Bereavement Support
You have lost someone close to you: perhaps a parent, a child, a sibling, a spouse, a friend, a colleague or a pet. This bereavement has affected you such that you are finding it difficult to live your life. Maybe your feelings are not what you anticipated, or are persisting far longer than expected.
Bereavement and its Consequences
Our identity is a patchwork of the people around us - perhaps you were a mother, and now are not, perhaps you and a friend went fishing each weekend but now that fishing partner is no longer around, or perhaps you were seen daily walking your dog and now the lead hangs from the hook, unused.
When we lose such an attachment, our identity is sometimes undermined such that we cannot overcome the sadness of that person's departure. This can lead to months or even years of sadness. In these situations we can feel stuck and unable to 'move on'. Existential psychotherapy can help you to see what it was that has hidden itself within the memory of the one you loved.
Bereavement Counselling
Our innate fear of death means that we find it difficult to share the pain that someone else feels when they are bereaved. This leaves those that are dealing with the pain of losing a loved one in a position whereby not only do they struggle to find someone with whom to share their pain, but they themselves become aware of the discomfort their story evokes in others and subsequently hold back from telling others how they really feel.
This is where bereavement counselling is invaluable - a counsellor is trained to listen to, empathise with and carry these often hopeless and seemingly unbearable feelings. You are able to share your feelings with a skilled therapist without concern for how this affects them; you have paid them to be able to deal with this and all you need to worry about is saying everything you need to say.
Bereavement Articles
Below is a list of articles concerning bereavement and loss. These are all links to external sites and should provide a wider understanding of bereavement:
Adapting to the Loss of a Loved One; a brief guide by Wendy Bridger on coping with bereavement.
Coping to Grief and Loss; a comprehensive guide to bereavement by Melinda Smith and Jeanne Segal.
Living Through Loss; Margot B provides a guide through the stages of bereavement.