Growing Through Grief: How Person-Centred Loss Therapy Helps Us Heal

Kelly Rowe
1 day ago
4 min read

What is National Grief Awareness Week 2025 — and why it matters

This year, National Grief Awareness Week runs from 2–8 December 2025.[1] Its aim is to remind us that grief is a natural human response to loss — and that we don’t have to face it alone. The 2025 theme, “Growing with Grief”, reinforces a message many find hard to embrace: grief doesn’t just mark an ending. It can also plant the seeds for personal growth, renewed values, and deeper self-understanding.[2]

I’ve personally experienced loss myself, and in a previous article, I shared my journey after losing my dad and how it shaped my understanding of grief — you can read more about that here.

As a counsellor, this week is a vital opportunity to shine a light on grief — not as a condition to “fix,” but as a complex process that deserves respect, time, and compassionate support.

A grave stone with a red rose on top — Grief can mean different things to different people - but ultimately it represents an ending

Why loss therapy matters: grief goes beyond death

When we hear “grief,” we often think of bereavement after death. But grief can arise from many kinds of significant loss: the end of a relationship, loss of health, job or identity, or other major life changes.

Loss therapy — or counselling for grief — acknowledges this broader reality. It gives space for all kinds of sorrow, not just those caused by death. This inclusive understanding can help people who feel their grief is “less valid” or “less deserving” of support to feel seen and supported.

The power of person-centred loss therapy for grief

In grief counselling rooted in a person-centred approach, the therapist doesn’t dictate how someone should grieve. Instead, they create a safe, non-judgemental space, offering what matters most: unconditional positive regard, empathy, and presence.

What does that look like in practice?

The counsellor trusts that you know your grief best, even when it feels confusing or overwhelming. They don’t impose a timeline.
There’s no pressure to move through grief in phases or “get over it.” Instead, you’re invited to feel at your own pace, to express anger, numbness, confusion, relief, guilt — whatever arises.
Over time, this supportive presence helps you integrate loss into your life narrative — not as something you “finished,” but something that becomes part of who you are.

In short: grief counselling isn’t about “fixing grief.” It’s about living through grief with support, respect, and human connection.

Growing with Grief: what growth really means

The theme “Growing with Grief” can feel uncomfortable. Growth does not erase pain — and grief doesn’t end on a neat timeline. But growth can unfold slowly, subtly.

Here are some of the ways people talk about growth after loss (and that, as a counsellor, I often see in therapy):

Deeper empathy and compassion — for ourselves, others, and even strangers. Grief can soften the edges, deepen our sense of what matters.
Heightened awareness of impermanence — helping us recognise what we value now: time, presence, relationships, authenticity.
A richer inner life — loss can awaken creativity, reflection, or a stronger inner voice. For some, grief becomes part of their identity: not the only part, but a part that shapes their values and choices.
Re-engagement with life on new terms — maybe relationships, work, hobbies or values shift; what no longer works falls away, and what remains becomes more rooted.

Growth is seldom dramatic. It’s often quiet. It doesn’t “fix” the loss. But over time, it can help grief become part of a lived, meaningful life.

How to hold space for grief — personally or as a supporter

Whether you are grieving, or supporting someone who is, here are some guiding principles from a person-centred loss therapy perspective:

Listen — without judgement, without rushing through “solutions.” Sometimes what helps most is simply being present and letting grief be heard.
Validate emotions. Grief is messy, unpredictable — anger, guilt, relief, confusion, sadness, numbness. All are valid. Normalising that helps.
Allow time and space. Grief doesn’t follow a schedule. It may ebb and flow. Recognising that there is no “finish line” can lift a huge weight of pressure.
Support rituals that honour what was lost. Memory keeps love alive. Whether it’s a walk, a letter, a creative act — rituals can give grief a respectful place.
Encourage gentle self-care. Low-key, tender self-care often works better than “fix-it” attempts. Simple acts of kindness toward oneself (rest, nature, small comfort) can hold grief in its fragile shape.

Why Therapy can make all the difference

Choosing a person-centred approach to grief counselling isn’t a compromise. It isn’t “less structured” — it’s more human. Grief doesn’t need a roadmap. It needs presence. It needs respect.

For those grieving — now or in the future — this kind of approach means you don’t have to perform a “proper grief.” You don’t need to be once-angry-then-sad-then-accepting. You just need to be — and know you won’t be alone.

During National Grief Awareness Week 2025, let’s honour grief as what it is: painful, honest, human — but also a possibility for growth, connection, and deeper living.