Grief and loss
Grief and loss are unavoidable parts of life. When a significant loss occurs, it can feel as though the world you knew has shifted, even if the loss was anticipated or socially recognised. Grief is not simply an emotional response, it is a response to something that cannot be undone.
You might be grieving the death of someone you love, the loss of a beloved animal, the end of a relationship, a job or the loss of a future you once expected. Grief can feel heavy, disorienting, or destabilising, and it often brings a sense that life no longer fits together in the way it once did.
There is no single or predictable way grief unfolds. It can involve sadness, longing, anger, emptiness, guilt, or uncertainty. These experiences may come in waves, change over time, or resurface unexpectedly. For many people, grief does not disappear; instead, it becomes something that is carried differently as life continues.
Beyond bereavement
Grief is not limited to death. It can also accompany major changes such as a life‑changing diagnosis, chronic illness, acquired disability, infertility, migration, or shifts in identity and role. Some losses are visible and named, while others are quieter and less recognised, yet equally significant.
Loss can also bring earlier experiences into focus, including past separations, unmet care, or earlier grief that did not have space to be acknowledged at the time. These layers don’t mean something is wrong; they speak to the cumulative nature of loss across a life.
Living alongside loss
Grief is often difficult to sit with, particularly in cultures that value productivity, positivity, or “moving on”. You may notice pressure, from others or from yourself, to cope quietly, return to normal, or make sense of things before you feel ready.
In therapy, the focus is not on fixing grief or taking it away. It is on creating space for grief to be spoken about, held, and met with care, without being rushed or minimised. This can include making sense of what has changed, what has been lost, and how grief is shaping your relationship to the world.
Over time, it can become possible for other feelings and experiences to exist alongside grief. This does not mean the loss disappears. It means finding ways to live with it that feel less overwhelming and more integrated into your life.
