Loss During Lockdown

What is loss?

When most of us think about loss, we think about bereavement, mourning and loss in a context of dying. What we might not realise is loss is not related just to the death of someone. We can actually feel bereft for all different kind of reasons, such as relationships ending, moving from a home we love or the loss of our health. Every change in someone’s life inevitably brings some feelings of loss. Take our circumstances at the moment with the coronavirus and the loss of jobs and finances, not being able to see friends and family and no longer having the freedom to go where we want when we want. You may experience loss or losses and not realise, acknowledge, or accept the impact they may be having on you.

 

How do you cope with loss?

Realising these changes have happened and allowing yourself to grieve for these losses is helpful. It allows you to process and accept that your life has changed. Realising these changes have had an impact on your life is the first step. Talking about how you truly feel instead of distancing yourself from others or connecting by trying to put on a ‘happy face’ is an important part of the process of grieving.

Grief is the normal process of reacting to the loss and can be experienced as a mental or physical reaction such as anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness or despair; or not being able to sleep, change in appetite or physical problems or illness.

Once you have recognising that what you are feeling is loss and you are in the processes of grieving, the "Kubler-Ross Change Curve” is a good way of understanding the grieving process. The Kubler-Ross model consists of the various levels or stages of emotions which are experienced by a person with loss in their life. You may find yourself going back and forward along the curve as grieving loss is never that simple and as straight forward as we might like.

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If you have lost someone or something precious, you may find therapy can help with any sort of loss. Therapy is an opportunity to explore your feelings without judgment.  You are not alone.

How My Online Sessions Work & Prices

My online counselling sessions are conducted over Zoom. I send out an email before a session which contains a link to click on to join our session. As with my face to face sessions, online sessions are 50 minutes long.

Unlike my face to face sessions, I am not able to guarantee our sessions are private as I can only control the environment my end; which will always be secure as I have a private, closed space to work in and use headphones during sessions. To ensure your session remains confidential, you will need to make sure you are in a quiet and private environment.

More details relating to online sessions can be found here.

Special lockdown prices:

£65 per session (normal price £78)

Sliding scale is available for those who are struggling financially during lockdown

I have set aside a number of sessions per week available FREE to NHS staff

Next Steps...

Hopefully you now have all the information you need. If not, please do take a look at my FAQ page, or contact me with any questions you may have.