly payments.
Bereavement and Grief Related Blog Posts
Why You Will Never Get Over the Death of a Loved One
The myth that you can get over the death of a loved one is just that, a myth. Grief isn't a tick-box exercise that you can experience and say you've…
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If you have any questions at all about therapy or would like to make an appointment, get in touch. I will usually be able to respond to you within 24 hours.