Grief Counselling, Management to Resolution – Cairns and Australia

Grief, is a response to loss, particularly the death of a loved one,  but also the loss of a job, good health and so on. Grief affects your thoughts, feelings, behaviours, beliefs and your relationships with others. It is often thought that people progress through grief in similar ways; but this is not the case. Everyone experiences grief differently because our reaction depends on a range of individual factors, such as your personality and age, your relationship with the deceased (or that which has been lost),  cultural practices, the level of social support and your spiritual beliefs….

Understanding Grief

There is no ‘right way’ to grieve and misconceptions about the grieving process can make you the bereaved person question your feelings and sanity. Understanding what grief can be like, finding ways to safely express strong emotions and coming up with coping strategies can all help you as a bereaved person to endure the pain of your loss. Grief can encompass a wide range of emotions and, contrary to popular belief, does not follow through a sequential set of distinctive stages (denial, anger, bargaining and acceptance) although they all do show up at some stage in the grieving process.

Symptoms of Grief

For each individual, the experience of grief will be different and will progress differently. For many people, grief will continue to be experienced in subtle ways for the rest of their lives. Some of the many reactions associated with grief include:

• Anger
• Anxiety
• Change in world view
• Confusion
• Depression
• Despair
• Drop in self-esteem
• Feeling unable to cope
• Guilt and remorse
• Helplessness
• Relief

Moving on With Life

There is an expectation that accepting the death of a loved one means ‘letting go’ of them. The reality is that you continue to have a relationship with your loved one for the rest of your life,  through remembering them. Death ends a life, not a relationship or a shared history.

Look After Yourself

Losing a loved one is a shattering event that affects you emotionally, physically and spiritually. There are a number of ways you can look after yourself as you work through the grieving process including:

• Watching diets and partaking in exercise are two ways to avoid some of the physical side-effects of grief such as sleeplessness, anxiety and gastrointestinal upsets.
• Taking time out each day relax in whatever way suits you, such as doing Yoga or Tai Chi, taking a bath, reading or playing a sport.
• Avoid using drugs such as alcohol or antidepressants as a means of dealing with grief, as these will not ease the pain in any real way and cause other health concerns.
• Be realistic about the grieving process and how you will naturally go through the process ensuring you don’t criticise yourself for not coping as well as you think you “should”.

Grief Counselling in Cairns and Japan

There are many coping strategies which you can use to work through your grief including crying, spending time alone or with family, creating a memorial and taking time out to enjoy an activity. However, sometimes, you may require additional support to get them through the grieving process.  In my Practice, Seachange Psychology I offer grief counselling and management services online to folk in Cairns and now to English speaking Expats in Japan.

To find out more about grief and the grieving process, contact me, Cris, on crispian@seachangepsychology.com.au or via WhatsApp on +81 8051206364