Grief and loss
Sessions that accompany you through grief after losing someone close, a separation or a major life change.
What is it?
Grief is the natural process we go through when we lose someone we love or something that matters to us. Death, separation, divorce, loss of health, migration or the end of a dream can all set grief in motion.
There is no right or wrong way to grieve and no set timeline. Feelings that seem to contradict each other, such as sadness, anger, guilt, longing and even relief, can exist together. Grief usually softens with time, but sometimes people find it hard to carry on with life for a long time after a loss, and support can help during this period.
Common signs
- Difficulty accepting the loss, or being constantly preoccupied with it
- Intense longing, sadness or a sense of emptiness
- Guilt, anger or thoughts of what could have been done differently
- Losing interest in daily tasks, relationships or plans for the future
- Clear changes in sleep, appetite and energy
- Avoiding places, people or conversations that bring back the loss
These signs alone do not mean a diagnosis; an assessment takes place in an in person or online session.
How can therapy help?
In therapy the aim is not to speed up grief or to make you forget, but to give you a safe space to put your experience into words and to accompany you as you form a new kind of bond with what was lost and carry on with your life. Psychodynamic (psychoanalytically informed) therapy makes room to understand complex feelings about the loss and how it connects to your past experiences.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can support you with ways to cope in the hardest moments, rebuilding a daily routine and working with intense thoughts such as guilt. The process moves entirely at your pace; you decide what to talk about and when.
Approaches I use in this area
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
A structured approach that looks at the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviour and works on changing unhelpful cycles.
Read more02Psychodynamic (psychoanalytically informed) therapy
An approach that explores how past experiences, relationship patterns and feelings outside our awareness shape the present.
Read moreWhen is extra support needed?
If months after a loss you still cannot manage daily life, or you have deep, lasting low mood or hopelessness, it is important to see a psychiatrist; where needed, a psychiatric referral can help assess whether medication may be useful. If you have thoughts of ending your life, whether from a wish to be reunited with the person you lost or for any other reason, please call 112 right away.
Frequently asked questions
How long does grief last?
Grief has no set duration and everyone experiences it differently. Feelings can rise and ease over time, and it is natural for them to return on special dates. What matters is that you do not go through it alone.
Is it right to start therapy soon after a loss?
This varies. Some people want support in the first weeks, others need it later. In the first session we can talk together about what you need.
Do losses other than death count as grief?
Yes. Experiences such as separation, divorce, migration, or losing a job or your health can also lead to a real grieving process and deserve to be talked about.
Every process is personal. Therapy does not guarantee a specific outcome, but it offers a safe space for change.
Related areas of work
- Stress and burnoutWorking together on how long term stress and burnout affect your body, mood and relationships.
- Sleep problemsPsychological support when falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up rested feels hard.
- Eating problemsSupport when your relationship with food, body or weight becomes difficult, working alongside other professionals when needed.
Whenever you feel ready, I am here
Get in touch with any questions or to book a session. You will usually hear back on the same day.