When life changes in ways you never imagined, you don’t have to navigate this path alone.
Hello, thank you for taking the time to look at my website. My name is Gemma Ridge, and I am a bereavement, loss and trauma therapist.
You may be reading this because you are grieving someone, something, or a life you thought you would have — or because you have experienced a traumatic event that continues to affect you. You might feel stuck, disconnected, overwhelmed, or unsure why things aren’t easing in the way you hoped they would.
I provide specialist support across two primary areas: navigating the journey of grief and loss, and utilising EMDR to treat trauma-related difficulties. I am equally committed to helping clients process the pain of a loss and helping them resolve bereavement and/or non-bereavement related traumas through focused psychological therapy.
On my website below, you will find more information about how I work with grief and loss, including pet bereavement, and also more about my trauma specialism including my use of EMDR to help clients recover from traumic experiences.
Grief is hard, often messy and can be complex
Not only because of what it means or how it feels, but because life after a loss can feel unclear and disorienting. Things may no longer make sense, purpose can feel distant, and there isn’t a simple formula, app, or strategy you can follow to ‘get over it.’
Grief is a natural response — not a problem to fix
Grief is a human response to loss, not a diagnosis or a failure to cope.
In the early weeks and months after a loss, many people find that time, support from others, and their own ways of grieving are enough. This is why most grief services recommend waiting at least two months after the loss to seek therapy, as this isn’t always necessary straight away.
Not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach
However, when grief feels overwhelming, traumatic, or stuck — or when it has been compounded by shock, previous losses, or a lack of understanding from others — support can be helpful at any time.
When therapy may be helpful for grief and loss
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Your grief feels frozen, relentless, or unbearable
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You need help to focus on self-care during your grieving process.
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You’re experiencing intrusive memories, images, or strong physical reactions that won’t go away even after weeks or months.
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The loss was sudden, traumatic, or deeply destabilising
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You feel disconnected from yourself or from others
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Your grief is not recognised by others, or you feel judged or expected to ‘move on.’
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The loss has reactivated earlier trauma or unresolved grief
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You experience chronic shame because you feel you ‘should be over it’, by now.
Specialist therapy for grief, loss and trauma
I offer therapy for adults (18+) with a particular focus on:
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Complex or traumatic bereavement
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Sudden or unexpected loss
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Disenfranchised grief, including:
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Pet bereavement
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Miscarriage or pregnancy loss
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Adoption-related grief
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Non-death losses, such as loss of health, fertility, identity, or career
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Relationship endings
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Losses without clear rituals, recognition, or permission to grieve
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Anticipatory grief
I also work with adults experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related difficulties.
When life is overshadowed by trauma
Not everyone who enters therapy is navigating a bereavement; many come because the legacy of a traumatic event continues to shape their daily life.
I use an integrative counselling approach, informed by trauma-focused practice. I offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) both:
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in the context of grief and loss, and
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for trauma and psychological difficulties where grief is not the primary issue.
Some people come because they have experienced a traumatic event and continue to feel affected long after it has passed. Trauma can show up in many ways, including intrusive memories or flashbacks, feeling constantly on edge or shut down, strong physical reactions in the body, avoidance, shame, or a sense of being fundamentally changed by what happened.
How I work with trauma
I offer trauma-informed therapy and EMDR for adults experiencing psychological trauma, whether or not grief is part of the picture.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain process traumatic experiences, reducing emotional and physical distress and allowing memories to be integrated in a way that feels safer and more manageable.
I also offer EMDR for difficulties including:
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PTSD
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Accidents
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Medical trauma
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Pregnancy and birth trauma
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Trauma following a violent incident
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Combat trauma
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Phobias
When EMDR may help with grief
When grief is complicated by trauma, intrusive memories, or a sense of being “stuck,” I may offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) as part of therapy.
EMDR is not used to ‘remove grief’, ‘prevent grief’, or rush the grieving process. As painful as grief can be, it is important to work through it with time and support.
EMDR may be helpful if trauma is blocking the natural grieving process. Some indicators include:
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It has been months or years and the loss still feels overwhelming
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You experience nightmares, flashbacks, numbness, or hyper-alertness that is not easing
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You feel responsible, to blame, or carry chronic guilt
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The loss involved traumatic or distressing circumstances
EMDR may help reduce distress so the brain can process grief more naturally.
Click below for more information on my EMDR practice.
About me
I’m a qualified, accredited and experienced therapist (since 2014) with over 20 years’ experience in mental health services, including private practice, charities, and public services. I have worked with adults (18+) across a wide range of difficulties and have supported many people navigating painful, complex, or traumatic experiences.
Due to both personal and professional reasons, I have chosen to specialise in bereavement, loss and trauma. Specialising allows me to work deeply with the unique needs of people experiencing complicated, layered, or hard-to-talk-about grief and trauma.
My passion
I am particularly committed to breaking stigma around grief and supporting people whose losses do not always fit society’s expectations — where grief may be minimised, misunderstood, or unseen. This is often referred to as disenfranchised grief. A key area of my work and passion is pet bereavement, as the profound loss of a companion animal is so often underestimated by the world around us.
Please click below for more information on my work with Pet Bereavement.
Frequency and Number of Sessions
Therapy often works best when sessions are held regularly, ideally weekly, at a consistent time. This continuity can help create safety, focus, and momentum in the work.
That said, life is rarely straightforward. Work patterns, caring responsibilities, or financial considerations can make weekly sessions difficult. In such cases, we’ll do our best to find an arrangement that feels realistic and sustainable.
I offer weekly face-to-face appointments in Leeds, providing a consistent and supportive space for our work together.
Fortnightly sessions may be available depending on your needs and therapeutic goals. These sessions are offered online and, where possible, I can be flexible with timing if a regular fixed slot is difficult to manage.
Occasional or one-off sessions can be useful, especially as a ‘top-up’ or ‘maintenance’ session after a course of therapy, but these are just that – top-ups. They are not ‘therapy’, and it is important that sessions of this nature are considered carefully, offered only if it is safe to do so, and are reviewed periodically.
I offer both short-term and long-term therapy.
- Short-term counselling therapy is anything from 4 to 20 sessions.
- Long-term therapy is anything from 6 months to 2 years, with regular reviews.
Experience & Qualifications
- Educated to Degree level in 2002.
- PG Dip Level 7 Counselling and Psychotherapy qualification in 2014
- Over 20 years’ experience in mental health and counselling.
- Worked across private practice, charities, and public services in various roles – group facilitator, therapist, support worker, manager, clinical lead and trainer.
- Qualified counselling supervisor since 2018
- Qualified EMDR Therapist, completing additional Accreditation status in 2022.
- Advanced Diploma in Pet Bereavement since 2022.
- Accredited membership with the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and EMDR Association UK.
- Accredited Counsellor with the Association of Pet Bereavement Counsellors.
- Ongoing professional development and regular supervision
Current fees for 2026 – fees are reviewed in December each year.
- 50 minute counselling appointments £70 (£65 for Pet Bereavement)
- EMDR (50 to 70 minutes) therapy is £80-£95.
I understand that grief support is available through a variety of channels, including low-cost or charitable services, and I encourage you to consider these options, especially in the first couple of months after the loss.
My fees reflect my specialist training, qualifications and experience.
Taking the next step
If you’re considering therapy, you don’t need to know exactly what to say or where to begin.
You’re welcome to get in touch to ask questions or explore whether this feels like the right support for you.
I offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation before the initial appointment.
