A safe, confidential space to grieve in your own way.
Losing someone close is one of the most disorienting experiences you can go through. The world around you carries on, but inside everything has shifted. You might feel like you're drowning in it, or you might feel strangely empty. Both are normal. Neither means you're doing it wrong.
Bereavement counselling gives you somewhere to take all of that — the sadness, the anger, the guilt, the confusion, the things you can't say to anyone else — and lay it down in front of someone who will simply be there with you.
Grief affects you in ways you might not expect. It isn't just sadness. It can show up as exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, irritability, physical pain, or a feeling of being completely disconnected from your own life. Sometimes it surfaces weeks or months after the loss, just when you thought you were coping.
Left unspoken, grief has a way of settling into your body and your mind. It can become anxiety. It can strain your relationships. It can leave you feeling stuck in a version of life that doesn't quite feel like yours any more.
Counselling doesn't make grief disappear. Nothing does. But it gives you a space to process what you're carrying, to understand your own responses, and to gradually find your footing again.
If you've never been to counselling before, it's natural to wonder what actually happens. Here's how it works with me.
We start by getting to know each other. I'll ask a little about what's brought you here, and you can ask me anything you'd like. There's no pressure to share everything straight away — we go at whatever pace feels right for you. Most people feel a weight lift just from having taken the step.
Each session lasts 50 minutes. There's no script, no exercises, and no homework. Some weeks you might want to talk about the person you've lost. Other weeks you might need to sit with anger, or guilt, or a silence that needs room. You lead, and I follow.
I don't try to fix your grief or rush you through stages. My job is to be a steady, consistent presence — someone who listens deeply, accepts everything you bring, and helps you find your own path through.
Most clients start with weekly sessions. Some people find that 6 to 10 sessions give them what they need. Others prefer longer-term support, especially if the grief is layered or complex. We'll check in regularly, and you can stop or take a break whenever you're ready.
There's no hierarchy to grief. The death of a parent doesn't hurt more or less than the death of a friend — it hurts differently. And some of the most painful losses are the ones other people don't fully understand.
I work with adults who are grieving all kinds of loss, including:
When someone dies without warning — through an accident, suicide, heart attack, or violence — the shock can make grief feel impossible to process. You may be replaying events, struggling to accept what happened, or carrying guilt about things left unsaid.
Watching someone you love decline through cancer, dementia, or another long-term illness brings its own kind of grief — one that often starts long before they die. You may have been a carer, and now you're left with both the loss and the emptiness of a role that defined your days.
Miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death are devastating losses that can feel invisible to the world around you. You may feel pressure to "try again" or "stay positive" when what you need is space to grieve the child you lost.
Losing a partner can reshape every part of your daily life — from the practical to the deeply personal. The loneliness can be profound, and it doesn't always ease with time.
The death of a parent can feel like losing the ground beneath you, no matter how old you are when it happens. If the relationship was complicated, the grief can be even harder to untangle.
The death of a close friend is often underestimated by others. But a friendship can be one of the most significant relationships in your life, and losing it deserves proper space.
Most people move through grief in their own time, even when it feels unbearable. But sometimes grief gets stuck. You might notice that months or years have passed and the pain hasn't eased. You might find yourself unable to return to daily life, or feeling like you're trapped in the day it happened.
This is sometimes called complicated grief or prolonged grief. It doesn't mean you're weak or doing something wrong — it means your mind and body need more support to process what's happened.
If any of this sounds familiar, counselling can help. You don't have to wait until things get worse.
My practice is in Central London W1, easily reached from Marble Arch, Baker Street, Marylebone, Bond Street, and Oxford Circus stations. The space is quiet, private, and comfortable.
Available by video call or telephone, from wherever you are in the UK. Many clients find online sessions just as supportive as meeting face to face.
A chance to have an initial conversation, ask questions, and see whether working together feels right for you.
If you're struggling with a bereavement — whether it happened last week or years ago — I'm here to help. You don't need to be in crisis, and you don't need a referral. You just need to be ready to talk.
Or email me: claire@cnmcounselling.com
I typically respond within 24 hours.