Grief counselling provides a safe space to process loss, understand thoughts, emotions, and reactions and develop healthy coping strategies. People seek counselling for grief when they:

• Feel overwhelmed by emotions such as sadness, guilt, anger, or numbness.

• Struggle with daily functioning due to grief-related distress.

• Want support in navigating life changes after a loss.

• Experience complicated or prolonged grief that affects mental health.

Counselling can support individuals experiencing various types of grief, including:

• Loss of a loved one (death of a family member, partner, or friend).

• Anticipatory grief (grieving before a loss occurs, such as a life-limiting illness).

• Disenfranchised grief (losses that society may not recognize, such as the loss of a pet, an ex-partner, or a miscarriage).

• Cumulative grief (grief from multiple losses occurring close together).

• Non-death losses (divorce, separation, loss of identity, job loss, or major life transitions).

A grief counsellor can:

• Provide a compassionate and non-judgmental space to express your emotions.

• Offer psychoeducation on grief and healing.

• Help you explore and identify your personal resilience amongst grief.

• Help you develop personalized coping strategies.

• Help you with communicating your grief needs with others.

Frequency and duration of visits can vary based on your individual needs and circumstances. You and your counsellor will determine the best course of action together.

Your counselling sessions are confidential unless you choose to share this information. However, there are legal exceptions to confidentiality in cases involving:

• Imminent harm to yourself or others.

• Abuse or neglect of a child or dependent adult.

• Court subpoenas requiring disclosure of records.

• First session: 1.5 hours—focused on understanding your loss and developing a care plan.

• Subsequent sessions: 1.25 hours, structured as follows:

• • First 10 minutes – Review of insights from previous sessions and assigned practices.

• • Main portion – Processing grief, building coping strategies, and psychoeducation.

• • Final 15 minutes – Assigning reflective practices, scheduling, and payment processing.

The frequency of sessions is a personal decision, discussed between you and your counsellor. Some people find weekly sessions beneficial, while others may prefer biweekly or as-needed support.

No, there are no childcare facilities on-site.

Meditation has been shown to:

• Reduce stress and anxiety.

• Improve sleep quality.

• Regulate the nervous system for emotional balance.

• Create a sense of inner peace during difficult times.

CBT is an evidence-based approach that helps individuals recognize and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. It is highly effective for:

• Stress and anxiety management.

• Coping with grief-related emotions.

• Overcoming negative thought patterns and self-limiting beliefs.

Reiki is a Japanese energy healing system developed in the early 20th century. It is based on the idea that life force energy flows through us, and when this energy is low or blocked, it can lead to physical, emotional, or mental distress. Reiki is a gentle, hands-on (or hands-off) practice performed by a trained practitioner to help restore balance, relaxation, and well-being.

Grief can be experienced as emotional, mental, and even physical tension and pain. Reiki can help by:

• Creating a space for self-reflection

• Allowing the processing of feelings and emotions with more ease

• Reducing stress and anxiety.

• Promoting deep relaxation and emotional release.

• Alleviating sleep disturbances, which are common in grief.

• Supporting the body's natural ability to process and release emotional pain.

Many people find Reiki beneficial as a complement to counselling, as it helps them feel more grounded and at ease during their grief journey.