Grief is not an illness, and most people do not need therapy to grieve. But when loss is complicated, traumatic, unsupported, or simply too heavy to carry alone, talking with someone experienced in bereavement can make it bearable.
Grief is universal; prolonged or complicated grief, where acute symptoms persist and disrupt life long after a loss, affects a minority of bereaved people and is well recognised as something therapy can help with.
Grief therapy does not aim to make you stop missing someone. It helps you carry the loss in a way that lets life continue: making room for the pain rather than fighting it, working through guilt, anger and unfinished business, and gradually re-engaging with people and purpose. Practitioners draw on grief-informed, ACT and CBT approaches, and on trauma-focused work where a death was sudden or violent.
Practitioners choose the approach that fits you — see each profile for the approaches they use, or read the plain-language guide to types of therapy. Further reading: Grief Australia · Griefline — 1300 845 745.
There is no right time. Some people come in the first weeks; others a year or more later when the numbness lifts. Come when you feel it would help.
Yes, with a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan and an eligible practitioner. Your GP will discuss whether that is appropriate.
Some practitioners do. Mention it when you enquire and we will point you to the right person.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency. OneBodyMind is not a crisis service. Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636.