Grief and Bereavement

 If you’re reading this, you’re likely experiencing the worst pain that you’ve ever felt in your life, and maybe you’ve been feeling this pain for some time. It doesn’t matter what you’re grieving – the loss of a parent, child, a relative, close friend, the end of a relationship, or the death of an animal that you’ve had for many years – the void and emptiness that accompanies loss is sometimes more painful than you think you can bear.

People may think you should be ‘over’ your loss, and that you should be ready to move on. Or worse, you hear unhelpful things like “time will heal” or “life goes on” or “loss is just a part of life”, and although all of these platitudes are to some extent true, they aren’t necessarily helpful if you’re still in the process of trying to find meaning in your life after the loss you’ve experienced, and aren’t yet ready to just ‘get on with it’. If this is the case for you, then you might feel guilt about how you continue to feel, and that only exacerbates your sense of isolation from others.

Those who grieve tend to shut themselves off from the world, mostly because they don’t feel people will understand or be patient with them, especially if the period of grief has gone on for some time. Our culture isn’t comfortable with loss, and the feelings associated with them, so those who are grieving often find themselves denying how they really feel so others are more comfortable being around them. Again, this often results in the person wanting to crawl back into their ‘shell’ to deal with their pain by themselves, and in their own time.

If you’re experiencing any of these feelings due to a loss in your life, and you’re overwhelmed with the ‘weight’ of your grief, then I may be able to help you, and not only because I have many years of experience working with clients as they grieve their personal losses but because I, too, have had to face deep losses in my life, and so I know how painful it is, and how isolating it can be. In our work together, I will help you step back into your life as you walk through your grief, and although there’s no ‘getting over it’, there is a way to make meaning of your loss in ways that will, in time, enrich the person that you are.

Let me know a bit about the loss you’ve experienced, and I’ll let you know how I might be able to help.

Contact me now to set up a free 15-minute telephone consultation

 

Testimonials

“When my daughter passed away from cancer at such a young age, I didn’t think I was going to survive the pain I was in. I was numb for a long time probably because my mind didn’t think I could handle feeling everything all at once. I knew I needed help, and so I reached out to Suzanne, who a friend had recommended, and I’m so incredibly grateful that I did. She helped me to understand that although I wouldn’t ever ‘get over’ this loss, I could choose to live again, and without the guilt that had that I was abandoning Sara by making that choice. I’ll be forever grateful to Suzanne for the loving care that she offered me at that time, and ever since.” P.T.

“After 15 years of having my wonderful, and loving, companion – my lab retriever – beside me, I had to make the painful decision to put him down, and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I began seeing Suzanne just before I was forced to make that decision (she even came with me on that awful day), and I felt the void for many months afterwards. I can’t thank Suzanne enough for helping me get through that time in my life, and for teaching me that grieving the loss of a pet is just as painful as grieving the loss of a person. Grief is grief. Today, I have another companion, a doodle, and because of the painful loss of Toby, I don’t let a day go by without appreciating him. Thanks for everything, Suzanne! B.N.

Contact me now to set up a free 15-minute telephone consultation