Over time in my practice I have worked with many different types of bereavement. These include, but are not limited to:

• The death of a family member or friend.

• A life-changing illness or injury

• The breakdown of a relationship

• The loss of a job or career

• The death or loss of a pet

Any of these can have a shattering effect on our lives and give rise to a range of complex and uncomfortable thoughts and emotions as we attempt to adapt to our new reality.

How we grieve can be influenced by many different factors, such as the circumstances around the loss, your own personal situation, your outlook on life and your beliefs and even your upbringing. This means that your experience will be unique and deeply personal to you.

As your counsellor, you will quickly find that I am a very honest and open person, who has a great passion for this work. I put a particular importance on building trust, providing an environment where even the most difficult subjects can be discussed without judgement or prejudice.


Our experience of grief

There are many different factors that can affect how we grieve. The inevitable obligations and complications that come about, directly or indirectly, as a result of bereavement can affect the grieving process to such an extent that it becomes disrupted or even delayed for months or sometimes years after the event.

You may expect yourself to experience great sadness, anxiety and stress. However, other intense feelings such as fear, anger, guilt or even relief might be more unexpected. In addition to this, images and flashbacks, as well as intrusive thoughts, can be very common but also incredibly distressing and difficult to cope with.

Just as importantly, the loss of what we had envisioned for our future can be just as painful as the bereavement itself, requiring its own time to process. As a result you might find your perspective on life shifting, impacting on who you feel you are as a person and how you identify with yourself and those around you.

Whilst all of these things are very normal, they can also be very difficult to talk about. Together we will focus on your unique experience, helping you process your grief and the difficult thoughts and emotions. The goal is to help you feel capable of moving forward in life, adapting to your new reality and finding ways to process and address the challenges life is bringing your way.


What will sessions look like?

Counselling is a collaborative process, with the direction of travel and the number of sessions required adapting to your needs. I use a range of methods from different approaches to ensure sessions are tailored to suit you as an individual.

It is a priority for me that you feel comfortable as this will aid in understanding you as an individual, your thoughts, emotions and experiences and how bereavement has moulded you into the person you are today.

I want you to gain as much from this experience as possible, helping you through the grieving process and providing you with something sustainable that will aid you in moving forward.


Getting in contact

Thank you for taking the time to read my page. I can appreciate that finding a counsellor can be a daunting and laborious process, with the sheer number of options out there and uncertainty around what counselling can offer.

If you think I can be of help to you please do not hesitate to reach out.

You can contact me by...

email: bengarner.counselling@gmail.com

phone: 07463 644230.