Carrying the Pain of Loss: How Counselling Can Hold Space for Your Grief

It’s part of existence to experience loss and so at some time, we will inevitably go through this painful journey.

The experience of bereavement is deeply personal, and the journey through grief is unique for everyone. In the immediate aftermath of a loss, we can often find ourselves surrounded by our support network - be it family, friends, our local community or work colleagues, and often there is a wave of compassion and care. However, as time passes, that support can begin to wane, as sometimes people assume we may be coping better, however the reality of the loss can become even more apparent.

When to start counselling

The three-month mark can be a significant turning point in the grieving process. The initial shock may have faded, and the permanence of the loss starts to settle in. People around you may assume you are healing because life seems to return to its normal routine. But for many, the weight of grief only deepens during this time. Everyday life continues, yet the person you lost is still absent, and the support you once received may have dwindled.

During this period, emotions such as sadness, anger, confusion, and even guilt can intensify. Some people report feeling isolated, as if their grief is now expected to be more 'manageable,' even when it feels just as raw. This is where counselling can provide crucial support and where it can be more effective than directly following a bereavement.

How Counselling Can Help

Counselling offers a safe, non-judgmental space to explore your feelings of loss. Unlike well-meaning friends or family who may try to 'fix' your grief or move you forward, a counsellor sits with you in your experience, helping you process your thoughts and emotions without pressure or expectation.

Counselling can help with your loss in the following ways:

You Can Speak Without Censoring Yourself

Counselling offers a private, confidential space to say the things you might not feel safe saying to others — from regret and guilt to unspoken anger or unbearable sadness.

You’re Met With Compassion, Not Pressure

Unlike well-meaning friends or family who might try to move you forward, a therapist simply meets you where you are. No need to “be strong” or “move on.” Just space to feel.

You Learn That Grief Has Many Layers

From emotional overwhelm to physical exhaustion, grief shows up in different ways. Therapy can help you understand and navigate this complexity — without judgment.

Support for Complicated or Traumatic Losses

Loss isn’t always clean. Whether the relationship was difficult, the death sudden, or accompanied by trauma, counselling helps process the emotional confusion that can linger.

You Begin to Heal — in Your Own Time

With the support of therapy, many people find that while grief may never fully leave, it becomes lighter to carry. Counselling can help you rebuild meaning, hope, and connection at a gentle pace.

Don't suffer in silence

If you’re quietly carrying the pain of loss, please know this: you’re not alone, and you don’t have to navigate grief by yourself. Counselling can offer warmth, steadiness, and relief when you feel most untethered.

Because even when the world has moved on, your grief still matters.

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If you're interested in starting therapy, you can email me by clicking here.