Joanne Reed Free to be me Counselling Services

Joanne Reed Free to be me Counselling Services Grief can turn your world upside down. It can leave you feeling lost, overwhelmed and unsure how to carry on. You do not have to face this pain alone.

Grief & Loss Therapist / Compassionate, specialist counselling for when the unthinkable happens / Online sessions / Based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire / Evening appointments available / Call, text or email to arrange an appointment or to learn more The emotions that come with loss often feel confusing and unpredictable; sadness that feels endless, anger that takes you by surprise, guilt that we

ighs heavily, or a deep sense of abandonment and loneliness. When the loss is through suicide, these feelings can run even deeper, leaving you searching for answers you may never find. I am a Grief and Loss Counsellor, specialising in supporting people who are living with bereavement, with a particular focus on those affected by suicide. My role is to walk alongside you, offering a safe, compassionate space where your feelings can be spoken about openly and without judgement. Together we can begin to make sense of your grief, ease the weight of guilt and self-blame, and find ways to cope with the hardest days. Through our work together, many people begin to feel less alone, more understood and more able to find moments of peace. Over time, you may notice a shift as you start to see a path forward, not about forgetting your loss, but learning to carry it while reconnecting with life in a way that feels meaningful again. With the right support, it is possible to feel lighter, more open and more hopeful about the future. I create a warm, open environment where you can really be yourself, say what you need to say and take the mask off, even if just for a short time. If you are ready to start work together please get in touch. I am an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I am a recognised provider for Aviva, WPA & Vitality Health. Google My Business:
https://g.co/kgs/qyz9Gbh

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You can look like you’re coping and still be struggling more than anyone realises.You reply to messages, go to work and ...
01/06/2026

You can look like you’re coping and still be struggling more than anyone realises.

You reply to messages, go to work and keep things ticking over.

From the outside, nothing looks wrong but inside, it’s different.

You feel flat some days. On edge on others. Your mind doesn’t switch off, even when you’re exhausted.

There’s a constant sense that something isn’t quite right but you can’t fully explain why.

So you tell yourself:

“I’m managing. It could be worse.”

This is where a lot of people get stuck because you’re functioning, no one questions it, including you.

But coping and feeling okay are not the same thing. If this feels familiar, you don’t have to keep carrying it quietly.

I have availability, just send me a message.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

"I thought I'd be coping better by now."It's one of the most common things I hear.Not because people aren't coping, but ...
01/06/2026

"I thought I'd be coping better by now."

It's one of the most common things I hear.

Not because people aren't coping, but because they have an idea of where they think they should be by now.

Grief has a way of creating invisible deadlines. Six months. A year. Two years.

We tell ourselves that by now we should feel stronger, less emotional, more able to move forward.

But grief rarely follows the timeline we set for it.

The reality is that healing isn't measured by how quickly the pain disappears. It's measured by how gradually you learn to carry it.

If you're judging yourself for where you are in your grief, try offering yourself the same compassion you would offer someone else.

And if you're finding it difficult to carry alone, support is available. Just send me a message to get started.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

29/05/2026

You don’t need to compare your experience to anyone else’s.

You don’t need to wait until you’re struggling more than you already are.

If it’s affecting you mentally, emotionally, day to day, that’s enough.

Needing support doesn’t make you weak.
It usually means you’ve been strong for longer than people realise.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

bereavement therapyhelps youarenotalone emotionalwellbeing reachout mentalhealthuk

Real shifts in therapy happen when you hear clients say things like:“I didn’t think this was possible.”They didn’t expec...
28/05/2026

Real shifts in therapy happen when you hear clients say things like:

“I didn’t think this was possible.”

They didn’t expect big change. They weren’t looking to feel completely different. They just wanted some relief from how constant everything felt.

What shifted over time:

– their mind felt quieter
– they weren’t overthinking everything
– they had moments—small at first—where they felt like themselves again

Not all the time but enough to notice and enough to realise something was changing.

That’s often how this work unfolds. Not all at once. But steadily.

What do you think isn't possible right? Would you be open to therapy?

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

What I wish more people understood about therapy.- You don’t need to have the right words.- You don’t need to know where...
27/05/2026

What I wish more people understood about therapy.

- You don’t need to have the right words.
- You don’t need to know where to start.
- You don’t need to explain everything clearly.

In fact, most people don’t.

They arrive unsure. Guarded. Sometimes even questioning whether they should be there at all.

That’s not a problem. That’s the starting point.

Therapy isn’t about getting it “right”. It’s about having a space where you don’t have to hold everything together in the same way.

That, in itself, is often a relief people didn’t realise they needed.

If you would like to explore how therapy might work for you, I offer a free 15 minute telephone call. Just get in touch to arrange it.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

Why “moving on” feels so uncomfortableIt’s one of the phrases people react to the strongest.Because it can feel like:– y...
26/05/2026

Why “moving on” feels so uncomfortable

It’s one of the phrases people react to the strongest.

Because it can feel like:
– you’re being asked to let go
– you’re expected to be “over it”
– your grief has an expiry date

No wonder there’s resistance.

But what most people are actually trying to do isn’t “move on”.

It’s this:

To build a life that includes the loss without being completely defined by it.

To carry the relationship in a different way.

To feel something other than constant heaviness.

That’s not moving on. That’s adapting and it takes time. Go at your own pace, avoid comparing yourself to others.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

You can miss them… and still want your life back.Those two things can sit side by side.But a lot of people feel uncomfor...
25/05/2026

You can miss them… and still want your life back.

Those two things can sit side by side.

But a lot of people feel uncomfortable admitting that.

Because it can feel like:
– moving forward means leaving them behind
– wanting relief means you didn’t love them enough

So instead, they stay stuck between the two.

Holding onto the pain and feeling guilty for wanting something different.

But wanting moments of ease, calm, or even happiness doesn’t take anything away from your grief.

It means you’re still here and part of you is ready for something more than just surviving.

I have availability, just get in touch.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

22/05/2026

One of the fears that sits underneath grief is this:
“If I start to feel better… what does that mean about my love?”

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting.

People hold onto the pain more tightly than they need to. Just in case letting it soften means letting the person go, but that’s not how it works.

You don’t forget.
You don’t lose the connection.

What changes is how it feels to carry it, and that shift is allowed.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

bereavementsupport griefandloss emotionalhealing mentalhealthuk youarenotalone griefsupport

I had some recent client feedback - “It feels different now.”The grief remained, it had not gone. They were not "fixed",...
21/05/2026

I had some recent client feedback - “It feels different now.”

The grief remained, it had not gone. They were not "fixed", but things were different.

Before therapy, everything felt constant.

The thoughts.
The anxiety.
The sense of being on edge.

There was no space from it.

After some time in therapy:

– their thoughts felt less relentless
– they weren’t bracing themselves all the time
– they could sit with feelings without immediately trying to escape them

They didn’t stop grieving but they stopped feeling like they were being overtaken by it.

That’s often the shift people are looking for even if they don’t have the words for it yet.

If you would like to explore how we could work together just get in touch, I'd love to hear from you.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

Really important to be aware of 'passive su***de' that being the desire to die but without having a plan to end your lif...
20/05/2026

Really important to be aware of 'passive su***de' that being the desire to die but without having a plan to end your life or the intention to act on your thoughts.

People who are experiencing passive su***de are still at risk and talking about it can be really helpful. This should always be taken seriously.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Address

Huddersfield

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447594720245

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