It is worth noting that it may take a few sessions to build up the rapport and trust necessary for therapy to work.
Grief counselling is a type of therapy designed to help individuals process and cope with the emotional, psychological, and sometimes physical responses to a significant loss, such as the death of a loved one.
It provides support, guidance, and coping strategies to navigate the complex emotions associated with grief, such as sadness, anger, guilt, and loneliness.
Counselling for grief and loss is not about suppressing pain or forgetting what has happened, but about honoring the loss, understanding the emotions that come with it, and learning to live with the memories in a way that promotes healing and personal growth.
At Gentle Mind, we provide a compassionate space for individuals to navigate the emotional pain of losing a loved one or the experience of other significant losses.
The process allows you to work through your grief, loss and pain by providing a safe space to explore complicated emotions that often accompanies the grieving process. Support is offered in helping you recognise and navigate the different stages of grief, and helping our clients move through the stages at their own pace.
Healthy ways to manage grief can be explored. And when a person is ready, to help with rebuilding routines and finding meaning after a loss.
Grief is one of the most universal human experiences — and yet, when we’re in the middle of it, it can feel isolating, disorienting, and endless. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a major life change, or even the loss of a dream, grief reshapes how we see ourselves and the world.
Healing from grief doesn’t mean “getting over it” or forgetting. It means learning to live with the loss in a way that allows space for both remembrance and continued living.
GRIEF is a normal process that can last a long time. Intensely personal, there is no right or wrong way to grief. We can grief over loss of loved ones, loss of a job, loss of a relationship, loss of expectations, good health or other kinds of losses.
As painful as the process of grief can be, with support of family and friends, many of us go through it without needing the help of a mental health professional.
However, some experience severe, prolonged and disabling grief symptoms, referred to as complicated grief. When the grief from loss is traumatic or becomes complicated, it leads one to watch with detachment a world that has come to a standstill.
It is an intense, long-lasting form of grief that interferes with a person’s ability to function in daily life.
intense yearning, longing or emotional pain
frequent preoccupying thoughts about the loss
Feelings of anger & bitterness at being abandoned
Self-reproach for feeling too much or too little sadness
feelings of guilt or self-blame
difficulty accepting the loss, loss feels unreal
emotional numbness or detachment
loss of purpose
impaired physical health
difficulties with social interactions
avoidance of reminders
occurrence of other issues, such as depression
Anticipatory grief is the emotional process of grieving before an impending loss occurs, most often when someone is facing the imminent death of a loved one or a foreseen major change, such as a terminal diagnosis. Happening while the person is still alive but the reality of their future absence is already deeply felt. Unlike grief that follows a loss, anticipatory grief is rooted in the recognition of everything that will be lost.
Emotional: Deep sadness, anxiety, anger, helplessness, hopelessness, fear of the future, and occasional guilt or shame about these emotions.
Physical: Fatigue, appetite or sleep changes, muscle tension, and feeling emotionally or physically exhausted.
Cognitive: Persistent rumination about the loss, regret, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, preoccupation with thoughts of the future, and worry about coping without the loved one.
Behavioral: Withdrawal from usual activities, social isolation, or alternatively, seeking deeper connections as a form of support.
Whether you are preparing for the loss of someone you love, or facing your own mortality, you don’t have to walk this path alone.
At Gentle Mind, we offer compassionate counselling for grief support to:
Family members, loved ones and caregivers – Guidance on coping with anticipatory grief while also being present for your loved one. We support you in navigating the emotional weight of caregiving, preparing for loss, and having important conversations.
You may have heard people talk about different stages of grief. The more well known five stages of grief, was introduced by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in 1969, it describes common emotional responses to loss.
In reality, however, we do not experience feelings of grief in a particular order. There are no set stages that everyone goes through. These stages are not always experienced in a linear order, and people may move back and forth between them. You may experience some of the things in the stages of different grief models, or all of them – or you may have quite different emotions.
While having stages as a map for their journey of grief is helpful for some, Grief is deeply personal, and people experience it differently. There is no correct way to grief.
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We respect your voice and collaborate with you, supporting your right to make decisions and shape your own path to healing.
Professional Team – Experienced and Compassionate Therapists
Our counsellors hold Master’s degrees in Counselling and are trained in evidence-based approaches like CBT, EMDR, and IFS. learn more about us
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Find out if our counsellors are the right fit for you, or ask any questions you may have about the process of counselling.
If your grief is overwhelming and interfering with your ability to function, it may be time to seek support.
Signs You May Need Professional Help:
Grief counselling can benefit;
Every session is tailored to your needs—you can talk or just listen.
You may spend time
There is no pressure to “move on” quickly. There is no set timeline.
The duration of grief counselling can vary depending on individual needs and circumstances, and the nature of the loss, and how a person processes grief. There’s no fixed timeline.
Some people feel better after a few sessions, while others need longer-term support.
Regular sessions are typically scheduled, allowing for ongoing support and monitoring of progress.
It is worth noting that it may take a few sessions to build up the rapport and trust necessary for therapy to work.
if you or anyone you know are in need of immediate help
Samaritans of SingaporeInstitute of Mental Health