Bereavement Counselling Bolton

Adult bereavement counselling

As the sister company of Crystal Cremations, a funeral planning service we are acutley aware of impact death can have on an individual or family. 

The most important message is that whatever your feeling is NORMAL! 

It’s ok to grieve

Losing a loved can affect your mental, physical and emotional health in many different ways. Everyone copes with grief in their own way. But if you have sadness that won’t pass, or more bad days than good days, it’s important to seek help. Bereavement counselling offers a confidential space to talk about your feelings and emotions. Sessions can help you to explore ways to manage these and find the strength to move on with your life.

Common feelings of grief

It’s normal to feel shocked and sad following the death of a loved one. You can feel sadness in many forms and at times you least expect it. You might be sad that you won’t see the person again, sad for those left behind, or sad for the void they’ve left in your life.

It’s also common to feel angry. This might be aimed at an illness they suffered, at other people who don’t understand how you feel, or at the deceased for leaving you alone.

You might feel guilty for things you said or never said, or think, ‘why them and not me’. You could also feel anxious or fearful about the future and what happens next, particularly if you shared your life with the person you’ve lost.

With your emotions all over the place, it’s common to find it difficult to sleep following a bereavement. You might also have vivid dreams of the deceased and feel upset that they are not there when you wake up. These are all normal and part of the natural grieving process.

If you feel like the emotions you’re experiencing are getting out of your control, you can apply for adult bereavement counselling.

What is bereavement counselling?

Bereavement counselling is a form of one-to-one talking therapy. It’s a private space to discuss your grief, loss and emotions.

Sessions are led by a trained bereavement counsellor and can take place in person, online or over the phone. 

How to seek help

If you are struggling to cope following the loss of a loved one, please don’t suffer alone. You can contact us for bereavement counselling. 

Andrews Story 

Simon lost his partner, Jane, to long-term illness. Following her death, Andrew focused all his love and attention on their children. He wanted to stay strong for them and make sure they were able to grieve for their mum. He tried to carry on as normal. As time went by, Andrew realised that he was struggling to cope with his own grief and decided to seek counselling support.

Bereavement counselling gave Andrew the time and space to talk about himself and his grief – something he felt unable to do at home. At the start of counselling, he was very low. He felt isolated and couldn’t bring himself to talk about his wife to anyone, or even look at photographs of her.

By the end of his counselling therapy, Andrew was communicating more often with his family and friends and had begun to open up to them about his feelings. If he was having a bad day, he would pick up the phone or video call a friend and tell them he was feeling low. He was also able to look at photographs of his wife and share his memories of her. He felt more able to cope with the milestones and firsts and even felt ready to go on a family holiday without her.

Andrew felt more positive within himself and, although he knew there would be tricky times ahead, he now felt strong enough to deal with them.

*Name changed to protect identity