Over a lifetime, we travel down the ‘river of life' and whilst we often experience a few ‘rapids' and a ‘few waves', we navigate through them and seem to find a way through those difficult times.

When we experience a bereavement, its more than just a few waves or rapids, it's a waterfall. Sometimes, we see the waterfall approaching, which we can relate to a loved one being ill or receiving end-of-life care, for example. Sadly sometimes, it's a sudden bereavement and the waterfall is unexpectedly just there in front of us, with no time to react.

After a bereavement it can feel like you're ‘free-falling' over and down the waterfall. You can feel scared and overwhelmed and there may be times where you wonder how on earth you will survive.

When you reach the bottom of the waterfall, you realize that you have survived, yet the water (the grief!) is still swirling around, making it feel like it's hard to catch your breath and keep your head above water.

During those initial days, weeks or months, it can often feel like the water will never calm and you will always be grieving/trying to survive. Thankfully, over time, the water does begin to feel less overwhelming as we start to grieve for the loss of our loved one.

As you navigate through the new waters, grief support could be viewed as a ‘temporary life jacket', allowing you to simply take the time to breathe and to process the journey you have been on since going over the waterfall.

How long that journey takes, is individual with no time pressure and no right or wrong way of grieving. Sometimes, just being able to ‘keep your head above water' for a while and talking about your grief will nurture and grow the inner strength you need to finally take the life jacket off and move forwards independently.

The grief support life jacket is temporary and isn't always needed, as many people navigate their way through their grief, with the support of family and friends, however for those who would benefit from the safe, non-judgemental setting of grief counseling, it can be an invaluable step towards moving through grief and finding happiness, love and a sense of ‘new-normal'.