Is it too soon or too late for bereavement counselling?

Neither exists. Some people reach out within days of a loss; others come years later. If grief is weighing on you, now is the right time.

How quickly can I be seen for bereavement counselling?

Usually within days. OLIP Therapy has no long waiting lists, with in-person sessions in Fareham and online sessions available 7 days a week.

OLIP Therapy · Fareham, Portsmouth & Southampton

Bereavement Counselling

A gentle, confidential space for grief, in person or online, whenever you're ready.

Bereavement Counselling · Fareham, Portsmouth & Southampton

Grief is love with nowhere to go. We can help you carry it.

Whether your loss was last week or long ago, whether you're barely holding on or simply not quite yourself, you don't have to go through this alone. Our bereavement counsellors are here when you're ready.

Book a free consultation Call free on 0800 970 4776

No pressure. No obligation. Just a first conversation, whenever you're ready.

If you've just arrived here

First, we're so sorry

If you're reading this page, you've probably lost someone who mattered enormously. Before anything else: we're sorry. And we're glad you found your way here.

Grief is one of the few experiences that comes to all of us and still manages to feel utterly lonely when it arrives. People around you may have gone quiet, unsure what to say. You may be fielding "how are you doing?" with "okay, thanks" because the true answer feels too big for the doorstep or the office kitchen. And somewhere in it all, you're expected to keep functioning: work, family, the supermarket, the paperwork that death unfairly generates.

Bereavement counselling is a place where none of that performing is needed. One hour that belongs entirely to you and the person you're missing, with someone trained and unafraid to sit with all of it.

What we want you to know

Three things that are true about grief

There is no correct way to do this.

Some people cry constantly; some can't cry at all. Some need to talk; some go silent. Some feel relief, guilt, anger, numbness, or all four before breakfast. None of it means you're grieving wrongly. There is no wrongly.

There is no schedule.

The world quietly expects grief to wrap up in a few months. Real grief doesn't read that memo. Whether your loss was three weeks or thirty years ago, if it's hurting, it deserves care. It is never "too late" or "too soon" to seek support.

Needing help is not failing.

Reaching out isn't weakness, and it isn't betraying the person you lost. It's often the opposite: a way of honouring how much they mattered, by taking care of the person they loved. You.

You're not going mad

Grief rarely looks like it does in films

It isn't only sadness. Grief moves through the whole of you, and many of its forms surprise people. All of these are normal:

Waves that arrive out of nowhere Exhaustion no sleep can fix Brain fog & forgetfulness Anger, at them, at others, at yourself Guilt over things said or unsaid Numbness when you "should" feel more Anxiety about losing someone else Physical aches and heaviness Laughing, then feeling guilty for laughing Talking to them, looking for them in crowds

"So much of grief is love that doesn't know where to go anymore. Counselling doesn't take the love away. It helps you find somewhere for it to live."

Whoever you're missing

Every loss counts here

People sometimes tell us they weren't sure their grief "qualified." It does. We support people through every kind of loss, including:

A partner or spouse

Losing the person your whole life was built around, and learning who you are without them.

A parent

At any age. Being a grown-up doesn't make you less of a son or daughter.

A child

Including pregnancy and baby loss. A grief like no other, held with the greatest care.

A sibling or friend

The "forgotten mourners," whose grief is every bit as real and often overlooked.

Sudden or traumatic loss

When there was no time to prepare or say goodbye, grief and shock arrive together.

A beloved pet

A daily companion and unconditional friend. Never something to apologise for grieving.

We also support anticipatory grief, when someone you love is seriously ill and the grieving has already begun, and losses from long ago that were never given the space they needed.

How it helps

What bereavement counselling actually offers

Counselling can't bring them back, and it won't ask you to "move on." What it can do is real, and it's this:

A confidential space to say the unsayable, without protecting anyone else's feelings
Help making sense of emotions that feel chaotic, contradictory, or frightening
Support through the hardest moments: anniversaries, birthdays, the firsts of everything
Gentle work with guilt, regret, or things left unsaid
Ways to keep a loving connection with the person you lost, while life slowly grows around the grief
Extra care where grief is tangled with trauma, drawing on EMDR and other approaches when helpful

You'll be matched with a counsellor experienced in bereavement, and you set the pace entirely. Some people come for a few sessions around a difficult time; others stay longer. Both are right.

Where you'll find us

Fareham, Portsmouth & Southampton, or your own home

Fareham

Our home. A quiet, comfortable practice at Arena Offices, Lancaster Court, Barnes Wallis Road, with free parking right outside, so arriving is one less thing to think about.

Portsmouth

Around 20 minutes from most of Portsmouth, straight along the M27 to Junction 9. Many clients find the short journey gives them space to gather themselves before and after.

Southampton

An easy 15 to 20 minutes along the M27 from the Southampton side too, often quicker than crossing the city. And if leaving the house feels too much right now, we understand.

Online bereavement counselling is available 7 days a week, wherever you are. On the days when getting dressed and driving feels impossible, your counsellor can come to you through a screen instead. We've offered online therapy since 2012, and for grief especially, being in your own space can help.

Gentle answers

Questions people often ask us

Is it too soon for counselling? Or too late?

Neither exists. Some people reach out within days because the ground has vanished; others come years later when a loss resurfaces. If your grief is weighing on you, now is the right time, whenever now happens to be.

What if I cry the whole way through?

Then you cry the whole way through, and that's completely fine. Our counsellors are not uncomfortable with tears, silence, anger, or anything else grief brings. You never need to apologise or compose yourself in that room.

What if I can't put it into words?

You don't need a speech prepared. "I don't know where to start" is one of the most common opening lines we hear, and it's a perfectly good one. Your counsellor will help you from there, gently.

Will counselling make me "get over" them?

No, and we'd never try. The aim isn't to forget or move on; it's to help you carry the loss in a way that lets you live alongside it, keeping your connection to them while the pain gradually softens its grip.

How quickly can I be seen?

Usually within days. There are no long waiting lists here; grief support shouldn't come with a queue.

How much does it cost?

Bereavement counselling is £72 per 50-minute session, with a saving when booking a block of six. Everything is listed openly on our fees page, and we'll always be clear about costs before you commit to anything.

When you're ready, we're here

There's no perfect moment to reach out, and no need to be "bad enough." One quiet conversation, free and without obligation, is how it starts. The kettle's on.