Grief

Grief counselling helps people cope with grief and mourning following the loss of a loved one or due to major life changes that trigger feelings of grief (i.e. job loss or divorce). It provides a space for individuals to work through and process the complex emotions surrounding loss. Healthy grieving results in remembering the loss with a newfound sense of peace, rather than searing pain.

Each person grieves in his or her own way. When counselling those who are grieving, I assist people to allow the process to unfold as it naturally should, and to express emotions in a meaningful way. Experience of the grieving process takes time and patience. In treating clients and helping them through this process, I work with each person in whichever way suits them best.

The five stages of grief developed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1969) include the following:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Although these stages appear in order, not everyone goes through each stage. A person may go back and forth amongst the stages, or skip certain stages altogether. As such, the process for every person is unique and individual.