The funeral ceremony is often seen as marking the end of a difficult journey. Family and friends gather to say goodbye, celebrate a life, and honour the person who has died. Once it is over and everyone returns home, there is often an unspoken expectation that life will gradually return to normal. But grief doesn’t work that way and this is why grief coaching is needed by so many.
Working within the funeral profession for many years, I have supported countless families through some of the most difficult days of their lives. I have sat with people as they made funeral arrangements, listened to stories about loved ones, and helped create meaningful farewells that reflected a person’s life.
Many people believe that the funeral ceremony offers ‘closure’ and in a way it does, it makes people acknowledge the death of someone we love, but it can be just the beginning of the grieving process.
There is extensive support available before and during a funeral. Families are guided through practical decisions, paperwork, ceremonies, music choices, readings, flowers, and all the details that come with saying goodbye.
Once the funeral has taken place, many people find themselves facing a new reality.
The visitors stop coming, the phone calls become less frequent, life around carries on, but grief remains.
It was witnessing this time and time again that led me to become a grief coach
Understanding Grief
One of the most important lessons I have learned is that there is no right or wrong way to grieve. Every person experiences loss differently. The relationship they had with the person who died, the circumstances of the death, their own personality, previous experiences, support network, and many other factors all influence how grief affects them.
Some people cry often, others hardly cry at all.
Some like to talk constantly about the person they have lost. Others find it difficult to speak about them for months or even years.
Some people throw themselves into their work or other activities. Others struggle to just get up each morning.
All these responses can be completely normal.
Many people have heard of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Whilst these stages can help us understand some of the emotions experienced following a loss, grief is rarely linear. People do not move through these stages in a straight line.
There may be several emotions experienced at once. They may revisit certain feelings repeatedly. A person may feel acceptance one day and overwhelming sadness the next.
Grief is not something we can ‘get over’, it is something we learn to carry whilst continuing to live our lives
The Need for More Grief Support
Working alongside families, I often found myself wondering what happened to them after the funeral. I knew that many people would continue to struggle long after the practical arrangements had ended. I was also aware that support services are stretched.
Local authorities, charities, community groups, and bereavement services do incredible work. However, demand for support often exceeds the resources available. Waiting lists can be long, and not everyone feels able or willing to access traditional counselling services. Grief coaching in Somerset is available.
At the same time, many people simply wanted someone to walk alongside them as they navigated their grief.
Someone who would listen without judgement.
Someone who could help them understand that what they were experiencing was normal.
Someone who could provide practical guidance as well as emotional support.
Recognising this need inspired me to study and become a certified grief coach.
I wanted to extend the support I was already providing and help people not only through the funeral itself but also through the weeks, months, and years that follow.
Grief Coaching and Counselling – Understanding the Difference
One question that is often asked is whether grief coaching is the same as counselling. It isn’t. Whilst both aim to support people through difficult experiences, they have different roles and approaches.
A counsellor is a trained mental health professional who helps clients explore their emotions, past experiences, behavioural patterns, and psychological wellbeing. Counselling can involve deeper therapeutic work and can be particularly valuable when someone is experiencing trauma, complex grief, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns.
Grief coaches do not replace counsellors or therapists. Instead, they support clients in finding meaning and rebuilding their life after loss, exploring the impact on their identity, values, and projects. They focus on helping people navigate the practical and emotional challenges of living with loss.
The role of a grief coach is to help clients understand their grief, develop coping strategies, build confidence, manage life changes, and find ways to move forward whilst continuing to honour the memory of the person they have lost.
How Grief Coaching Works
Grief coaching is not about fixing grief, it is not about encouraging someone to ‘move on.’
It is not about setting a timetable for recovery. Instead grief coaching provides a safe and supportive space where people can explore their experiences openly and honestly. Sessions are individually tailored because no two grief journeys are the same.
For some people, coaching may focus on understanding the emotions they are experiencing and reassuring them that their reactions are normal.
For others, it may involve helping them adapt to life after loss, whether that means managing loneliness, rebuilding routines, returning to work, facing significant anniversaries, or finding purpose again.
Grief coaching may also help clients:
- Understand the grieving process.
- Develop healthy coping strategies.
- Manage feelings of guilt, anger, or regret.
- Build resilience and self-care practices.
- Navigate changes in family dynamics.
- Regain confidence after loss.
- Create meaningful ways to remember and honour loved ones.
- Set realistic goals for the future.
- Find balance between remembering and living.
The Benefits of Grief Coaching
One of the greatest benefits of grief coaching is that it helps people feel less alone. Grief can be incredibly isolating. Even when surrounded by family and friends, many people feel that nobody truly understands what they are going through.
Having dedicated support can provide reassurance, validation, and understanding during a time when emotions often feel overwhelming. Grief coaching can also help people regain a sense of control.
Life can seem uncertain and unpredictable. By helping identify practical steps, coping strategies, and achievable goals, coaching can provide a sense of direction during an otherwise confusing time.
Many people worry that they are grieving incorrectly or that they should be “further along” in their journey. Grief coaching helps challenge these beliefs and encourages self-compassion.
There is no finish line in grief
There is only learning how to carry loss whilst continuing to embrace life.
Looking to the Future
Grief coaching has an increasingly important role to play in bereavement support. As awareness around mental health and emotional wellbeing continues to grow, more people are recognising the value of seeking support before they reach crisis point.
At the same time, communities are changing. Families are often separated by distance, traditional support networks may be smaller, and many people find themselves navigating grief without the village of support that previous generations relied upon.
Grief coaching can help bridge that gap. Complementing existing bereavement services, counselling, hospice support, and funeral care. It offers an accessible and personalised form of support that meets people where they are and helps them navigate life after loss.
Most importantly, it reminds people that they do not have to walk the path of grief alone.
If you are living with grief and require someone to talk to, or you think grief coaching might help, please get in touch.