Bereavement counselling

For many of us, bereavement will be the most distressing experience of our lives.

Unsurprisingly, bereavement is one of the most common reasons people seek therapy: the death of a loved one can be devastating. An experienced therapist will support you through the difficult process of grieving and help you come to terms with your loss.

Understanding grief

Grief is how we feel when we lose someone we care about or something we value. It affects everyone. It is painful and stressful but also natural, normal and necessary.

Everyone experiences grief differently and there is no normal or right way to grieve. How we react is influenced by many things including our age, culture, religious beliefs and previous experiences of bereavement.

The way in which a person died may also have an impact on the grieving process: was the death by natural causes, an accident or suicide? Was the death sudden or expected? Could the death have been prevented if circumstances had been different?

Grief also changes over time. Reactions and feelings can change from hour to hour. Some people find these mood swings very frightening.

The stages of grief

People sometimes talk about the five stages of grief. These are:

  • denial – finding it hard to believe that your loved one is gone
  • anger that the person is gone, which may be directed at them, yourself, doctors, God, etc
  • bargaining – ruminating on if onlys and what ifs, trying to find ways the death could have been prevented
  • depression – feeling very low and empty, perhaps seeing little point in carrying on
  • acceptance that the death has happened and life must move on.
However, people rarely go neatly through these stages in order. More realistically, there is a lot of moving back and forth between stages. Some people try to rush through the stages, or to skip straight to acceptance. Grief cannot be rushed; the important thing is to allow yourself to feel what you feel, at your own pace.

Put your well-being in our experienced hands

We have helped many people come to terms with the loss of a loved one.

Our clients have reported great results!

Mr K
“I was attending sessions at One Therapy practice for about 1 1/2 years. I am very happy with the result, sessions there really helped me. I am really grateful to my therapist. Someone recommended him to me as a high professional and it proved right, thank you.”
Mrs M
“I can only provide positive comments on my sessions with (my therapist). This was my first experience with a therapist, and she managed to make me feel comfortable. And I must say that the sessions were helpful and efficient.”
Mrs E
“My therapist was extremely helpful, considerate and understanding. I felt she properly understood what the issues I had were, and their underlying causes, and I feel I benefited considerably from the sessions with her.”
Mrs N
“I immediately felt completely at ease as they were very professional while showing genuine care and interest in helping me. I was able to confront many issues which I had so far chosen to ignore despite their negative effects on my personal relationships and happiness. I would have no hesitation in recommending (One Therapy) to anyone looking to improve their relationships and self-esteem.”
Mrs L
“I learned a lot about myself and about the relationships I make with other people. I was able to see where I was going wrong and I now make better personal choices. Thank you, again.”
Mrs R
“I can’t thank you enough for the help and support I got from my appointments. I would highly recommend therapy to anyone now. Therapy helped me in more ways than I could have imagined. Please tell (my therapist) how grateful I am for her help.”

Coping with loss

When someone close to you dies, there is a lot of change for you to come to terms with. The person you love is no longer part of your world. You may have to let go of dreams you had of your future with them. You may need to take on additional responsibilities now that they are not around. Or you may now have more time for yourself if you were caring for them. You may find your own grief is pushed aside so that you can support others who are also grieving. It’s a lot to deal with and it can feel overwhelming. 

If you are also handling practical matters around the death, it can feel even worse. People are often surprised by the volume of admin around death, how long it goes on and how unbearable it can feel to have to deal with practical matters when you are already in pain.

With such a lot to deal with, there are a host of different emotions as you go through grief and loss. Some of the most common are:

It can take some time for the reality of the death to sink in. You don’t want to believe that someone you love has died. The reality can feel almost too much to bear.

You’ve lost so much – the person, their love, their friendship, their companionship, intimacy, opportunities and hopes. And this loss may bring tremendous feelings of sadness.

You may feel guilty about things you said or did, or things you didn’t say or do. You may also feel guilty that you are still alive, or that you have times when you feel happy or when you focus on something other than your loss.

Death can seem very unfair. Many people find it difficult to make sense of personal loss.

It’s natural to feel angry about what has been taken from you – the person who has died and the future you would have had with them. You might feel angry with yourself too, for what you did or did not do before they died. But perhaps most difficult of all, you might feel angry with the dead person for dying and abandoning you and for the pain you are suffering as a result of their death.

Grieving can be a lonely process. You may feel that no one can possibly understand what you are going through. And you may feel reluctant to talk to friends about how you’re feeling. Many people are awkward around the topic of death, so it can be hard to find someone who will be alongside you in your grief.

Grieving can bring on both physical and mental pain which can be overwhelming and frightening. Some people are surprised at how painful grieving can be.

You might feel relieved, especially if the death follows a long illness or if the person’s life had been difficult or uncomfortable in their final months.

Sometimes people worry that they’re not feeling enough about a death. They wonder why they’re not crying as much as those around them. It may be that they are subconsciously numbing their feelings. 

How bereavement counselling can help

Bereavement counselling will help you to process the complex feelings you may go through in your grief. They can be overwhelming at times, hard to get in touch with at other times, and often confusing. Talking to one of our London therapists will really help.

At a time when it can be hard to turn to friends and family, who may be going through their own grief, therapy provides a precious space where you can express yourself freely.

Our therapists aren’t awkward around death. They can hear your pain and anger without judging you or feeling overwhelmed by it.

Many people worry that grief will go on forever.  With the support of your therapist, the pain will gradually lessen and you will find a new way of living.

Both face-to-face and online counselling are available.

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Counselling for individuals

Personal counselling can be about anything that is on your mind.

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Couples counselling

Couples counselling provides space for couples to discuss problems in their relationship and find solutions.

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Our therapists

We have over 30 qualified and experienced therapists to choose from.

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One Therapy London

Counselling, psychotherapy, couples counselling in London since 2006

Nina Jacobson - Therapist
Nina Jacobson

Nina is an integrative psychotherapist who creates a safe, non-judgmental space in which clients feel comfortable to explore their thoughts, feelings and patterns of behaviour Nina recognises that it can be useful to talk to someone outside your circle of friends and family to gain an understanding of your challenges and emotions She helps clients think about their...

Oxford Circus

Damla Ciftcioglu - Therapist
Berrak Damla Çiftcioğlu

Damla offers psychodynamic psychotherapy in a supportive and confidential environment where you can explore the emotions, behaviours and challenges shaping your life Her approach focuses on understanding the deeper, often unconscious factors influencing your thoughts and experiences Whether you’re navigating a specific situation or grappling with long-standing personal...

Oxford Circus

Gregory Hamlin - Therapist
Gregory Hamlin

Gregory is a psychodynamic therapist offering both short-term and long -term therapy to individuals He appreciates how difficult it can be to seek help and therefore places great importance on creating a warm, empathic and safe space for clients to explore whatever is on their minds Gregory helps individuals uncover and understand the underlying patterns that shape...

Oxford Circus

Lara Vasey

Lara is an integrative therapist who offers short- and longer-term therapy to individuals Starting therapy can feel daunting, but Lara’s warm demeanour helps her clients feel more comfortable She creates a confidential and non-judgemental environment, which enables her clients to open up about their thoughts, feelings and experiences With empathy and curiosity, her...

Kensington / Notting Hill

Therapist Antonella Bonetti
Antonella Bonetti

Antonella is a psychodynamic therapist offering short- and long-term therapy to adults She also sees couples facing issues within their relationship Since obtaining her Master’s degree in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy, Antonella has worked in different organisational settings (charities, NHS and university counselling services) helping people from...

Bloomsbury

Therapist Michelle Taylor
Michelle Taylor

Michelle is an accredited psychodynamic therapist providing a calm and confidential space to allow her clients to unravel their deepest anxieties whilst feeling understood Michelle has particular experience working with adults experiencing bereavement and loss, anxiety, and depression Michelle also works with clients with work related issues, relationship issues and those...

Oxford Circus

Therapist Tom Deitch
Tom Deitch

Tom is a popular and approachable psychotherapist who has extensive experience working with people from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds He brings a wealth of life experience, training and understanding to his work, offering help with depression, trauma, anxiety, abuse, sexual problems, addiction, relationship difficulties and many of the other obstacles life...

Oxford Circus

Therapist Shelly Klein
Shelley Klein

As a psychodynamic therapist Shelley brings a wealth of experience to her work and supports her patients to talk about those aspects of their lives they are finding painful, upsetting or difficult to deal with, in a confidential, non-judgmental and peaceful setting Shelley is particularly interested in working with those who are experiencing depression, bereavement, high...

Bloomsbury

Therapist Stamatia Lorentzou
Stamatia Lorentzou

A senior therapist, Stamatia has been with One Therapy London for many years She holds a doctorate in counselling psychology and is a registered psychotherapist Stamatia knows it can be difficult to understand or cope with the strong feelings that life’s experiences can sometimes bring Talking with an experienced therapist is a way of thinking things through and...

Bloomsbury

Therapist Asma Gharbi
Asma Gharbi

Asma offers psychodynamic, humanistic and integrative therapies to individuals and couples She tailors her approach to meet the needs and preferences of her clients She offers short and long term therapy Asma provides a non-judgemental space for her clients, where they can feel safe to explore their feelings, make sense of their experiences and forge deep lasting...

Oxford Circus

Kensington / Notting Hill