Bereavement Counselling in Portsmouth 

At some point in our lives, all of us will experience the loss of some-one or something close to us. The strength of feeling behind this loss isn’t impacted by age and can be just as painful at any stage of life. 

Starting in our early life we all become attached to people, pets, items of value (and some not so valuable) and even memories. As time passes these attachments grow stronger, become more ingrained in our lives and become more valuable to us. So, it is not surprising that that when these attachments are broken, being separated from them can be difficult and feelings of loss emerge. 

These feelings of loss can be experienced as emotional pain and suffering, and this is what is referred to as grief and bereavement. It is often assumed that these feelings of grief and bereavement are generally experienced after the loss of a loved one however, just as commonly we can experience these feelings after the loss of our health through illness, loss of career, belongings, home, and/or relationships. And more commonly, these feelings are multi-faceted, sometimes being intertwined with other losses or being impacted by other factors. 

The effects of grief & loss

The effects of grief and bereavement can affect people in different ways and each person’s experience will be different to another’s.

 Although there are different stages of grief people can go through, we all process these stages in different ways. Common feelings experienced throughout this process include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Movement throughout this process can change and even move backwards and forward. The time span between changes isn’t set and can vary greatly through each section. It’s possible that you may need help at different points within this process, sometimes when you are not expecting to.

In counselling we will work with you to support you to move forward at your own pace. We give you an opportunity to voice your thoughts and feelings in a safe, non-judgemental and confidential way.  This will enable you to move towards acceptance of your loss being real, relieving the pain of your loss, helping you to adjust to life without the person, pet or object of significant emotional value and relieving your grief naturally so that you can move on with your life. 

 Common Behaviours associated with grief: 

·         Sleep disturbances
·         Appetite disturbances  
·         Absent mindedness 
·         Social withdrawal 
·         Searching or calling out 
·         Sighing 
·         Restlessness 
·         Crying 
·         Treasuring objects

 Common feelings associated with grief: 

·         Pain
·         Despair
·         Guilt
·         Denial
·         Relief
·         Anger
·         Depression
·         Lack of self-esteem
·         Loss of value
·         Loss of purpose
·         Fear
·         Concerns for the future

counselling for BEREAVEMENT & LOSS

Whilst you are talking to one of our experienced counsellors you may find that there are other factors which are impacting on how you experience your grief and bereavement process. We are here to help you every step of the way and can help you through the process of dealing with these one by one

 Everything we discuss is completely confidential and we are always non-judgemental. Our counsellors have had experiences of dealing with the most sensitive of concerns and listening to the inner-most thoughts of our client’s, however difficult these can sometimes be to share.

We see clients experiencing grief from all backgrounds and for many different reasons. It’s just as valid to feel pain and loss after the loss of a career or even a health issue. Bereavement is not just the loss of a loved one. The effects of loss of such large parts of our lives, can be all encompassing and the effects can be wide ranging, making the experience even more difficult to cope with, without extra support.

We will help you find the way to adjust and come to terms with the changes you are experiencing in your life.