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ACA Level 2 · Grief & Bereavement
Grief deserves more than just time.
Grief counselling with Lee McCullagh in Toowoomba offers a steady, gentle space to process loss — however it looks for you — without being pushed toward any particular timeline or outcome.
Bereavement
Complicated Grief
Anticipatory Grief
Disenfranchised Loss
Life Transitions
ACA Accredited · Toowoomba
Grief & Bereavement
- Loss of a person, relationship or role
- Complicated & prolonged grief
- Anticipatory grief & terminal illness
- Specialist grief-informed practice
- Face-to-face (COVID safe), phone or Zoom
$150
per session
no referral needed
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Understanding Grief
Grief is not a problem to be solved.
Grief is the natural, necessary response to loss. It is not linear, it does not follow a tidy sequence of stages, and it does not have a finish line. What it needs — more than anything — is to be witnessed with patience and without judgement.
“There is no right way to grieve. There is only your way — and I’m here to walk alongside you in it.”
— Lee McCullagh
Grief can arrive after a death, but also after the end of a relationship, a diagnosis, a miscarriage, the loss of a career, or any profound change that takes away something or someone that mattered. All of these losses are real and valid.
I have specialist training and lived experience in grief work. I offer a space where there is no pressure to feel differently, no timeline imposed, and no expectation of what recovery should look like — only a commitment to being genuinely present.
About This Service
ACA Level 2 Accredited Member
Specialist grief-informed practice
Sessions run 60 minutes
First session 90 minutes
Strictly confidential
Available in-person, phone call or Zoom
No referral required
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Who This Is For
Loss takes many forms.
Grief support isn’t only for bereavement after a death. I work with any form of significant loss — recognised or not.
Bereavement
The death of a parent, partner, child, sibling, friend or colleague — sudden or expected, recent or long ago. I provide an unhurried, non-judgemental space to carry the loss at whatever pace is right for you.
Complicated Grief
When grief feels stuck, intensifies over time, or is tangled with guilt, anger, relief, or ambivalence — particularly after traumatic, sudden, or complicated deaths. I hold space for the full complexity.
Anticipatory Grief
Grieving before a loss occurs — during a terminal diagnosis, declining health, or a significant life change that is approaching. This grief is real and deserves as much care as any other form.
Pregnancy & Infant Loss
Miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, or the death of a newborn. These losses are often minimised by others, which can make the grief feel even more isolating. I offer a space where this loss is fully acknowledged.
Disenfranchised Loss
Losses that aren’t socially recognised or validated — the end of a friendship, loss of a pet, grief after estrangement, or the loss of a future you had planned. These losses matter, and so does your grief.
Life After Loss
Rebuilding identity and meaning after profound loss — finding a way to carry grief while still living fully. I support people in integrating loss into a continuing life, without forcing a premature return to “normal.”
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A Note From Lee
“Grief is not a problem to be solved or a wound to be healed on a timetable. It is a relationship — with the person, the life, or the future you have lost. My role is not to move you through it faster. It’s to make sure you don’t have to carry it alone.”
— Lee McCullagh
No right way to grieve
There is no correct emotion, no expected timeline, and no version of grief that is too small or too large. All of it is welcome here.
No pressure to recover
The goal isn’t to “get over” anything. It’s to find a way to carry what you’re carrying without it overwhelming every part of your life.
Not alone in it
One of the most painful things about grief is how isolating it can feel. This is a space where you don’t have to manage how you’re received.
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My Approach
Your grief. Your pace. No exceptions.
I bring specialist grief training and a deeply person-centred philosophy to every session. There is no agenda other than supporting you.
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Person-Centred
Your Grief, Your Pace
I do not follow a prescribed model or push you toward any particular outcome. I follow your lead entirely — what you need to talk about, how much you can hold in any given session, and how long the journey takes.
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Narrative & Meaning
Making Sense of Loss
Grief often disrupts the story we had for our lives. I use narrative and meaning-making approaches to help you find a way to integrate the loss — honouring what was while slowly rebuilding what comes next.
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Trauma-Informed
Holding Complexity
I understand that grief is often complicated by trauma, ambivalence, or loss of identity. I work with sensitivity to the nervous system — never pushing beyond what feels safe, always respecting where you are.
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The Process
What working with me looks like.
From first contact to ongoing sessions, here is what you can expect when you come to me for grief support.
Free 10-Min Chat
Before booking, you’re welcome to have a brief, free phone conversation with me. This is a low-pressure way to ask questions and get a feel for how I work before taking the next step.
First Session
The first session is 90 minutes — gentle and led entirely by you. I will simply ask what has brought you in and follow from there. There is no expectation of how much you share or what you feel.
Ongoing Sessions
Ongoing sessions are 60 minutes — typically weekly or fortnightly, though I will always discuss what frequency feels right for you. Grief work is rarely linear, and I adjust alongside wherever you are.
Integration & Continuity
The goal is not to “get over” the loss but to find a way to carry it. Many people continue with me in a reduced capacity even after the acute period passes — grief has long seasons.
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Common Questions
A few things people often ask.
Is it normal to still be grieving after a long time?
Completely. The idea that grief follows a timetable — and that you should be “over it” by a certain point — is both outdated and harmful. Grief doesn’t have an expiry date. Some people grieve actively for months; others carry significant grief for years, particularly after the loss of a child, a partner, or after traumatic or sudden death. I will never suggest your grief is lasting too long.
Can grief counselling help even if the loss was a long time ago?
Yes — absolutely. Grief from years or even decades ago sometimes resurfaces, is triggered by a new event, or was never properly processed. Many people come to grief counselling long after the loss, often because they never had the right support at the time. Old grief is still grief, and it still deserves attention.
My loss isn't a death — is grief counselling still relevant for me?
Absolutely. Grief counselling isn’t only for bereavement. I work with loss of all kinds — relationship endings, miscarriage, infertility, loss of identity or role, serious health diagnosis, or any profound change that has taken away something or someone that mattered. All of these losses are real, and all of them deserve care.
More questions about fees, sessions, or getting started?