Working with grief

ABOUT THE EPISODE

Supporting clients through grief and loss

Dr Monika Wieliczko and Dr Natalie Stott discuss the difference between grief and complicated grief, how trauma and attachment can shape the grieving process, and the delicate balance between mourning and continuing to live.

They explore ways to talk about grief with clients, including metaphors, psychoeducation, community support and creative outlets.

• Understanding grief and complicated grief
• Assessing trauma alongside bereavement
• Using metaphors to help clients make sense of loss
• Considering social support and creative activities

What might therapists consider when grief and trauma overlap?

Dr Monika Wieliczko and Natalie discuss grief, complicated grief and the ways trauma and attachment can affect bereavement. A client's distress may include the loss itself alongside traumatic aspects of what happened or earlier experiences that shape how safety and connection are understood.

Assessment can help the therapist avoid treating every grief response as the same. It creates space to consider the course of the grief, the client's wider context and whether trauma-related processes also need attention within the work.

How can clients be supported to make sense of loss?

Metaphors and psychoeducation can offer language when grief feels difficult to organise or explain. Creative outlets may give the client another way to approach their experience, while community and social support can matter beyond what happens in the therapy room.

The episode also holds the tension between mourning and continuing to live. Support does not require rushing towards resolution; it can help the client find a way to remain connected with what has been lost while gradually making room for life around the grief.

Related listening: For another creative way to help clients make sense of difficult experiences, listen to Therapeutic Writing and Journal Prompts in Therapy, including how to introduce writing without pressure and work with resistance.