It is not only natural to grieve when people we love die, it’s essential. Whatever one’s beliefs about what happens to the human individual after death, there has been a sudden change in the emotional landscape of the person or people left behind. To say the least, this requires some adjustment, which takes time.

However, some people find that grief is such an overpowering emotion that many ordinary life challenges become difficult to handle for months and even years. This can be particularly so when the circumstances of the death of a loved one have been traumatic and/or in some way shocking, though expected deaths may also have unexpected emotional consequences. It is not uncommon for such people to feel stuck and indeed to develop symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Intelligent counselling for concerns around grief can quickly help clients to reclaim their lives whilst retaining full respect for their loss. A good counsellor

• will not encourage the client to introspect and become more emotional.
• will not encourage the client to dwell excessively on the past
• will offer sympathy and comfort as part of the process of understanding the unique circumstance and grieving reactions of the client
• will negotiate practical strategies for rebuilding life as and when these are acceptable to the client
• will use effective brief therapy methods to deal with any trauma associated with bereavement
• will give information about the emotional system and how to work with automatic reactions in everyday practical ways
• will address basic questions of getting needs met in new ways
• will often teach effective methods of relaxing, improving sleeping and using imagination to improve quality of life
• may also offer useful stories and other metaphors to help the client to look at possibilities in new ways.
• will not take any more sessions to deal with grief concerns than are necessary

Whilst individuals vary in their needs and whilst a single session can often make a considerable difference, as a guide it is most usual to take 3 to 4 sessions at the first stage. Counsellors are then available for optional occasional sessions to provide further support.