This program offers individual treatment for people who have experienced the death of a loved one more than 12 months ago and continue to experience intense grief reactions that cause distress and interfere with the ability to complete daily tasks.

As with our other treatment programs, the prolonged grief program is based on the best available evidence from clinical trials. There are two treatment programs: one based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and the other based on mindfulness, which is a meditation-based approach. International studies have shown that both forms of therapy are helpful in assisting people in managing the types of difficulties experienced with prolonged grief.

Treatment involves 11 individual sessions with a clinical psychologist, each lasting approximately 1 ½ hours. The treatment is designed to help people learn effective strategies for managing grief. Previous patients have found this approach very helpful. In the context of COVID-19, we are now also providing assessments and therapy via Telehealth (video call). If you are interested in accessing our services in person at one of our Sydney clinics, you must first present evidence of double vaccination status.

If you think you can be helped by this program:

Contact the Traumatic Stress Clinic, and a telephone interview will be arranged. You will be asked some questions about your trauma exposure and the problems you are seeking help for. This interview should take approximately 30 minutes. If we think this program is right for you, we will proceed with a full assessment and then commence the program.

If you feel like you need treatment for grief, but are unsure whether this program will be appropriate for you, please feel free to contact us for further assessment or referral options.

The government funds the Clinic with research grants in order to investigate treatments for post-traumatic stress and grief. This enables us to provide a free, specialist service.

More information about prolonged grief can be found here.

UNSW HC230222