Therapy for Grief, Serious Illness and End of Life
Making space for grief, uncertainty, and the questions that matter most.
When life brings us closer to loss and the end of life
Illness, dying, and loss can bring us face to face with some of life's most difficult and profound experiences. A serious diagnosis, the approaching death of someone we love, or the loss of a loved one can unsettle our sense of the world and bring questions we may not have previously considered.
You may find yourself moving between hope and uncertainty, struggling with fear or grief, or wondering how to make sense of what is happening. Perhaps there are things left unsaid, relationships you wish to tend to, or memories and experiences you want to honour. You may also find yourself reflecting on your own life, what has mattered to you, and how you want to spend the time ahead.
These experiences can be difficult to navigate, particularly when there is little space to speak openly about death, dying, and the emotions that accompany them. Therapy offers an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and approach these experiences with greater honesty, care, and compassion.
Exploring your concerns
People come to therapy for many reasons when facing serious illness, loss, or questions about mortality. You may recognize yourself in some of the following experiences:
Living with serious illness: Coming to terms with a diagnosis, navigating uncertainty, or adjusting to changes in your health, identity, and everyday life.
Anticipatory grief: Experiencing grief, fear, or sadness while someone you love is living with a life-limiting illness.
Caregiving and supporting loved ones: Managing the emotional demands of caregiving, navigating changing relationships, or feeling uncertain about how best to support someone you love.
Grief and bereavement: Making sense of life after a death, carrying unresolved feelings, or finding your way through the many dimensions of loss.
Fear of death and mortality: Exploring anxiety, vulnerability, and questions about the uncertainty and finitude of life.
Meaning, regret, and unfinished conversations: Reflecting on your life, relationships, choices, and experiences, including what you wish to express, repair, or pass on to others.
You do not need to have the right words for what you are experiencing. There is room to begin wherever you are.
My Therapeutic Approach
My approach is grounded in existential-humanistic psychology, which recognizes our capacity to seek meaning, navigate uncertainty, and engage with the fundamental questions of being human.
I believe that experiences of illness, dying, and loss deserve space for honesty, reflection, and human connection. Rather than trying to resolve or explain away the pain, therapy can offer a place to meet it with compassion and curiosity.
I take a relational and embodied approach to therapy, attending to the interconnectedness of our emotional, physical, and inner experiences. Alongside conversation and reflection, I integrate expressive arts therapy, guided imagery, mindfulness, and, where meaningful, personal rituals. These practices can offer different ways of processing emotions, connecting with inner resources, and expressing experiences that may be difficult to put into words.
Creative and reflective practices can also support life review and legacy projects, allowing you to explore and give form to the stories, memories, relationships, and values you wish to honour and share with others. This might involve writing, visual art, creating memory objects, or developing personal rituals that mark meaningful moments and transitions.
What We Can Explore Together
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Coming to Terms with Uncertainty
Making room for fear, vulnerability, and the unknown while finding ways to remain connected to the present.
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Grief and Emotional Processing
Giving space to sadness, anger, guilt, relief, love, and other emotions that can arise before and after a loss.
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Life Reflection and Meaning-Making
Looking back on your life, acknowledging significant experiences, and exploring what has given your life meaning and a sense of fulfilment.
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Relationships and Unfinished Conversations
Exploring important relationships, things left unsaid, unresolved feelings, and what you wish to communicate to the people who matter to you.
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Legacy, Memory, and Remembrance
Reflecting on the stories, values, experiences, and memories you wish to honour and carry forward, including through writing or creative expression.
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Connection, Acceptance, and Presence
Finding ways to stay connected with yourself and others, cultivate moments of contentment, and make room for the realities of life as they unfold.
A note about my services
Psychotherapy can complement medical, hospice, and palliative care, but it does not replace these services. My work focuses on emotional, relational, and existential support rather than medical advice, hands-on caregiving, or bedside end-of-life doula services.
Getting Started
You do not have to navigate these experiences alone, nor do you need to know exactly what you need from therapy. We can begin with a conversation about what is happening in your life, what you are carrying, and what kind of support might be helpful. I welcome you to book a free initial consultation to explore whether working together feels right.