End of life counselling

Facing serious illness or the end of life—your own or someone else’s—can bring a distinct set of emotional and relational experiences.

This may include fear of suffering, shifts in identity, questions about the meaning of a life lived, or the complexity of caregiving and decision-making.

Those considering using Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) may discover a distinct set of emotional and relational experiences: for both the person considering it and those close to them.

For the individual, there may be a need to make sense of the decision in relation to autonomy, suffering, dignity, and what matters most at the end of life.

For loved ones, the experience can include anticipatory grief, a sense of involvement or responsibility, and at times conflicting emotions—relief, sadness, uncertainty, or difficulty finding a shared understanding.

The presence of a known timeline can shape how people relate to one another in this period, often marked by what is sometimes described as a “parade of lasts”—final visits, conversations, and moments that carry particular weight. This can allow for intentional connection, while also introducing pressure or complexity.

Psychotherapy offers a space to think through these experiences carefully, at a pace that allows for what is present to emerge and be understood.

In this work, we move at a pace that allows space for what is present.

We may explore:

• What feels most immediate or difficult

• The different parts of you involved (for example, one focused on practical matters, another on emotional experience)

• What matters most in this period of time

• How to remain connected—to yourself and to others—within changing circumstances

This is a space for careful, grounded conversation, rather than resolution.