Bereavement Counselling
It’s normal to experience a range of emotions during bereavement. But there’s no right or wrong way to feel. It affects people in different ways. Bereavement is not only a very emotionally distressing experience but can also leave people feeling confused, afraid and dislocated from their sense of who they normally are and how they normally respond.
Working through your feelings with a therapist can help you come to terms with your loss. The host of emotions that result from the death of a loved one can be overwhelming. It’s important to give yourself time to grieve and to remember that there is no right or wrong way to feel. Grief is a unique experience.
Grief is not just one feeling, but many emotions that follow on from one another. You may find your mood changes quickly, or that you feel very differently in different situations. People who are bereaved sometimes say they feel ‘up and down’.
You may feel:
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shocked or numb
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sad
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anxious or agitated
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exhausted
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relieved
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guilty
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angry
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calm
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lacking in purpose
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resentful.
You might also find it difficult to concentrate or carry out tasks that would normally be easy.
Part of learning how to deal with bereavement is adjusting to living in a world that is very different without your loved one. You may have had dreams and plans that you were looking forward to together, that will now not go ahead.
What is Bereavement Counselling?
Some people will figure out how to deal with bereavement with the help of family and friends, while others may need the support of a professional counsellor. Bereavement Counselling provides a safe and supportive space in which clients can allow their most painful feelings to be expressed and witnessed. It can help you understand your complex and painful emotions and reduce the distress you may have about how you are feeling. Counselling can help you integrate the feelings of loss into your life and support you as you adapt to life without your loved one.
Grief is a natural response to losing someone you care about. There's no right or wrong way to grieve. Everyone’s experiences of grief are individual. The important thing is to do what feels right for you.