Grief & Loss Psychologist in North Sydney & Pymble

Grief Doesn’t Follow a Timeline

Grief isn’t a problem to be solved or a process with a fixed endpoint. It’s the natural response to losing someone or something that mattered and it can be as unpredictable as it is painful. There is no “right” way to grieve, and no correct amount of time it should take.

At Cadence Psychology, with clinics in North Sydney and Pymble, we offer a space to process loss without being rushed toward “moving on”; because moving on isn’t always the goal. Sometimes it’s about finding a way to carry the loss and continue living a meaningful life alongside it.

Grief & Loss in Adults

Grief shows up differently for everyone, and not always in ways that look like sadness. We commonly work with:

• Bereavement following the death of a partner, parent, family member, or friend
• Anticipatory grief, when facing a loved one’s terminal illness or decline
• Complicated or prolonged grief, when grief feels stuck rather than gradually easing
• Non-death losses, including relationship breakdown, infertility, miscarriage, or major life transitions
• Disenfranchised grief:  loss that isn’t widely recognised or socially supported
• Guilt or unfinished business connected to the loss

Grief can also surface alongside depression or anxiety, and we work with the full picture, not just one part of it.

Grief & Loss in Children & Teens

Children and teenagers grieve differently to adults, often moving in and out of grief rather than experiencing it continuously. We often see:

• Confusion about death or loss, particularly in younger children
• Regression or clinginess following a significant loss
• Behavioural changes at school or at home
• Delayed grief, where the impact surfaces weeks or months later
• Difficulty concentrating or a drop in school performance
• Anger as a more visible expression of underlying sadness

We work collaboratively with parents to help you understand what your child is experiencing and how to support them at home.

How a Psychologist Can Help

Grief work is not about “getting over it.” It’s about finding a way through:

• A space to talk openly, without needing to protect others from your feelings
• Making sense of the loss, particularly where it was sudden, traumatic, or complicated
• Narrative Therapy approaches, which can help you find a way to maintain a meaningful connection to what or who you’ve lost, rather than being asked to let go – read more on Narrative Therapy
• Support for co-occurring anxiety or depression, when grief has triggered or intensified other difficulties
• Practical strategies for navigating grief triggers such as anniversaries, milestones, and everyday reminders
• Family and parent support, helping you support a grieving child while managing your own grief