Grief & Loss

Grief can affect every part of your life — and may show up in ways you didn’t expect. Common experiences include:

• Intense sadness, yearning, or emptiness
• Numbness or emotional detachment
• Anger, guilt, or regret
• Difficulty sleeping or changes in appetite
• Fatigue or low energy
• Trouble concentrating or remembering things
• Loss of motivation or interest in daily life
• Anxiety or fear about the future
• Feelings of isolation or disconnection
• Physical symptoms such as tightness in the chest, headaches, or body aches

Some people experience grief immediately; for others, it may be delayed. You might feel better after a few weeks, or it may take months or even years. All timelines are valid.

Grief can arise from many types of loss, including:

• The death of a loved one
• Miscarriage, stillbirth, or infertility
• Relationship breakdown or divorce
• Loss of employment, role, or identity
• Life transitions (e.g., retirement, children leaving home)
• Serious illness or diagnosis — your own or a loved one’s
• Forced migration or disconnection from home and culture

Certain factors can intensify grief, such as:

• Sudden, traumatic, or unexpected loss
• Lack of closure or chance to say goodbye
• Pre-existing mental health conditions
• Limited support or isolation
• Cultural or spiritual conflicts around grief

There are different types of grief, and your experience may include one or more of the following:

• Anticipatory grief: grieving before a loss (e.g., terminal illness)
  
• Complicated or prolonged grief: grief that remains intense and unrelenting over time
  
• Disenfranchised grief: grief that is not socially acknowledged (e.g., loss of a pet, ex-partner, or estranged family member)
  
• Collective or cultural grief: grief shared across communities due to shared trauma, crisis, or injustice

All grief is valid. You don’t need to minimise your loss or compare it to others’.

Coping with grief is not about “getting over it,” but about learning to live alongside your loss. Some helpful steps might include:

• Allowing yourself to feel whatever arises without judgment
  
• Sharing memories and emotions with trusted people
  
• Creating rituals or ways to honour your loss
  
• Maintaining some structure or gentle routine
  
• Engaging in activities that feel grounding or restorative
  
• Seeking out supportive grief groups or communities
  
• Being patient and kind with yourself, especially when grief feels unpredictable

You are not failing if your grief still hurts — healing is not linear.

At Seed, we provide gentle, respectful support for those navigating grief and loss. Our Psychologists meet you where you are — whether your grief is fresh, complicated, or has been quietly carried for years.

We can support you to:

• Understand and make meaning of your grief
• Navigate painful emotions like anger, guilt, or regret
• Develop tools to manage overwhelming thoughts or sadness
• Reconnect with life while honouring your loss
• Process trauma related to the circumstances of the loss
• Explore your spiritual or existential questions around death and meaning
• Strengthen your sense of self during times of identity change

You don’t have to go through this alone — healing is possible with care, time, and support.

Our client care team will gently support you in finding a Psychologist who can walk alongside you with compassion and understanding. We offer in-person sessions in Brunswick and online therapy across Australia.