Kath Cheer

I usually offer sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Contact me to discuss availability.

I specialise in helping people to rebuild when they have been through loss or bereavement.

We all experience loss during our lives. It might be:

• Death of someone important to you

• Ill health

• Redundancy

• The ending of a relationship

• Childlessness

I could go on, there are so many different experiences that cause us to grieve.

Sometimes, we can adapt to loss ourselves. We feel the sadness (or other complicated emotions) then find a way to move forward.

Sometimes the loss is so significant it is hard to see how recovery can come. Or maybe we don’t even want recovery because we can’t imagine a life without the person or thing we have lost.

Perhaps life goes on but we are numb and don’t feel fully part of it. Or we throw ourselves into a new life, keeping the lid shut tight on our feelings, knowing they are still there even when we want to ignore them.

We all grieve differently.

Loss changes us. We don’t forget the person who has died or the sadness of not being a parent. There may still be disappointment about opportunities missed. But alongside that, it is possible to move forward, to rebuild, to live again.

I can help you through the difficult times of your grieving and, when you are ready, I can support you to rebuild your life and move onwards towards new experiences and choices.

I work face to face in Bournemouth or via Zoom.  Sessions are one hour and are usually weekly at the same time although I am open to working fortnightly.  I will also do my best to accommodate your needs if you are a shift worker or have other fluctuating responsibilities.

I am qualified as a counsellor and as a life coach.  This means that we can spend time talking about thoughts and feelings as well as the losses and other issues you have experienced throughout your life.  Alongside that I can help you to make practical plans.  For some people it's helpful to have something small to work towards after every session, others take some time to be ready for forward planning and some do the forward planning for themselves once things start to feel a little more manageable.  It will be up to you.

I will listen to what you say you want and need from me and do my best to respond so we can work together at a pace and in a way that works for you.

 It's so important for you to find a counsellor you feel comfortable with.  I would love for you to contact me and to choose to work with me, but what I want more is that you find the right person - which might be me and it might not be - please make sure you take the time to choose carefully.  I want this to work for you!

If you do contact me, I will offer you an initial 30 minute session free of charge via Zoom. This will not be a therapy session but will be a time for us to get to know one another a little.  During this session I hope you will feel able to:

• tell me about your reasons for wanting therapy and how you think I can help
• tell me a little about where you are at in your life just now and how you are doing
• ask me any questions you have
• tell me about anything you think I need to know about you before we start to work together
• tell me about your availability

I will not expect you to make a decision during this conversation; you may need time to think before deciding.

If you do choose me to be your therapist, we can meet face to face in my lovely garden office in Bournemouth (sorry there is no step free access) or by Zoom.