Joanne Reed Free to be me Counselling Services

07/01/2026

A client once said to me in early January, “I don’t recognise myself anymore.”

She hated feeling stuck. Hated how flat her days felt. Hated that she couldn’t just get on with things like everyone else seemed to.

Six sessions in, something changed. Not a dramatic breakthrough. Not a sudden surge of motivation. Something quieter.

She said, “I woke up today and didn’t dread the whole thing.”

That’s what early progress looks like. Ordinary moments becoming less painful.
A bit more space in your chest. A tiny flicker of yourself returning.

Small shifts matter. They build. I help clients to explore and process their thoughts, feelings and emotions helping them to feel lighter, calmer, understood and supported.

I would love to do the same for you, just get in touch to explore how we might work together.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

06/01/2026

Why grief feels worse in January.

If everything feels heavier right now, it isn’t just you. January magnifies whatever you’ve been carrying.

Shorter days.
Disrupted sleep.
Post-Christmas comedown.

The pressure to “start fresh” when you barely have the energy to function.

When your nervous system is tired and overloaded, grief and anxiety get louder. That doesn’t mean you’re going backwards. It means your body is worn out.

You’re not failing. You’re adjusting. And adjusting takes time. Be kind to yourself, listen to your body and rest when you can.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

05/01/2026

How to contact me:

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone or WhatsApp: 07594 720245

Website contact form: www.freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Facebook Message: Joanne Reed Free to be me Counselling Services

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jo_freetobeme/

I respond to all messages and questions and if I cannot help I'll try to signpost you where possible.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief & Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield & Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

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05/01/2026

How do I find my footing again after everything that’s happened?

You might be looking around in January thinking everyone else has found their rhythm… and you’re just trying to stay upright.

If that’s you, I hear you. My new blog explores how to ease yourself back into life when everything still feels a bit wobbly.

https://www.freetobemecounselling.co.uk/free-to-be-me-blog/findyourfooting

It’s gentle, grounding and written for anyone who needs a steadier start to the year.

If you would like to discuss how we might work together I offer a free 15 minute introductory phone call, or you can book an appointment to get started.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

You might be looking around in January thinking everyone else has found their rhythm… and you’re just trying to stay upright. If that’s you, I hear you.

05/01/2026

How I start the year as a grief therapist.

January is one of the rawest months in my therapy room. People arrive tired, stretched thin, and often ashamed of how much they’re still struggling.

I spend a lot of time normalising what the world doesn’t talk about.

That grief doesn’t pause for Christmas.

That doing the “right things” doesn’t always make you feel better.

That holding yourself together through December takes more strength than anyone realises.

My role isn’t to push you towards some quick turnaround. It’s to meet you where you are and help you steady yourself again, without judgement or pressure.

Behind the scenes, my work in January is simple: make sure people feel understood for once.

If you would like to work together please get in touch. I have appointments available. You can call, text, email or message.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

01/01/2026

New Year pressure vs real-life grief

If you’re already exhausted by the idea of “New Year, new you”, you’re not the only one.

January can feel brutal when you’re grieving or running on emotional fumes. The world wants momentum. You just want a moment to breathe.

You might look around and think everyone else is getting back to normal. But what most people don’t see is how hard it is to wake up each morning carrying a loss that didn’t magically disappear on 1 January.

If you’ve been telling yourself you “should be further on by now”, try shifting the question.

Not “How do I fix myself?”

But “What would make today slightly more bearable?”

Small steps count. Especially when everything feels heavy.

I have availability and would love to work with you. You can contact me by phone, text, email or direct message. I respond to all enquiries.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed
Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free To Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

31/12/2025

Gentle reminder to all those who have been fighting silent battles all year 💕

31/12/2025

Counting down to another year. As the year draws to a close, I’ve been thinking about how this time of year holds a mix of emotions for so many of us.

New Year can stir up hope, sadness, possibility and uncertainty all at once. It’s a reminder that life keeps moving, even when we’ve lived through things that changed us completely.

But it can also be a moment for gentle change, small shifts, clearer boundaries, braver choices, and the quiet hope that the year ahead might feel a little lighter, a little steadier.

I would like to say thank you. To everyone who has supported me, trusted me, reached out, shared my work, referred clients, or simply taken a moment to read, comment or connect, it means more than you know. This work is deeply human, and it’s the people around me who make it possible.

Here’s to stepping into the new year with honesty, compassion and a sense of hope. Even if that hope is small. It still counts.

Wishing you strength, gentleness and moments of peace as we move into a new year.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed

Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield and Online
Free to Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

30/12/2025

A–Z of Grief | Thank You for Being Part of This Series

This short video brings my A–Z of Grief series to a close, and I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to watch, comment, share or quietly reflect along the way. This series was created to name the realities of grief. The anger, guilt, numbness, shock, yearning, loss of purpose and everything in between, with honesty, compassion and clinical understanding.

As a grief and loss counsellor specialising in bereavement and su***de loss, my work centres on helping people feel understood, not judged or rushed. Grief doesn’t follow stages or timelines, and this series was about reflecting the lived experience of loss rather than offering quick fixes.

If you’re living with grief, bereavement or traumatic loss and looking for professional support, I offer counselling online and by telephone. You don’t have to carry this alone, and there is support available when you’re ready.

Thank you again for being part of this journey.

Joanne
Grief & Loss Counsellor
Huddersfield | Online Support Available

***debereavement

30/12/2025

Looking Towards a New Year - You’re allowed to carry grief and still move towards something meaningful.

As we step towards a new year, I’ve been reflecting on the people I’ve supported this past one. Individuals navigating loss with more strength, love and honesty than they often realise. Being a grief counsellor means I sit with people in the darkest places, but I also witness something that’s easy to overlook when you’re grieving: the quiet signs of life finding its way back in.

A new year doesn’t erase grief. It doesn’t reset the pain or tidy up what’s been shattered. But it can bring moments of steadiness you weren’t expecting. A breath that isn’t as heavy. A day that doesn’t feel quite so sharp. A small decision that reminds you you’re still here, still human, still capable of rebuilding at your own pace.

Hope in grief isn’t loud or dramatic. It’s subtle. It slips in through ordinary days, a conversation, a memory that warms rather than wounds, a flicker of curiosity about the future. And if you can’t feel that yet, there’s nothing wrong with you. Hope often arrives long after people think it should.

As we move into another year, my message is this: you’re not broken. You’re grieving. And there is a future for you, not a replacement for what you’ve lost, but a life shaped around it with care and intention.

If you want support as you navigate your way forward, I have availability. You don’t have to carry everything alone. I’m here, ready to walk alongside you into whatever this next year brings.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed

Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield
Free to Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

***debereavement

29/12/2025

A–Z of Grief: A Final Reflection

Grief is complex. You don’t have to navigate it alone.

As we reach the end of this A–Z of Grief, I want to pause and acknowledge everyone who’s followed along, commented, shared, or quietly taken something from these posts. Your engagement throughout the month has been thoughtful, brave and deeply appreciated. This series wasn’t just about information, it was about naming the realities of grief with honesty, compassion and depth. And you showed up for it.

We’ve covered anger, guilt, numbness, shock, yearning and so much more. All the ways grief can shake your foundations, take the wind out of you, or force you to rebuild parts of your life you never imagined losing. If any of these letters resonated, know this: nothing about your grief makes you “too much” or “not enough”. It simply shows the scale of your love and the impact of your loss.

If this series helped you feel understood, or you recognise yourself in these experiences and want support that goes deeper than coping tips, I’m here to work with you. I have availability, whether you’d like to start soon or plan ahead for the coming weeks. You don’t have to make sense of all this on your own, specialist, steady support can make a genuine difference.

Thank you again for being part of this month-long journey. If you’re ready to take the next step, reach out, call, text or email. I’d be honoured to support you.

Best wishes

Joanne

Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield
Free to Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

***debereavement

28/12/2025

Z for Zero Time Frame - Grief isn’t something you “get over”, it’s something you learn to live with in your own time.

Z brings us to something important: there is zero set time frame for grief. No finish line. No deadline. No neat, predictable journey. We all grieve differently because our relationships, our histories, our bodies and our coping systems are different. And that’s not a flaw, it’s the reality of being human.

Some people feel the shock easing early on, while for others it hits later. Some move between pain and functioning quickly; others feel submerged for a long stretch. You may have days where you feel steady, and then weeks where everything unravels again. None of this means you’re doing it wrong. It means your grief is responding to the enormity of what you’ve lived through.

The pressure to “be over it by now” isn’t just unhelpful, it’s deeply unfair. Grief moves at its own pace, and trying to force yourself into a timeline only leads to shame, exhaustion and feeling misunderstood.

Your grief is valid exactly as it is. And if you need support while you figure out how to live with this loss, that’s not weakness, it’s wisdom.

Best wishes

Joanne Reed

Grief and Loss Counsellor, Huddersfield
Free to Be Me Counselling

Email: enquiries@freetobemecounselling.co.uk

Telephone: 07594 720245

***debereavement