LOSS & BEREAVEMENT COUNSELING Over the years, clients have brought a huge variety of issues. I have come to understand that many issues are related to loss & bereavement.
WHAT I CAN OFFER? I can offer support in coping with loss & bereavement and understanding your grief. I can support you with understanding the grieving process, the exploration of feelings and reactions. I can support you while you are working through your grieving process and ‘give your loss a place’.
LOSS & BEREAVEMENT Loss & Bereavement can involve: The death of someone significant The loss of a much loved pet Losing health Losing a job Losing familiarity and support (moving countries/cities; moving schools) Losing a Limb Losing freedom Losing physical ability Losing a dream Losing safety
GRIEVING As individuals we are all exposed to different experiences. We deal with those experiencesin our own individual way, which is why the 'grieving process’ is an individual process which has no set content or length attached to it. Grieving concerns a complicated process of very individual feelings and emotions.
THE GRIEVING PROCESS During a grieving process you might feel immobilised, stunned,shocked,restless, nervous. You mightlose your appetite, self harm or suffer from insomnia. You might hallucinate, be angry, feel depressed, feelguilty, feel aimless/ purposeless, feel apathetic or have no motivation.
There is no 'standard' way of grieving. We are all individuals and have our own particular ways of grieving.
It can help to talk about your loss. SUICIDE It can be particularly hard to deal with the death by suicide of someone you know. As well as the usual feelings of bereavement, you may have a number of conflicting emotions.
You may feel: Angry with the person for taking their own life. Rejected by what they have done. Confused as to why they did it. Guilty for not having noticed how they were feeling? Guilty for not having been able to stop them, Worried about whether they suffered. Glad that they no longer have to suffer. Relieved that you no longer have to support them. Ashamed by what they did. Reluctant to talk to other people about it. Upset/ angry that people are interested in the drama rather than the person who has died. Worried about thoughts of suicide that you may have had yourself. Isolated
It can help to talk about loss through suicide.
UNRESOLVED GRIEF The pain experienced during the grieving process can be unbearable but it is important to work your way through this pain. Some people however, repress their feelings because they feel the pain is too much. This might result in suffering from physical symptoms such as tights chest, dizzy spells, breathing problems or spells of depression. This might result in suffering from mental issues like depression or anxiety. Sometimes people get stuck and are unable to think of anything else.
