Isabel Camilleri
Counsellor, Clinic Lead & Co-founder
- Couples and relationship therapy
- Family and blended-family dynamics
- Anxiety and grief
Grief Counselling
Grief counselling offers a steady place to mourn, make meaning, and carry loss without being rushed to “move on”.
In-person at Vita Mea Clinic in Mosta · Call +356 9985 4942 · We reply within 2 working days
Grief rarely follows a neat timeline. Whether you’ve lost someone you love, a relationship, a pregnancy, health, or a future you expected, bereavement can leave you raw, numb, angry, or quietly adrift. At Vita Mea Clinic, grief counselling gives you space to feel what you feel — without being hurried toward closure.
We support people across Malta through recent loss, complicated grief, and the longer waves that return on anniversaries and ordinary Tuesdays alike.
Some grief arrives before a funeral — the slow goodbye of dementia, chronic illness, or watching someone you love change beyond recognition. That kind of mourning often goes unnamed, especially when you’re still cooking, driving, coordinating care, and holding the family together. We make room for that too.
Sessions take place in-person at Vita Mea Clinic in Mosta, at a pace that honours your mourning.
Common questions about grief counselling
What is anticipatory grief?
Anticipatory grief is mourning that begins before a death — when someone you love is still alive but changing, declining, or slipping away through dementia, chronic illness, or long-term care.
You might grieve the person they were, the future you expected, or the relationship you can no longer have in the same way — even while you’re still showing up for appointments, meals, and difficult decisions. It can feel confusing because there is no funeral yet, and others may not see what you’re carrying. Grief counselling gives that experience a name and a place to be felt.
Can grief counselling help if my loved one is still alive?
Yes. Grief counselling isn’t only for after a death. Many people come while caring for an aging parent, a partner with dementia, or someone with a long-term illness — to process loss, guilt, anger, and exhaustion before and after the final goodbye.
Support can help you mourn what’s changing, talk through care decisions without judgment, and protect your own wellbeing so burnout doesn’t swallow what’s left of the relationship. Where helpful, we can also work with families navigating decline together. Read more in our article on the slow goodbye and caregiver grief.
Is it normal to grieve someone who is still here?
Yes. Dementia, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and chronic illness often bring a series of small losses — memory, personality, independence, shared routines — and each one can trigger real grief.
Some days you may feel sad; other days irritable, numb, or guilty for wishing things were different. That range is normal. Counselling helps you make sense of it without having to perform strength for everyone else. If caregiving is depleting you, stress and burnout counselling can sit alongside grief work.
Is this right for you?
This work may be a good fit if any of these sound familiar:
- A loss still feels unbearable or unfinished
- You’re functioning but feel numb, angry, or alone in your grief
- People around you expect you to be “over it”
- Grief is affecting sleep, work, or relationships
- You’re grieving something others don’t recognise as loss
- A parent or loved one is declining — and you’re grieving who they were while still caring for who they are now
- Caregiving is leaving you exhausted, guilty, or strangely detached from the person you’re looking after
What we can help with
- Bereavement after the death of a loved one
- Anticipatory grief while someone is still alive
- The slow goodbye of dementia, Alzheimer’s, or chronic illness
- Complicated or prolonged grief
- Loss of a relationship, role, or identity
- Grief after illness, miscarriage, or major life change
- Caregiver grief, guilt, and emotional exhaustion
- Anniversary reactions and waves of mourning
- Supporting children or family members who are grieving
What to expect
1
Room to mourn
We make space for the full range of grief — sadness, anger, relief, guilt, love — without judging what “should” be felt.
2
Making meaning at your pace
Therapy isn’t about forgetting. It’s about finding ways to carry what matters while still living.
3
Support for the people around the loss
Where helpful, we can also support family members navigating grief together.
4
When the loss is still unfolding
If you’re caring for an aging parent or someone with dementia or chronic illness, therapy can help you name anticipatory grief, set down the guilt, and find steadier ways to cope while the goodbye is still happening.
Our approach
Grief work is gentle, relational, and non-prescriptive. We draw on bereavement-informed counselling and, where trauma sits inside the loss, trauma-aware approaches including EMDR when appropriate.
When someone is still alive but fading — through dementia, frailty, or chronic illness — we work with anticipatory grief and caregiver exhaustion at your pace. You don’t need to wait for a death to deserve support.
You won't be rushed toward closure or told how you should feel. Grief counselling at Vita Mea is about finding a way to carry what matters while still living — at your pace, in your language. For a longer read, see caring for an aging parent and the grief nobody talks about.
Who offers this at Vita Mea
These practitioners include grief counsellingin their work at the clinic. We'll confirm availability and the right fit when you get in touch.
Claudia Borg Azzopardi
Health Psychologist and Family Therapist
- Trauma and EMDR
- Anxiety and depression
- Chronic pain and fibromyalgia
Katya Muscat
Family Therapist and Systemic Practitioner
- Family therapy
- Bereavement and suicide loss
- Children and adolescents
Lara Abela
Gestalt Psychotherapist
- Anxiety, burnout, and depression
- Grief and trauma
- Self-esteem and personal growth
Michaela Pace
Gestalt Psychotherapist
- Couples and relationship therapy
- Anxiety and burnout
- Trauma and grief
Not sure where to start?
Browse who on our team works with what you need — or contact us and Isabel will help you choose. You don't need to know the exact issue first.
How this may help
- A place where your grief is allowed
- Less isolation in the mourning process
- Ways to remember and still engage with life
- Support through anniversaries and difficult dates
Frequently asked questions
How soon after a loss should I come to counselling?
There’s no correct timeline. Some people come in the first weeks; others come months or years later when grief resurfaces. You’re welcome whenever the weight feels hard to carry alone.
Is grief counselling only for death?
No. We also support grief after separation, illness, identity loss, and other significant endings — losses that aren’t always recognised by others.
Where can I get grief counselling in Malta?
Vita Mea Clinic in Mosta offers in-person grief and bereavement counselling for clients from across Malta. Enquire via our contact page to book a first session.
Can grief counselling help if the loss was years ago?
Yes. Grief doesn't always follow a timeline. Many people come when an anniversary, life change, or quiet moment brings the loss back to the surface.
Can family members attend grief counselling together?
Yes. Where helpful, we support families mourning together — as well as individuals who need a private space to grieve at their own pace.
Can grief counselling help while I’m caring for a parent with dementia?
Yes. Many carers come while their loved one is still alive — to process anticipatory grief, guilt, anger, and exhaustion. You don’t have to wait until after a death to seek support.
What if I feel guilty for grieving someone who is still alive?
Guilt is common in anticipatory grief — especially when others expect you to stay strong. Counselling offers a private space to feel the full mix of love, grief, frustration, and relief without judgment.
This page is for general information. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for a clinical assessment. If you are in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Ready to take the first step?
Taking the first step towards therapy can feel daunting, but you don't have to do it alone. Reach out today and let us support you on your journey.
We reply to every enquiry within 2 working days · In-person at Vita Mea Clinic, Żokrija, Mosta