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Bereavement Counselling
Bereavement is the experience of loss, usually associated with the death of someone significant in our lives. However, loss can also relate to other aspects of life such as the end of a relationship, becoming unemployed, or other major life events. Bereavement is the time we spend adjusting to loss. It is normal to experience a range of emotions such as anger, sadness, loneliness, guilt, and anxiety during bereavement.
Whilst grief is a natural response, it can also be disruptive to your way of life – unsettling your daily routines; challenging your beliefs, and even your sense of normality. Grief can manifest in different ways. Difficulty carrying out everyday tasks; getting out of bed; excessive alcohol usage; neglecting yourself; self-harm; suicidal thoughts; feeling hopeless; lack of motivation, and being snappy and irritable are all concerning signs that you may be having difficulties grieving. It is important to know that everyone processes grief and loss differently.
Loss can also be a trigger for past issues to emerge which may not have been resolved, and if suppressed long enough, can lead to depression. Some things to consider are any past mental health issues which existed prior to the loss, the nature of relationship and closeness to the deceased, family history and social support.
Bereavement is not a simple case of taking time out to recover. The idea of achieving ‘Recovery’ suggests that you will emerge exactly the same as you were before the loss. All of your life experiences form the person you are today, and these significant life events are no exception. The process of bereavement can involve acceptance of what has happened, learning to adjust to life following the significant changes experienced, and trying to move forward in the best way possible.
Discussing the loss can help you adjust to your new life, with all its changes, both good and bad. Avoiding the process, bottling up emotions, or denying sadness can prolong the pain. Acknowledging the loss is crucial for moving forward. Bereavement counselling can be an effective way to deal with grief. It helps you make sense of your feelings, mourn the loss, and gradually progress through the stages of bereavement towards acceptance.
Why Choose Horizon Counselling for Bereavement Support?
Certified Bereavement Counsellors
Grief can be disorientating, especially when trying to process feelings of abandonment, emptiness, or regret whilst keeping up with the world. You may feel disconnected from daily life, routine, and relationships. Working with a certified counsellor can help you understand what you’re going through. Grief counsellors act as a guide while you learn to process and understand the stages of grief. We will sit alongside, as you begin to process the loss, find personal meaning, and become more familiar with this new version of yourself as it emerges.
Personalised Bereavement Therapy
There is no ‘right or wrong way’ to grieve. Your grief and its challenges will evolve as life moves forward. No two experiences are the same. No two losses are the same. What works for you may well be different from what works for others. While you may feel profoundly isolated or lost, we will create an environment where you can begin to make sense of your thoughts and feelings. There is no recipe or timeline to follow. Sadness, Anger, Guilt and Confusion are all normal to experience. This is your grieving process. Take one day at a time.
Compassionate and Confidential Support
Grief counselling offers a supportive and validating space which can help when you feel alone or like nobody understands your pain. Understanding that your feelings aren’t wrong or abnormal is vital to healing. Be kind and patient with yourself as your needs and perspectives change. Together, we will create a safe and confidential space where you will be met with warmth and compassion.
Benefits of Bereavement Counselling
- Emotional Healing: Knowing how or why to reinvest in life can feel impossible. It might feel like the world has moved on, but you’re stuck without a way to express yourself. When the time is right, you will be supported to share your story and integrate your experiences.
- Supportive Environment: It’s okay not to know. Within the therapeutic relationship, we can make space for the varying, sometimes conflicting, emotions that define your experiences. In grief therapy, you will be supported to grasp and understand the feelings and emotions you experience during the grieving process.
- Coping Strategies: Coping is a lifelong process that will be full of revelations and disappointments. As life changes, you will encounter new hopes, remembrances, and moments of loss. Counselling can help you build your own toolbox of coping strategies whilst you navigate the complicated emotions of grief.
- Improved Mental Health: Bereavement counselling can aid the healthy processing of grief, to learn to live with the loss in a more constructive way. Therapy can support you to find new meaning, and reduce feelings of isolation and inner turmoil towards an inner-rebuilding of resilience, and the restoring of emotional balance.
