End of Life and Palliative Care Counselling

Death and loss are one of the most challenging experiences you will ever go through. And it’s important to recognize that. Whether you’re dying, or caring for someone who is, you will be feeling this as an incredibly difficult time and may feel lost as to where to find strength and support.

Understandably, the end of your life or your loved one’s life brings many powerful emotions and persistent mental health challenges that constantly weigh on you. It might feel like life will never go back to what it was and happiness may seem far away. Your grieving process has already started, and like everyone going through grief, support is necessary to help quell your exhausted mental state.

When you are experiencing death and dying, it is possible to begin the process of healing while loved ones are still here to process with us. A therapist or counsellor will allow overwhelming emotions to surface, you will see a new perspective, and with a professional mental health professional, you will begin to feel supported in your grieving.

While you’re right: nothing can ever make this experience feel completely okay, therapy and counselling can allow you to feel more closure, connection, and even acceptance.

What are common mental health symptoms from going through end-of-life care?

One of the most common emotions you might be feeling is Anticipatory Grief and Loss. This is the feeling of recognizing and starting to process your feelings of grief, even before the loss has occurred. You may feel great loss knowing you won’t see your kids grow up, knowing you no longer be able to do the things you love, or perhaps even realizing many routine things you took for granted. If you are experiencing the end of your life and or have a loved one who is dying, everyone will feel these strong emotions.

If you are going through MAID (medical assistance and dying), you will be feeling a lot of anxiety, loneliness, and depression. There is a loss of control you may have a hard time accepting right now. Therapists and counsellors can introduce many ways to allow you to feel and process these emotions.

Our psychotherapy approach to supporting those in end-of-life care

• Individual Counselling – If you are experiencing the end of your life, talking to a trained mental health professional can allow for healthy processing of emotions and support.
• Caregiver Support – Caring for someone at the end of their life is an exhausting role to play and carries large emotional weight. However, it can often seem unfair or inappropriate for you to talk about it, especially around someone who is dying. A counsellor can support family members in this role.
• Family Counselling – Sessions together with someone in end-of-life care and their families can prove helpful to share unspoken emotions or put challenging issues in the open. A trained therapist will help your family move through these challenges in productive and healing ways.
• Legacy Work – Counsellors can support in your legacy work. Legacy work like creating mementos and documenting experiences to create a living memory for you and your loved ones during the dying process. This can help process grief and create joy throughout the end-of-life journey.

Kaylen Leonienco is deeply committed to helping individuals navigate the difficult and often complex decisions surrounding end-of-life planning and care, offering compassionate support throughout the process. With her experience working in hospice settings, she brings valuable insight and sensitivity to those facing these profound life transitions.