Has losing someone you love left you feeling lost, overwhelmed or unsure how to move forward?
Perhaps you're finding it difficult to come to terms with what has happened, struggling with the emptiness they've left behind, or wondering how life can ever feel the same again.
You may find yourself going through the motions of everyday life while carrying feelings of sadness, loneliness, anger or guilt that others don't always see.
Some days, you might feel able to cope. On others, the smallest reminder can bring overwhelming emotions or memories.
Perhaps people around you expect you to be feeling better by now, while you're still trying to understand what life looks like without the person you've lost.
There is no right or wrong way to grieve, and you don't have to go through it alone.
At JP Counselling Group Practice, we offer compassionate bereavement and grief counselling for adults in Hull, Hedon and East Yorkshire, as well as online across the UK.
Our counsellors provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly about your loss, explore your feelings and find support as you adjust to life after bereavement.
Grief is a natural response to losing someone or something important in our lives.
Although grief is often associated with the death of someone we love, feelings of loss can also arise following relationship breakdowns, changes in health, miscarriage, the loss of a pet or significant changes in life circumstances.
Bereavement specifically refers to the experience of losing someone through death.
Grief can affect your emotions, thoughts, physical wellbeing, relationships and sense of identity.
It may involve sadness, anger, guilt, disbelief, anxiety, loneliness or even moments of relief, particularly following a long period of illness or caregiving.
Sometimes these feelings can exist alongside one another, leaving you confused about how you should be feeling.
Grief is not something you have to overcome within a set period of time.
There is no universal timetable, and everyone experiences loss differently.
Counselling can provide space to explore what your loss means to you and how you may gradually adjust to the changes it has brought.
Grief can affect people in many different ways, and not everyone experiences the same emotions or difficulties.
You might recognise some of the following:
Overwhelming sadness: Experiencing waves of grief, tearfulness or a deep sense of emptiness.
Loneliness and isolation: Feeling that others don't understand your loss or that a significant part of your life is missing.
Guilt and regret: Thinking about things you wish you had said or done differently.
Anger and frustration: Feeling angry about the death, the circumstances surrounding it or how others have responded.
Emotional numbness: Feeling disconnected from your emotions or finding it difficult to believe what has happened.
Anxiety and uncertainty: Worrying about the future, your own mortality or how you will manage without the person you've lost.
Difficulty concentrating: Struggling with memory, decision-making or everyday responsibilities.
Sleep and appetite changes: Finding it difficult to rest or noticing changes in your eating patterns.
Loss of purpose or identity: Wondering who you are now or how to find meaning in life after your loss.
Unexpected reminders: Finding that particular places, photographs, music or significant dates bring up strong emotions.
You may experience some of these feelings, many of them, or something entirely different.
Your experience of grief is personal, and your feelings deserve to be heard and respected.
Losing someone important can affect far more than their physical absence.
You may have lost a companion, a source of emotional support, shared plans for the future, familiar routines or a part of how you understood yourself.
Your relationship with the person who died may also have been complicated.
Perhaps there were unresolved disagreements, difficult memories or things left unsaid.
These experiences can bring feelings that are hard to make sense of.
Grief can also become particularly difficult when you've experienced several losses close together, had little opportunity to process what happened or felt responsible for supporting everyone else.
You might have told yourself that you needed to stay strong, keep busy or carry on for the sake of others.
Over time, this can leave little space for your own emotional needs.
Counselling offers an opportunity to explore these experiences without pressure to grieve in a particular way.
You may have heard that grief involves moving through a series of stages.
Although descriptions of grief stages can be helpful to some people, grief does not follow a fixed or predictable sequence.
You might experience sadness one moment and laughter the next. You may feel relatively settled for several days and then suddenly become overwhelmed by a memory.
This doesn't mean you're going backwards.
One helpful way of understanding grief is the idea that we move between two different experiences.
Sometimes, we turn towards our loss, remembering the person who died, feeling the sadness and acknowledging what has changed.
At other times, we focus on everyday life, rebuilding routines, taking on new responsibilities and finding moments of enjoyment.
Both experiences can be important.
You don't have to spend every moment focusing on your grief, and finding enjoyment again does not mean you've forgotten the person you love.
Another helpful perspective is that grief does not necessarily disappear or become smaller.
Instead, as life continues, we may gradually develop new experiences, relationships and ways of living alongside our loss.
The love and significance of the person who died can remain part of your life, even as your life changes.
Healing does not have to mean letting go of someone you love.
It may involve learning how to carry your memories and connection with them in a way that feels meaningful to you.
At JP Counselling, we recognise that no two experiences of loss are the same.
You may want to talk about the person who died, explore difficult feelings, understand changes in your relationships or simply have somewhere you can be yourself without needing to appear strong.
Our counsellors provide a compassionate environment where you can explore your grief at your own pace.
Counselling may help you to:
Talk Openly About Your Loss
Have space to share memories, feelings and experiences that you may find difficult to discuss with friends or family.
Understand Your Emotional Responses
Explore sadness, anger, guilt, relief, loneliness or other emotions without feeling that you should be experiencing grief differently.
Work Through Guilt and Regret
Explore painful thoughts about what you wish you had said, done or changed, and develop a more compassionate understanding of yourself.
Cope With Overwhelming Feelings
Develop ways to manage difficult moments, significant dates, unexpected reminders and periods of emotional distress.
Explore Changes in Your Identity
Understand how your loss may have affected your sense of self, relationships, responsibilities and hopes for the future.
Maintain a Meaningful Connection
Explore memories, personal rituals and ways of remembering the person who died that feel appropriate for you.
Adjust to Life After Loss
Begin exploring how to manage everyday responsibilities, relationships and future decisions without pressure to move on before you're ready.
Find Meaning and Hope
Over time, counselling may help you reconnect with things that matter to you while continuing to acknowledge the importance of your loss.
The purpose of grief counselling is not to make you forget or stop loving someone. It is to support you as you find your own way of living with loss.
At JP Counselling Group Practice, our counsellors draw on person-centred, integrative and other therapeutic approaches according to their individual training, experience and your needs.
We believe that a genuine, compassionate therapeutic relationship is central to providing meaningful emotional support.
Rather than expecting you to follow a particular model or timetable for grieving, we take time to understand your experiences and what your loss means to you.
Depending on your needs and the counsellor's training, our work may include:
Person-centred counselling: Providing empathy, acceptance and a non-judgemental space where you can explore your grief openly.
Experiential counselling: Helping you connect with and understand emotions that may feel confusing, painful or difficult to express.
Compassion-focused approaches: Exploring guilt, regret, self-blame and ways of developing a kinder relationship with yourself.
Somatic awareness: Recognising how grief may be experienced physically and exploring appropriate grounding and emotional regulation techniques.
Continuing bonds: Exploring ways of maintaining a meaningful connection with the person who has died through memories, traditions or personal rituals.
Meaning-making: Understanding how your loss has affected your beliefs, relationships, identity and hopes for the future.
Practical coping strategies: Exploring ways to manage everyday challenges, significant anniversaries and changes in routines.
We understand that grief is not something that needs to be fixed.
Our role is to accompany and support you as you navigate your individual experience.
Some losses occur unexpectedly or in particularly difficult circumstances.
You may have experienced the sudden death of a loved one, the loss of a child, a death by suicide, an accident or circumstances that have left you with distressing memories or unanswered questions.
These experiences can involve both grief and trauma-related responses.
You might experience intrusive memories, anxiety, guilt, anger or difficulty accepting what has happened.
Our counsellors can discuss your needs and whether bereavement counselling or an appropriately trained specialist trauma service would be most suitable.
There is no expectation that you must describe distressing events in detail before you feel ready.
Grief does not have an expiry date.
Some people seek counselling shortly after a bereavement, while others reach out months or years later.
You may have been focused on supporting your family, managing practical responsibilities or simply getting through each day.
Sometimes significant dates, changes in circumstances or further losses can bring earlier grief into sharper focus.
It is never too late to seek support for a loss that continues to affect you.
Beginning bereavement counselling can feel emotional, particularly if you have struggled to speak about your loss.
Our first session offers an opportunity to get to know you, understand your circumstances and explore what support may be helpful.
We may discuss:
Who or what you have lost and the significance of that relationship.
How the bereavement has affected your emotions and everyday life.
Any difficult circumstances surrounding the loss.
Your current support network and coping strategies.
Your hopes and concerns about counselling.
Confidentiality, safeguarding and how counselling sessions work.
You won't be expected to share everything immediately or talk about anything you don't feel ready to discuss.
We can begin wherever you are, working together at a pace that feels manageable.
Perhaps you've felt pressure to remain strong, protect your family or reassure others that you're coping.
You might find yourself hiding your sadness because you're worried about upsetting the people around you.
Sometimes those closest to us are grieving too, which can make it difficult to speak openly about our own feelings.
At JP Counselling Group Practice, we aim to offer a space where you don't have to hide your grief or explain why you're still struggling.
You can talk about the person you love, share your memories, express anger, cry or simply sit with whatever you're experiencing.
Your grief matters, and so does the relationship behind it.
How soon after a bereavement should I start counselling?
There is no set time. Some people find support helpful soon after a loss, while others prefer to wait. Grief itself is not a disorder, and not everyone who is bereaved needs counselling. You can seek support whenever you feel it may be helpful.
What if I don't feel sad all the time?
Grief can involve many emotions, including sadness, relief, numbness, anger and even moments of happiness. There is no single correct way to feel.
Will counselling help me move on?
Counselling is not about forgetting the person who died or leaving them behind. It can help you explore how to live alongside your grief while maintaining a meaningful connection with their memory.
Can counselling help with guilt after someone has died?
Yes. Counselling can provide space to explore regrets, self-blame and difficult thoughts, helping you develop a more compassionate understanding of yourself and your circumstances.
What if my relationship with the person who died was difficult?
Grief can be complicated when relationships involved conflict, distance, hurt or unresolved feelings. Counselling offers a non-judgemental space to explore these experiences.
How many counselling sessions will I need?
There is no fixed number. Some people find shorter-term support helpful, while others benefit from longer-term counselling. We can review your needs and progress together.
Is bereavement counselling confidential?
Your privacy is important. Your counsellor will explain confidentiality and its limits, including relevant safeguarding and legal responsibilities, before counselling begins.
Can I have bereavement counselling online?
Yes. We offer online counselling across the UK where suitable, as well as face-to-face appointments in Hull and Hedon.
Losing someone important can change how you experience yourself, your relationships and the world around you.
Some days may feel manageable, while others can feel incredibly difficult.
You may be unsure what you need or whether talking about your grief will help.
You don't need to have the answers before reaching out.
At JP Counselling Group Practice, we offer a compassionate, confidential environment where you can talk openly, feel understood and find support as you adjust to life following loss.
Individual counselling from £60 per session.
Face-to-face appointments in Hull and Hedon, with online counselling available across the UK.
Let's Talk – Free 15-Minute Introductory Conversation
We offer a free 15-minute introductory conversation to discuss your needs, answer your questions and explore whether bereavement counselling may be helpful for you.