The goals of bereavement counselling

If you are looking to understand how bereavement counselling can support you during this difficult time, below is a summary of what you might expect from the process and the benefits it can offer:

• To help you, the bereaved, accept the loss by helping you talk about the loss.

• To help you to identify and express feelings related to the loss, i.e. guilt, blame, shame, anger, anxiety, helplessness and sadness.

• To help you to separate emotionally from the person who died and to take into consideration your own needs.

• To provide support and time to reflect on grieving at significant times, such as birthdays and anniversaries.

• To help you understand that the grief process is very individual and to provide continuous support as necessary.

• To help you understand your method of coping and what works best for you.

• To identify coping problems you may be having, to address them and to make recommendations on any further course of action that may be necessary.

• To address ways in which you can stay healthy and keep functioning.

• To help you re-establish relationships with others who may be going through their own grief process in a different way to yours.

• To help you develop a healthy image of yourself and the world.