Grief & Loss Counselling

Grief is a natural response to losing someone or something that matters — not an illness to be cured. Sometimes, though, grief becomes overwhelming, gets stuck, or collides with everything else life demands. South Yarra Psychology's psychologists provide grief and loss counselling in person in South Yarra and via telehealth. Medicare rebates are available with a GP referral.

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What grief can look like

 

Grief is far more varied than sadness and crying. It can arrive as numbness, exhaustion, anger, guilt or relief (and guilt about the relief); it can live in the body as heaviness, tension or poor sleep; it can surge unexpectedly long after you thought you'd adjusted. There is no correct sequence and no timetable — the idea that grief moves through tidy stages doesn't match how most people actually grieve. Waves that come and go, gradually spacing out, is closer to the truth.

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Grief also follows many kinds of loss, including losses others may not fully see:

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• The death of someone close — recent, or long ago

• Anticipatory grief, while someone you love is seriously ill

• Miscarriage and pregnancy loss

• The end of a relationship or friendship

• Loss of health, ability, role, career or country

• The loss of the future you expected to have​​​

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When is it worth seeing a psychologist? 

 

You don't need to be "not coping" to seek support — some people simply want a place to grieve that doesn't ask them to hold it together. Therapy tends to be particularly worthwhile when grief remains as intense and consuming many months on as it was at the start, when it's tangled with trauma (a sudden or distressing death), guilt or complicated relationships, when it has led to other challenges, such as depression or heavy drinking, or when there's no room to grieve — because of work, caring for others, or the expectations around you.

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How therapy helps 

 

Grief counselling doesn't aim to make you "move on" or stop loving who or what you've lost. It provides room to feel and process the loss at your own pace, help with the pieces that have become stuck — guilt, anger, unfinished conversations, images that intrude — and support in rebuilding a life that carries the loss rather than being consumed by it. Many people find their connection to what they lost changes form rather than disappears, and therapy can honour that.

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Approaches we use 

 

Our psychologists tailor evidence-based approaches to grief — including grief-focused therapy for prolonged or stuck grief, trauma-focused approaches (such as EMDR) where the loss itself was traumatic, and emotion-focused and meaning-centred work. Where loss has stirred older losses or long-standing patterns, Schema Therapy and IFS can help address what has been reopened.

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Our psychologists who work with grief and loss

 

Many of our psychologists work with grief and loss. Meet our psychologists, or use our free 10-minute matching call to discuss who might be the right fit.

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Fees & Medicare rebates

 

With a GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan, Medicare rebates of $101.55–$149.05 apply per session. Private health rebates may also be available. You don't need a referral to book. View fees & rebates. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is grief a mental health condition?

No — grief is a natural response to loss, and most people move through it with the support of the people around them. Therapy is there for when grief becomes stuck, overwhelming, or complicated by trauma or circumstance — or simply when you want dedicated space for it.

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How soon after a loss should I see a psychologist?

There's no right timeline — some people come within weeks, others years later when something resurfaces. Whenever you want support, it's a valid time.

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Do you help with losses other than bereavement?

Yes — relationship endings, miscarriage and pregnancy loss, loss of health or ability, career and identity losses, and anticipatory grief are all common reasons people see us.​

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Ready to take the first step?

 

Book online any time, or start with a free 10-minute psychologist matching call — you're welcome to book directly without one. Prefer to talk? Call reception on 03 9804 5448 (Mon–Fri, 8.45am–5.15pm)

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If you're unsafe, call 000. If you're in crisis, call Lifeline 13 11 14.

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