You are not alone.

Petals counsellor, Claire Gee, shares common themes and feelings in baby loss counselling.

Being a Petals Counsellor is a privilege.

When sitting with parents in the early stages of grief, I’m often reminded of just how much courage it takes to come to counselling. To speak the unspeakable. To show up when your heart feels shattered.

If you’re partway through your sessions with Petals, I want to gently remind you: you are not alone in how you feel.

Some of the most common themes that emerge in sessions are things many clients feel too ashamed or scared to say out loud. But you’re not the only one who:

• Feels stuck between loving and longing.

  The love you hold for your baby doesn’t fade – and it shouldn’t. That bond is real, even when it feels like the world moves on.
  
  

• Struggles with guilt.

  Guilt is so heavy, and so unearned. It often creeps in with all the “what ifs” and “should haves.” You are not to blame.

• Finds joy and pain tangled together.

  Laughter can feel wrong. So can smiling. But joy doesn’t mean forgetting – it means you’re surviving.

• Worries that others don’t understand.

  You’re not imagining it – grief can feel isolating. That’s why spaces like this, where you can be fully heard, matter.

Grief is not linear. And healing doesn’t mean “moving on” – it means learning how to carry your grief in a manageable way for you.

If you’re reading this and nodding along, I hope it brings a little comfort.

You’re not failing. You’re feeling. You’re human.

And in this space, you are held, with warmth.