Grief is a natural and necessary response to loss. It may follow the death of a loved one, but it can also arise after other significant losses, such as the end of a relationship, the loss of health, fertility, identity, or a sense of safety. While grief often softens with time, for some people it does not resolve. Instead, it remains emotionally active, shaping thoughts, feelings, and behaviour long after the loss has occurred. This experience is commonly referred to as unresolved or complicated grief.
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Unresolved grief may present in many ways. Some individuals feel persistently numb or emotionally disconnected, as though the loss has never fully registered. Others experience ongoing sadness, anger, guilt, or yearning that feels as intense as it did at the time of the loss. It may be accompanied by depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, irritability, or difficulties in relationships. In some cases, grief becomes intertwined with a sense of meaninglessness or a loss of direction in life.
There are many reasons why grief may remain unresolved. Sudden or traumatic losses, ambiguous losses, or situations where there was no opportunity to say goodbye can all make mourning more complex. Early life experiences, family attitudes towards emotion, and cultural expectations may also influence how grief is processed. Some people learn to survive by suppressing painful feelings, only to find that unexpressed grief later emerges through emotional or physical symptoms.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy offers a thoughtful and contained space in which unresolved grief can be approached with care. The therapeutic process allows the individual to acknowledge the reality of the loss, to explore the emotional responses that may have been avoided or interrupted, and to integrate the loss into their life story. This work is not about forgetting or moving on in a simplistic sense, but about finding a way to carry the loss without being overwhelmed by it. Through therapy, grief can become something that is held, understood, and lived with, rather than something that dominates inner life.
David Kraft
David Kraft is a psychotherapist with extensive experience working with grief, loss, and complex emotional processes. He practises at 10 Harley Street, with an additional clinic in Enfield, and brings a depth of clinical understanding to the treatment of unresolved grief. His approach is integrative, drawing on multiple therapeutic traditions to meet the individual needs of each client. David offers a reflective, emotionally attuned therapeutic environment in which difficult feelings can be explored safely and meaningfully. This makes him particularly well suited to supporting individuals who are struggling with unresolved grief and seeking a deeper, more compassionate understanding of their experience.
**Psychotherapy in Enfield Town: Call 0207 467 8564 or 07946 579645**