Therapy for grief & bereavement
Grief isn't a problem to solve — but sometimes it gets stuck, and a therapist trained in grief work can help. Verified UK therapists, online or in-person. Free 15-minute discovery call. We also signpost Cruse — the UK's bereavement charity — which is free and excellent.
Grief, plainly
Grief is what love looks like after a loss. It's not pathology — it's the natural process of adjusting to an absence that matters. Most grief unfolds without therapy: it's painful, and it does its work over months and years.
Sometimes, though, grief gets stuck. The pain doesn't recede. The world doesn't begin to reassemble. Daily functioning stays impaired. That's what clinicians now call 'prolonged grief disorder' (recognised in ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR) — and it's where therapy has the most to offer.
Therapy can also help with grief that's complicated by other things: traumatic loss (sudden, violent, or witnessed), multiple losses, ambiguous loss, the death of someone you had a difficult relationship with, or the loss of someone society doesn't expect you to grieve openly (an estranged parent, a former partner, a pet, a pregnancy).
First call for many UK adults is Cruse Bereavement Support (cruse.org.uk, free helpline 0808 808 1677). They run free one-to-one and group support across the UK and have over 60 years of experience. They're a fair first call before private therapy.
Common signs and symptoms:
- Persistent intense grief lasting more than 6-12 months
- Inability to accept the loss; persistent disbelief
- Avoidance of reminders that significantly impairs daily life
- Identity disruption — feeling 'a part of you died'
- Persistent suicidal thoughts or longing to be with the deceased
- Difficulty trusting, withdrawing from others
- Numbness alternating with overwhelming waves
- Co-occurring depression, anxiety, or PTSD
Evidence-based therapies for grief
Complicated Grief Therapy (CGT, Shear)
Developed by Katherine Shear specifically for prolonged/complicated grief. 16-session protocol with strong evidence base. Combines elements of CBT and IPT.
Grief-focused CBT
CBT adapted for grief — addresses avoidance, rumination, and stuck patterns of meaning-making. Useful when grief is interacting with depression or anxiety.
Narrative therapy / meaning reconstruction
Robert Neimeyer's framework for working with the meaning-making part of grief. Useful when the loss has shaken your sense of who you are or what your story is.
EMDR for traumatic loss
Where the loss itself was traumatic — sudden, witnessed, violent — EMDR can help process the traumatic memory before grief work can move forward.
Group therapy and peer support
Cruse and other charities run grief groups; some private therapists run grief groups too. Peer presence often does what individual therapy can't, particularly for shared types of loss.
Specialist services
Cruse (cruse.org.uk, 0808 808 1677). Sands for stillbirth/neonatal loss. The Compassionate Friends for child loss. Widowed and Young (WAY) for younger widowed adults. All free, all expert.
Why work with a MatchyMatch therapist?
Trained in grief work
Generic therapy can miss what grief specifically needs. We list therapists with explicit grief training and experience — including those familiar with complicated, traumatic, or ambiguous loss.
Free discovery call
Grief makes new things feel hard. The first 15-minute call is free, low-pressure, and a chance to see if the therapist's approach fits.
When Cruse isn't the right fit
Cruse is excellent for many people. Where it falls short: longer-term work, complicated/traumatic grief, identity-shaping losses, the loss of someone society didn't see as 'grievable'. Private is the practical route.
Therapy in your language
Grief in a second language is exhausting. We have therapists working in English and several other languages.
Online or in-person
Online grief work is well-established. Some prefer in-person — particularly for traumatic or sudden loss where the body needs more than a screen.
Companion through, not fix
Grief therapy isn't about making the pain go away — it's about not being alone with it, and helping the natural process unstick where it's stuck.
Why choose MatchyMatch for grief therapy?
MatchyMatch is a UK platform for grief therapy. Every therapist holds professional registration — with a UK body (BACP, UKCP, HCPC, BPS) or a recognised international body — so you have verified credentials before you ever pick up the phone. Your first 15-minute discovery call with any therapist is free.
- Free 15-minute discovery call before you commit to grief therapy
- Verified UK & international credentials (BACP, UKCP, HCPC, BPS, COPSI and others)
- Online or in-person sessions, whichever suits you
- Therapy in English and other languages — including ones the NHS rarely offers
Frequently asked questions
Should I see a therapist or call Cruse?
Cruse (0808 808 1677) is free, expert, and a fair first call. They run individual and group support across the UK. Private therapy is the practical route when: the wait for Cruse is too long in your area, your grief has become complicated or prolonged, the loss was traumatic, or you want longer-term work or a specific approach (e.g. EMDR for traumatic loss). The two aren't mutually exclusive — many people use both.
How long does therapy for grief take?
Standard grief support is often 6-12 sessions. Complicated Grief Therapy (Shear protocol) is 16 sessions. Trauma-complicated grief or grief tangled with depression often runs longer. Your therapist will be honest about what they expect early on.
When is grief 'stuck' — what should I look for?
Persistent grief lasting more than 6-12 months that significantly impairs daily life is a useful threshold. Other markers: persistent disbelief, identity disruption ('a part of me died'), suicidal thoughts, the world failing to reassemble. None of these alone is a diagnosis; together they're a reason to consider therapy.
Can therapy help with the loss of a relationship, not a death?
Yes. Therapy for grief covers any significant loss: divorce, estrangement, the loss of a pregnancy or fertility, the loss of a community after migration, the loss of identity after a redundancy. Generic 'bereavement counselling' usually focuses on death; grief-trained therapists work with the broader category.
What does grief therapy cost in the UK?
Most UK grief therapists charge £60-£100 per session. Specialists or senior accredited psychotherapists can be £80-£130. Cruse is free. Discovery calls on MatchyMatch are always free.
I'm in crisis right now — what should I do?
If you're at immediate risk, call 999. For urgent NHS help, NHS 111 (option 2 for mental health). Samaritans (116 123) and SHOUT (text 85258) are free, confidential, and open 24/7. Cruse is open every day on 0808 808 1677 for bereavement specifically. Therapy is for the longer-term work; in a crisis, please use the services built for crisis.