Grief is bigger than bereavement
When people think of grief, they often think of losing someone to death. But grief can also follow a relationship breakdown, a miscarriage, a diagnosis, an estrangement, the loss of a career or identity, or the slow recognition that a future you had planned is not going to happen. All of these are real losses. All of them deserve space.
Counselling does not ask you to move on or find a silver lining. It offers a steady, unhurried place to feel what you are feeling, at whatever pace your nervous system allows.
What grief actually does to the body and mind
Grief is not only an emotion. It changes your nervous system, your sleep, your concentration, your appetite and your sense of time. It can make you feel foggy, exhausted, or strangely numb one moment and overwhelmed the next. Understanding what is happening physiologically often brings relief: this is not you falling apart. This is your system processing something enormous.
Leah draws on somatic awareness and polyvagal-informed practice to help you understand and work with the physical experience of grief, not just the cognitive one.
In person in Carlton, or online
Grief is often exhausting. Sessions are available in person at 167 Drummond Street, Carlton VIC 3053, or online from wherever you are. Both options offer the same quality of care and support.
Common questions
When should I see a counsellor after a loss?
Whenever you want to. There is no right time and no waiting period. Some people come in the first weeks. Others come months or years later, when grief has settled somewhere it is hard to carry.
Is it grief if nobody died?
Yes. A breakup, an estrangement, a diagnosis, a lost career, or a future you expected and did not get are all real losses. Grief without a death can be harder, because the people around you may not recognise it.
Why do I feel numb instead of sad?
Numbness is a common part of grief, not a sign you are doing it wrong. When a loss is too big to take in at once, the nervous system turns the volume down. Feeling usually returns in waves as your system is ready.
Will you push me to move on?
No. Counselling does not ask you to move on or find a silver lining. We go at the pace your nervous system allows, and the aim is to carry the loss with less weight, not to leave it behind.
Do you offer grief coaching as well as counselling?
Yes. Counselling gives grief the room it needs. When you are ready to look forward, coaching can help you rebuild routines and decide what comes next. Because I do both, we can shift between them as you need.
Learn more about individual counselling or read the frequently asked questions.