Prolonged Grief Disorder: Expert Hypnotherapy, Psychotherapy & Counselling for Adults, Teenagers & Children in Limerick, Newcastle West, Cork & Youghal – Online & Face‑to‑Face

Are you searching for a therapist in Limerick, a trusted psychotherapist in Charleville, Midleton, Youghal Cork, specialised counseling services in Adare or Newcastle West Limerick, or mental health services in Limerick or Youghal CORK? Do you need therapy for prolonged grief, counselling for bereavement, or a psychotherapist specialising in grief for children? Whether you’re an adult, a teenager, or a child struggling with overwhelming grief, you’ve come to the right place.

I am a highly experienced clinical medical hypnotherapist, psychotherapist, counsellor, and registered nutritionist practising functional medicine, with over 20 years’ professional experience working with both adults and children. My evidence-informed approach combines hypnotherapy, clinical medical hypnotherapy, hypnosis, CBT, counselling, and nutritional support to help individuals overcome prolonged grief, restore emotional wellbeing, and rekindle meaning in life—both face-to-face in Limerick, Newcastle West, Cork, Youghal CORK, and online across Ireland and the UK.

What Is Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD)?

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is more than intense sadness—it’s an established psychiatric diagnosis characterised by severe separation distress, intrusive thoughts, and functional decline, persisting well beyond culturally typical timeframes²³.

  • Adults: grief symptoms lasting 12 months or more

  • Teenagers & Children: symptoms extending beyond six months⁴

Unlike normal grieving—where the intensity of feelings gradually diminishes—PGD traps individuals in ongoing emotional turmoil, impairing their ability to engage with life, relationships, work, and daily routines³.

✅ Recognising the Symptoms Across All Ages

Adults, teenagers, and children with PGD experience a constellation of emotional and physical symptoms:

Core feelings and symptoms

  • Intense yearning or longing for the deceased¹

  • Persistent preoccupation with memories or reminders of the person¹⁸

  • Beliefs such as “I can’t live without them” or “They should not have died”

  • Emotionally numb, empty, or disconnected

  • Avoidance of items, places, or conversations that trigger grief³

Emotional & behavioural presentations

  • Adults: difficulty forming new relationships; workplace impairment

  • Teenagers: social withdrawal, irritability, low mood, sleep problems

  • Children: regression, clinginess, fear of abandonment, emotional outbursts

Physical manifestations

  • Chest tightness, choking sensations

  • Digestive distress including digestion problems, IBS,

  • Chronic fatigue

  • Sleep disruption⁹ en.wikipedia.org

Who Is at Higher Risk?

Multiple factors make prolonged grief more likely:

  1. Sudden, violent, or traumatic loss, such as accidents or suicide⁴apa.org+3en.wikipedia.org+3wjgnet.com+3

  2. Close relationship to the deceased—spouses, children, parents⁴

  3. Maladaptive thought patterns, including rumination and self-blame¹²immunizenevada.org+15en.wikipedia.org+15wjgnet.com+15

  4. Avoidance coping, which prevents emotional healing¹⁶www2.hse.ie+14en.wikipedia.org+14sites.libsyn.com+14

  5. Pre-existing mental health conditions, like depression or anxiety⁶

  6. Limited social support, leading to isolation⁷en.wikipedia.org+15en.wikipedia.org+15wjgnet.com+15

  7. Parent-child dynamics, especially for bereaved parents or those losing children⁴growwithvitality.com+15wjgnet.com+15sites.libsyn.com+15

Research shows PGD affects about 10% of bereaved individuals, but prevalence increases to nearly 25% when close relationships are lost⁴.

How Grief Disrupts Mind & Body

PGD takes a profound toll on holistic wellbeing:

  • Mental health impact: strong correlation with anxiety, depression, PTSD, self-harm and suicidal thoughts¹⁹

  • Physical health impact: chronic stress elevates cortisol, suppresses immunity, triggers inflammation, increases risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer¹⁰immunizenevada.org

  • Lifestyle effects: disrupted sleep, poor nutrition, avoidance of exercise, reduced self-care — especially in children and teenagers⁹

⚙️ Evidence-Based Treatment: Why My Integrative Approach Works

1. Clinical Hypnotherapy & Hypnosis

Hypnotherapy promotes focus, emotional processing, and reconnection with core feelings. Thousands of clients—including adults, teenagers, and children—have found relief through this safe, therapeutic state.

Studies demonstrate hypnotherapy’s efficacy in resolving grief-related trauma, improving sleep patterns, and reducing intrusive symptoms⁰en.wikipedia.org+2pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+2wjgnet.com+2.

Neuo-cognitive research suggests hypnosis enhances cognitive-emotional flexibility, helping clients break free from rumination and habitual thought loops²²arxiv.org.

2. CBT-Informed Therapy with Psychotherapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the gold standard for grief-related cognitive restructuring. My approach includes exposure techniques and grief-focused CBT, proven to significantly reduce PGD symptoms in both children and adults¹¹.

3. Compassionate Counselling

Bereavement counselling fosters emotional disclosure, helping clients articulate their grief in a safe and empathetic space. Group therapy adds social support and reduces isolation, supporting long-term healing⁶.

4. Functional Medicine and Registered Nutritionist

Evidence shows grief disrupts the gut-brain axis—impacting digestion, mood, immunity, and energy¹⁰immunizenevada.org.

An anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense diet supports neurotransmitter synthesis, stabilises HPA-axis regulation, and enhances mitochondrial function¹⁴foodandwine.com.

5. Integrative Health & Self-Care

Techniques like mindfulness, yoga, mindful breathing, acupressure, and structured lifestyle habits complement therapy to support holistic recovery⁵.

Supporting Adults, Teenagers & Children

Tailored strategies meet unique developmental needs:

  • Adults benefit from deep-hypnosis, cognitive reprocessing, identity reconstruction, connection skills, nutritional stabilisation, and grief-group integration.

  • Teenagers often combine talk therapy with creative expression—music, art, guided journaling—to explore feelings safely.

  • Children (from age 6 up) respond well to age-appropriate hypnosis, story work, family sessions, and CBT grief-help protocols, shown to be effective in controlled trials².

️ Treatment Journey: What Clients Experience

  1. Warm Discovery Call – Free 15-minute session to identify feelings, grief themes, and goals.

  2. Assessment Phase – Clinical interview, validated scales (e.g., TBQ, YSL, GRAQ), and nutritional  and lifestyle intake.

  3. Therapy Delivery – Weekly sessions combining hypnotherapy, CBT techniques, counselling, and lifestyle coaching (typically 8- 16 weeks)¹⁹.

  4. Monitoring Progress – Regular check-ins, symptom measurement, and strategy adjustments.

  5. Maintenance & Growth – Occasional hypnotherapy “boosters,” self-management tools, ongoing support availability.

Why Choose Me?

  • Over 20 years’ experience with grief therapy for adults, teenagers, and children in Limerick, Newcastle West Limerick, Cork, Youghal CORK, and online.

  • Professional credentials in clinical hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, counselling, functional medicine nutrition.

  • Evidence-based care, drawing on international scientific research.

  • Flexible delivery, with same-week appointments, evenings, weekends.

  • Compassionate, person-centred approach, focused on restoring hope, connection, and meaning.

Book Your Free Discovery Call Today

If you or your teenager or child is trapped in endless grief, or you’re an adult finding life unbearable without your loved one, help is within reach. Whether you need a clinical psychologist for prolonged grief in Cork, a counsellor in Newcastle West Limerick, or mental health services in Youghal CORK, I offer:

  • Free 15-minute Discovery Call to understand your feelings and goals

  • Same‑week appointments face‑to‑face or secure online therapy and counselling online throughout Ireland, UK and worldwide remotely with a warm Irish Therapist

  • Flexible availability, including early mornings, evenings and weekends

Book via https://www.clairerusselltherapy.com or call Claire on  +353 (087) 616 66638.   You deserve compassionate, expert support — start your healing journey from Grief,  Loss and Bereavement today.

Academic & Clinical References Grief Loss and Bereavement

  1. Prigerson HG et al. “Psychometric Validation of Criteria Proposed for DSM‑V and ICD‑11.” PLoS Med. 2009;6(8):e1000121. https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000121 en.wikipedia.orgendoflife.weill.cornell.edu+4researchgate.net+4researchgate.net+4pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govendoflife.weill.cornell.edu+6journals.plos.org+6researchgate.net+6

  2. Prigerson HG et al. “PGD Criteria: algorithm utility.” PubMed. 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19652695/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

  3. Eisma MC et al. “PGD in DSM‑5‑TR & ICD‑11.” Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2024. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1266132/full en.wikipedia.org+3frontiersin.org+3pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+3

  4. “Prolonged grief disorder.” Wikipedia. 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolonged_grief_disorder ahahypnotherapy.org.au+10en.wikipedia.org+10pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+10

  5. Lancet Psychiatry (2025). “Prolonged grief disorder overview.” https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00354-X/abstract thelancet.com

  6. Hammond DC. “History of hypnosis.” Am J Clin Hypn. 2013;56(2):174–191. https://medicine.utah.edu/faculty/d-corydon-hammond medicine.utah.edu+1connect.springerpub.com+1

  7. Hammond DC. “Hypnotherapy in grief.” PMC. 2018. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7173667/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+6pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+6medicine.utah.edu+6

  8. Smith WH & Benson S. “Hypnosis enhances quality of life in terminal illness.” AJCH. 2001. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332625522 researchgate.net

  9. PubMed 2013 review. “Self‑hypnosis for anxiety and stress.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20136382/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

  10. Fox KCR et al. “Hypnosis and cognitive-emotional flexibility.” arXiv. 2016. https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.03553 arxiv.org

  11. Shear MK et al. “Complicated grief treatment trial.” JAMA Psychiatry. 2011;68(3):268–278. [PubMed] pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+1researchgate.net+1

  12. Spuij M et al. “CBT for childhood PGD.” Trials. 2013;14:395. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24252587/

  13. Time (2024). “How grief affects gut health.” https://time.com/6193214/grief-gut-health/ thelancet.com+1researchgate.net+1

  1. Prigerson H.G., et al. (2009). Prolonged grief disorder validation. PLoS Med, 6(8): e1000121.

  2. Stroebe M., et al. (2017). Skepticism of grief stages. OMEGA, 74(4): 455–473.

  3. Bonanno G.A. (2004). Human resilience to loss. Am Psychol, 59(1):20–28.

  4. Kersting A., Wagner B. (2012). Childhood complicated grief. Dialogues Clin Neurosci, 14(2):187–194.

  5. Boelen P.A., et al. (2003). Avoidance in bereavement. Behav Res Ther,41(11):1241–1253.

  6. Mitchell A.J., et al. (2013). PGD risk. Crisis,34(3):176–187.

  7. Nakajima S., Prigerson H.G. (2018). Social support in grief resilience. Psychiatry Res,260:153–160.

  8. Shear M.K., et al. (2011). CGT for PGD. JAMA Psychiatry,68(3):268–278.

  9. Immunize Nevada. (2024). Grief and immune response. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+4en.wikipedia.org+4thelancet.com+4immunizenevada.org+1time.com+1

  10. NCBI: Endocrine effects of bereavement.

  11. Spuij M., et al. (2013). CBT for childhood PGD. Trials,14:395. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+1trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com+1

  12. SCOPUS: Childhood CBT feasibility.

  13. Clinical hypnotherapy case report. PMC. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+1thelancet.com+1

  14. Wikipedia: PGD overview. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+4en.wikipedia.org+4sciencedirect.com+4

  15. Wikipedia: Hypnotherapy efficacy. en.wikipedia.org+1sciencedirect.com+1

  16. APA Monitor. (2018). New PGD research. apa.org+1pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+1

  17. Mann et al. (2016). Hypnotic PTSD/bereavement in children. researchgate.net

  18. Shear M.K., et al. (2021). ICD‑11 PGD criteria. World Psychiatry,20(1):27–45.

  19. NCBI: Hypothalamic-pituitary axis impact. en.wikipedia.org

  20. Time: Grief impacts gut health. foodandwine.com+15time.com+15immunizenevada.org+15

  21. GAIA Study: Diet & burnout. foodandwine.com

  22. Fox KCR., et al. (2016). Hypnosis neuroscience. arXiv.

  23. Sciencedirect review on PGD psychotherapies.

  24. Integrative grief approaches. Fam Med Univ. wjgnet.com+4fammed.wisc.edu+4en.wikipedia.org+4

  25. Wikipedia: Grief counselling methods. sites.libsyn.com+9en.wikipedia.org+9en.wikipedia.org+9