Grief, loss, or bereavement

Grief can arrive in waves – numbness one day, tears or anger the next. You might feel guilt or “what ifs,” struggle with sleep or appetite, find it hard to focus, or be blindsided by reminders and anniversaries. Some days you may feel like you’re coping; the next, it can feel as if the loss has just happened.

Loss isn’t only death. It can include miscarriage, the end of a relationship or friendship, losing health or independence, changes in identity, or a future you were counting on. Grief often affects relationships too: feeling isolated, out of step with how others are grieving, or misunderstood when people expect you to be “over it” before you’re ready.

I’m a qualified and accredited therapist with over 15 years’ clinical experience in NHS Talking Therapies services and private practice, specialising in high-intensity CBT and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for depression, grief, loss and life changes.

With a warm, non-judgemental approach, I’ll work at your pace to make space for what you’re feeling and reduce the moments that feel unmanageable. We’ll steady the basics of day-to-day life, identify what tends to trigger surges of emotion, and find ways to ground yourself when they come. Gently, we’ll explore memories, meaning and the ongoing bond with who or what has been lost. We’ll also look at communication and support around you, and find small, workable steps that help you carry the loss with a little more ease – so you can honour what mattered while slowly re-engaging with life.

Why you might be here

You may be here because someone important to you has died and you feel lost, numb, angry, or as if part of you has gone too. You might be living with a more “hidden” loss – a miscarriage, the end of a relationship or friendship, estrangement, illness, changes in fertility, identity or future plans – and finding that other people don’t fully see or understand the impact.

It may feel as though you’re stuck in guilt, regret or endless “if only I had…” thoughts. Sleep, appetite and concentration can be disrupted, and even everyday tasks start to feel heavy. You might notice you’re out of sync with how others seem to be grieving – feeling “too much”, “too little”, or simply on a very different timeline – and unsure how to talk about your grief without feeling like a burden. At the same time, you may find yourself avoiding reminders such as certain places, photos or dates, or feeling overwhelmed when they catch you off guard.

For some people, there’s also the pressure of having to hold everything together for others, with very little space for their own feelings.

It’s important to say that everyone experiences grief differently, and strong, shifting emotions in the first year after a loss are completely normal. A therapy such as Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) can be especially helpful if it feels as though your mourning has become “stuck”, life has ground to a halt, or the intensity of your emotions hasn’t eased at all many months later.

How I help with grief and loss

Grief sits at the meeting point between your inner world and your relationships. I’ll help you make sense of both—how the loss is affecting your feelings, and how it’s rippling through the people and roles in your life.

Together, we might:

Make sense of your grief — your way

We’ll explore how this loss is affecting you without trying to squeeze you into a “stage” model. Mixed feelings are welcome: love and anger, relief and sadness, pride and regret.

Look at your relationship with who or what was lost

We’ll think about what this person, role or future meant to you, and how that shows up now. This can include finding ways to keep an ongoing, healthy bond (rituals, memories, values) rather than forcing yourself to “let go”.

Understand how grief is affecting relationships

We’ll map out who feels close, who feels distant, and where misunderstandings or tensions are appearing. This might include different grieving styles in a couple or family, or feeling alone even when people mean well.

Support conversations with others

If you’d like to, we can practise how to talk about your grief with partners, friends, family or work—how much to share, what you need, and where your limits are.

Steady day-to-day routines

We’ll work on small, practical anchors for sleep, eating, movement and rest so that your body is better supported to carry what you’re going through.

Find ways to cope with strong surges of emotion

Together we can identify your triggers (dates, places, songs, social media, certain thoughts) and build grounding strategies—things you can do in the moment to ride the wave more safely.

My aim is to help you feel less alone with your grief, more supported day to day, and a little more able to carry this loss in a way that fits your values and your relationship with what’s gone.

What sessions can look like

Free 30-minute consultation

A gentle space to share a little about your loss, ask questions, and see if working together feels safe enough.

Early sessions

We’ll talk about what happened, how life has changed since, and what feels hardest right now. We’ll also notice what’s helping, even in small ways, so we can build on that.

Ongoing work might include:

Making room for your feelings without rushing or forcing them.
Exploring memories in a way that feels manageable for you.
Planning how to approach anniversaries, significant dates and difficult situations.
Looking at how roles and responsibilities have shifted and what support you might need.
Gently reconnecting with activities and people that bring small moments of steadiness, comfort or meaning.

Reviewing together

We’ll check in periodically on what feels different, what still feels very raw, and what you’d like from the next part of our work.

Ways life can start to feel a little easier

Everyone’s grief is different, but over time people often notice:

Moments of emotion feel a little less frightening, and more understandable.
Slightly more steadiness in sleep, appetite and daily routines.
A clearer sense of who they can turn to, and how to ask for the kind of support that actually helps.
Less pressure from guilt and “what if” thoughts, or at least more balance alongside them.
Being able to remember the person, or what was lost, with a mix of sadness and warmth—not only pain.
A growing sense that it’s possible to keep the importance of this loss and have a life that continues alongside it.

These are usually gentle shifts, not overnight transformations—but even small changes can make the weight of grief feel a little more bearable.

A few small ideas you can try yourself

These are not a replacement for therapy, but some people find them helpful:

Grief “windows”

Set aside short, intentional times in the week to look at photos, write, or remember. When the time ends, plan something grounding—a walk, a shower, a simple task.

One safe person

Choose one person who feels relatively safe, and let them know one practical thing that helps (for example, “Please just listen, you don’t need to fix it,” or “Check in with a message on tough dates”).

Gentle routines

Keep one or two small daily anchors, like getting out of bed by a certain time, having a drink and something to eat, or stepping outside once a day.

Permission for mixed feelings

When you notice yourself enjoying something, and guilt arrives, gently remind yourself: “Feeling this doesn’t mean I’ve stopped caring.”

Ready to talk?

If any of this resonates with you, you’re welcome to get in touch.

You don’t have to have the right words or a neat story—grief is rarely neat. We can take it at your pace and work out together what might help you through this.

Working Together

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