Understanding Grief: Making Space for Loss in Our Lives

Grief is something every one of us will experience, yet it remains one of the hardest and most misunderstood emotions to navigate. It isn’t limited to bereavement — we can grieve many kinds of losses: relationships, health, identity, a stage of life, or even the person we once were.

As a Cardiff counsellor, I often meet clients who believe they should be “over it” by now, or who feel guilty that they are still struggling. But grief doesn’t follow a timetable. It isn’t something to fix — it’s something to live alongside.

The Nature of Grief

Grief can feel like waves — unpredictable, changing in intensity, sometimes gentle and at other times overwhelming. There’s no right or wrong way to grieve, and no two people’s experiences will ever look the same.

Common feelings can include sadness, anger, guilt, numbness, anxiety, or even relief — and all of these are valid. What matters is not how you think you should feel, but allowing yourself to feel what’s really there.

Sometimes, anniversaries, birthdays, or certain times of year can bring those emotions back to the surface. These moments can be painful, but they can also offer an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what (and who) matters most.

Supporting Yourself Through Grief

While nothing can take away the pain of loss, there are ways to support yourself as you move through it:

Talk about it – Speaking with someone you trust, or with a Cardiff psychotherapist, can help you process emotions that may otherwise stay buried.

Make space for remembrance – Light a candle, write a letter, visit a meaningful place, or create a small ritual that allows you to honour what you’ve lost.

Be patient with yourself – Healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It means finding a way to live with your grief while continuing to grow and connect.

Look after your body – Grief is exhausting. Rest, nourishment, and gentle movement can all help you regulate and recover.

Seek support when you need it – Sometimes, grief can feel too heavy to carry alone. Counselling in Cardiff can offer a safe, confidential space to explore your loss and begin to make sense of what life looks like now.

When to Seek Professional Help

If you find that grief is impacting your daily life — making it difficult to sleep, work, or connect with others — it may be time to reach out for professional support. Working with someone who provides psychotherapy in Cardiff can help you process painful emotions, find meaning in your loss, and move forward at your own pace.

A Personal Reflection

As someone who supports others through loss and has also experienced grief personally, I know how powerful it can be to simply be heard — without expectation or judgement. Whether your loss is recent or something you’ve carried for years, you don’t have to face it alone.

If you’d like a space to explore your grief, reconnect with yourself, and begin to find hope again, I offer gentle, person-centred counselling both in-person here in Cardiff and online nationwide.

📞 Call me on 07805 756 132📧

Email me at marie@mfcounselling.co.uk

Marie Finan Counselling

Providing counselling and psychotherapy in Cardiff to support individuals coping with loss, grief, and life’s changes.