Grief & Bereavement Counselling
Hello, We are Vicki and James Childs. Registered Counsellors with the Australian Counselling Association.
We have been providing counselling services in private practice since 2013.
Our clinic is located in Norwest overlooking the tranquil and peaceful lakeside precinct. We provide counselling services in person, online Australia wide, and via telehealth.
As counsellors we have seen much of life and understand that every indivdual follows their own journey through loss, grief and bereavement.
There is no correct nor incorrect way to grieve. The timeline for your grief is just that, YOUR timeline.
Grief comes in many forms. We can find ourselves grieving many different things including:
Person - Loved Ones
Pets - Pet Loss
Estrangement from Family
Identity - PND
Relationships
Financial
Employment
Illness or Injury
Property
Friendships
Faith
Our aim during grief and bereavement sessions is to hold space while you work your way through complex and often newly acquired emotions, feelings and thoughts around your grief.
Loss of any type can be completely overwhelming. In fact, you may find yourself unable to function and feel completely 'stuck' or paralysed by the experience of loss, grief and bereavement.
We have dedicated Grief and Bereavement training that will allow us to assist you in the way you need. If you would like to speak with us prior to booking an appointment, we warmly invite you to call us on 0406 456 643
Please do not feel alone. We are here to help you.
Vicki and James.
Types of Grief
Anticipatory Mounring
Sudden Loss
Complicated Grief
Disenfranchised Grief
Complicated and Persistent Complicated Grief
Physical Manifestations of Grief
Hollowness in the pit of the stomach
Tightness in the chest and throat
Oversensitivity to noise
Breathlessness
Lack of energy
Dry mouth
Muscular weakness
Source: (Worden, 2005)
There is a multitude of different sources of grief and loss and not all involve death. Individuals experiencing grief from a loss may choose a variety of ways of expressing it. No two people will respond to the same loss in the same way.
However, some frequent reactions include:
Behavioural Changes
Seeking solitude or withdrawal from normal activities
Change in social activities
Inappropriate behaviour (e.g., laughing, excessive drinking or drug consumption)
Absent mindedness or not being able to 'think'
Crying or wailing
Sleep and energy
Feeling fatigued, restless, lethargic
Sleep difficulties, waking every hour
Trouble falling asleep, nightmares
Too Tired to sleep
Other physical symptoms
Changed eating habits
Gastro-intestinal complaints, Onset of IBS, Hiccups, Burps
Decreased interest in pleasurable activities
Decreased sex drive
Faith and Spirituality
Spiritual emptiness and pessimism
Constant thought about the deceased or a feeling of their presence
Loss of faith and belief
Questioning faith
