Grief Counselling for Loss, Change, and Everything In Between
Grief is one of the most disorienting experiences a person can go through. Whether you've lost someone you love, ended a significant relationship, or experienced a major life change, grief has a way of showing up in your body, your sleep, and your sense of who you are. At Cultivate Mental Health, our therapists offer grief counselling in Ottawa to help you find your footing again.
What Is Grief Counselling?
Grief counselling is a form of therapy that helps people process loss in a supported, non-judgmental space. It isn't about moving on quickly or "getting over it." It's about making room for your experience, understanding how grief is showing up in your life, and learning to carry loss in a way that doesn't overwhelm you.
Grief looks different for everyone. Some people feel numb. Others feel waves of sadness, anger, or guilt that seem to come out of nowhere. There is no right way to grieve, and there is no set timeline.
Types of Grief We Support
Grief and loss therapy at Cultivate is not limited to bereavement after a death. Our therapists work with a wide range of losses, including:
Anticipatory grief happens when loss hasn't occurred yet but feels imminent, such as caring for someone with a terminal illness or facing a diagnosis yourself. Many people feel caught between hope and mourning, and this kind of grief can be deeply isolating.
Complicated grief develops when the normal grieving process gets stuck. You may find yourself unable to accept the loss, avoiding reminders, or feeling like life has permanently lost its meaning. Complicated grief often benefits from specialized therapeutic support.
Disenfranchised grief refers to losses that aren't widely recognized socially, such as the end of a friendship, a miscarriage, the loss of a pet, or leaving a job you loved. These losses are real, and the pain they cause is real, even when others don't acknowledge them.
Other types of grief we work with include grief from divorce or relationship endings, loss of identity or purpose, and accumulated loss over time.
What to Expect in Grief Therapy
Our approach to grief and loss counselling is warm, paced, and attuned to where you are. Sessions might involve talking through memories, exploring how grief shows up in your body, identifying coping strategies that aren't serving you, or simply having space to say the things you haven't been able to say out loud.
We draw from evidence-based approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), somatic awareness, and compassion-focused therapy. Your therapist will work with you to find the approach that fits.
We also offer online grief counselling for clients across Ontario who prefer the flexibility of virtual sessions or live outside of Ottawa.
Find Comfort in Times of Loss
Healing through understanding: Our approach offers a compassionate space for you to explore and express your emotions at your own pace.
Personalized support: We tailor our sessions to meet your unique needs, ensuring you receive the guidance that aligns with your personal journey.
Building resilience: Our counseling helps you develop coping strategies that empower you to move forward with strength and hope.
Frequently Asked Questions
If grief is interfering with your daily life, relationships, sleep, or sense of self for an extended period, speaking with a therapist can help. You don't need to be in crisis to benefit from support. Many people find grief counselling helpful even when their loss happened years ago.
Yes. Cultivate Mental Health offers online grief counselling for individuals across Ontario. Virtual sessions are conducted via secure video and are just as effective as in-person therapy for most clients.
Grief is a natural response to loss. Complicated grief, sometimes called prolonged grief disorder, occurs when grief becomes persistent, intense, and interferes with functioning over a longer period. A therapist can help you identify whether what you're experiencing is complicated grief and what kind of support would be most helpful.
