grief

Grief can touch every part of life. It may follow the death of someone close to you, but

grief can also emerge after the end of a relationship, a major life transition, loss of

identity, illness, infertility, estrangement, or the life you thought you were going to have.

Often, grief is not linear or predictable. Some days it can feel overwhelming and

consuming, while at other times it may sit quietly in the background before unexpectedly

resurfacing again.

Many people feel pressure to “move on,” stay strong, or grieve in a certain way, but grief

rarely follows neat stages or timelines. It can bring sadness, anger, numbness, anxiety,

guilt, confusion, exhaustion, or even relief — sometimes all at once. It can affect the

body as much as the mind, leaving you feeling emotionally raw, disconnected,

overwhelmed, stuck, or unlike yourself.

As an integrative therapist, I draw from a range of approaches including attachment

theory, experiential therapy, somatic work, psycho-education, and somatic EMDR,

offering a space where grief can be explored gently and at your own pace. I believe

grief is not something to “fix,” but something that needs care, compassion,

understanding, and space to be fully processed. Together, we can begin to make sense

of your experience while supporting both the emotional and physical impact that loss

can have.

Our earliest attachment experiences and relationships often shape how we experience

grief in the present. Loss can awaken old wounds around abandonment, emotional

safety, rejection, regret, helplessness, or unmet needs. Sometimes people discover they

are not only grieving the person or situation itself, but also grieving parts of themselves,

missed experiences, or the loss of what could have been. Therapy can help untangle

these deeper layers with curiosity rather than judgement.

Alongside talking therapy, I may incorporate experiential techniques, mindfulness,

breathwork, body-based approaches, or nervous system regulation where appropriate.

Grief often lives not only in thoughts, but also within the body and nervous system itself.

Through gentle awareness and processing, therapy can support the release of held

emotion, help regulate overwhelm, and create space for healing, reconnection, and

emotional integration.

Many people are familiar with the five stages of grief, originally developed by Elisabeth

Kübler-Ross. While these stages can provide a helpful framework, grief is deeply

individual and rarely experienced in a fixed or orderly way. People often move back and

forth between different emotions and phases over time, revisiting certain feelings

unexpectedly or experiencing several at once.

The five stages of grief are often described as:

• Denial — Shock, numbness, disbelief, or struggling to fully process the reality of

the loss.

• Anger — Feelings of frustration, resentment, injustice, or anger directed towards

yourself, others, life, or the situation itself.

• Bargaining — Thoughts such as “if only…” or replaying different scenarios in an

attempt to regain control or make sense of what has happened.

• Depression — Deep sadness, exhaustion, emptiness, withdrawal, or a profound

awareness of the permanence of the loss.

• Acceptance — Not meaning the loss feels “okay,” but gradually learning how to

carry it differently and integrate it into your life over time.

Grief often moves in cycles rather than straight lines. You may notice periods where

emotions feel more settled, followed by moments where grief resurfaces unexpectedly

through memories, anniversaries, places, music, smells, or life events. This can feel

confusing or frustrating, particularly when you thought you were “doing better.” Part of

therapy is helping you understand these cycles with greater compassion, so that difficult

emotions feel less frightening or overwhelming when they arise.

I offer a warm, grounded, and non-judgemental space where every part of your

experience is welcome. My role is not to rush you through grief or push you towards

“closure,” but to walk alongside you while helping you build greater understanding,

emotional resilience, self-compassion, and connection to yourself throughout the

process. Over time, many people find that although grief may never fully disappear, it

begins to feel less consuming, less isolating, and more integrated into their life story —

allowing space for both loss and life to exist together.