GRIEF […] GIVES LIFE A PERMANENTLY PROVISIONAL FEELING. IT DOESN’T SEEM WORTH STARTING ANYTHING. I CAN’T SETTLE DOWN. I YAWN, I FIDGET, I SMOKE TOO MUCH. UP TILL THIS I ALWAYS HAD TOO LITTLE TIME. NOW THERE IS NOTHING BUT TIME. ALMOST PURE TIME, EMPTY SUCCESSIVENESS.
[C.S. LEWIS, A GRIEF OBSERVED, 1961]
Grief & Bereavement Therapy in London
With Dr Comfort Shields | Clinical Psychologist & Depth Psychotherapist | Specialist in Traumatic Loss & Prolonged Grief Disorder
Loss is a universal human experience, but it never arrives in quite the same way twice. Most grief, however painful, is a natural process—a testament to love, to meaning, and to the bonds that shape us. Yet sometimes grief itself becomes an illness: it loses its fluidity, becomes stuck, and takes on a life of its own. This is what is now recognised as Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD), or complicated grief—a state in which yearning, disbelief, or despair persists far beyond what most people expect, and begins to impair one’s ability to function, connect, or hope.
As a clinical psychologist and depth psychotherapist, I specialise in working with all forms of loss—including the tangled, often isolating terrain of traumatic bereavement. I have particular expertise in helping people facing PGD, as well as those grieving after suicide, sudden or accidental death, or the slow unfolding of terminal illness. My approach combines warmth and clinical depth, offering a safe space for the full complexity of grief—including its raw pain, but also its guilt, numbness, anger, and confusion.
Understanding Complicated Grief / Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD):
For most, grief eventually softens or changes with time. But for some, it remains immobilising—marked by persistent disbelief, overwhelming longing, or an inability to re-engage with life. People with PGD often feel trapped in the moment of loss, or haunted by intrusive memories and questions that never resolve. Relationships, work, sleep, and even the sense of self can suffer. These are not failings; they are signs that grief has crossed into something that deserves gentle, specialist care.
How I Work:
In my Harley Street practice, I work collaboratively with clients to untangle the threads of prolonged or complicated grief. My work draws on depth-psychological insight, trauma-focused therapy, and, where appropriate, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)—a powerful approach that can help with the traumatic aspects of loss, especially when flashbacks, guilt, or distressing images persist.
Together, we seek not just relief from suffering, but meaning and integration:
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Making sense of the loss, both consciously and unconsciously
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Tending to the trauma, if present, with patience and skill
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Rebuilding the capacity for connection, pleasure, and hope
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Honouring the relationship and the story of the lost loved one
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Gently supporting you to re-engage with life at your own pace
Compassionate Support for All Forms of Grief:
Whether your grief is fresh or decades old, whether it feels like sadness, numbness, anger, or simply exhaustion—there is no wrong way to grieve, and no timeline you “should” be on. If your suffering feels endless, or if you fear you are not moving forward, you are not alone. Specialist therapy can help you understand and gently shift what feels unmovable, without erasing or diminishing the importance of your loss.
My practice is located in the Harley Street district (4 Devonshire Street, W1W 5DT), and is a space of confidentiality, warmth, and clinical expertise. I work with most major insurers, including Bupa Global, Aviva, Cigna, and WPA.
If you are struggling with grief that will not soften, or are simply searching for support in the aftermath of loss, please reach out. You do not have to do this alone.
Contact me today to arrange a confidential consultation.
