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Grief work – Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Therapeutic Approaches to Grief – CFT, ACT and CBT

Integrating Different Therapeutic Approaches in Grief Work – CFT, ACT + CBT

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) each bring a distinct perspective to grief work. Together, they offer complementary ways of supporting clients as they navigate loss, adapt to life after bereavement and reconnect with meaning, values and wellbeing.

  • Educational diagram titled "Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in Grief Work". The graphic illustrates the CBT model using three connected circles labelled Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours. The diagram explains how thoughts about loss influence emotions and behaviours, which in turn affect one another in an ongoing cycle. It identifies situations where CBT may be helpful, including persistent distressing thoughts, overwhelming negative thinking, avoidance of reminders, anxiety, panic, sleep difficulties and challenges with daily functioning. The diagram highlights how CBT can help clients understand the interaction between thoughts, feelings and behaviours, challenge unhelpful thinking patterns, reduce avoidance, build coping strategies, manage anxiety and improve day-to-day functioning. The key message is that CBT helps clients recognise and change patterns that maintain distress, supporting healthier adjustment to grief and improved wellbeing.
  • Educational diagram titled "Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Grief Work". The graphic shows how ACT helps grieving clients make space for painful emotions while reconnecting with what matters most. At the centre is a circle labelled "Psychological Flexibility", surrounded by six ACT processes: acceptance, mindfulness, values, committed action, self-as-context and cognitive defusion. The diagram outlines situations where ACT may be useful, including emotional overwhelm, avoidance, feeling stuck, loss of meaning or direction, and difficulty living in line with personal values. Benefits include making room for difficult emotions without struggle, reducing avoidance, clarifying values, rebuilding meaning and purpose, and taking small values-based steps forward. The key message is that ACT helps clients build psychological flexibility, allowing them to carry grief while moving towards a meaningful and values-driven life.
  • Educational diagram titled "Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) in Grief Work". The graphic explains how CFT can support grieving clients by developing self-compassion and reducing shame, self-criticism and emotional overwhelm. A central circle labelled "Self-Compassion" is surrounded by four key areas: reducing self-criticism, building emotional safety, strengthening inner compassionate resources, and soothing the threat system. The diagram highlights situations where CFT may be helpful, including guilt, shame, self-blame, harsh self-criticism, difficulty showing self-kindness and emotional overwhelm. Outcomes include responding to grief with greater kindness, feeling emotionally safer, reducing shame and self-blame, and building resilience through self-compassion. The key message is that CFT helps clients move from self-criticism and emotional threat towards self-kindness, emotional safety and compassionate coping.
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No single therapeutic approach is “the” grief therapy. Effective grief work involves understanding which therapeutic lens is likely to be most helpful for the person sitting in front of you. Many clinicians therefore draw flexibly on different therapeutic traditions, adapting their approach to the individual’s needs, strengths and the factors maintaining distress. Some people may benefit most from developing greater self-compassion, others from learning to make space for painful emotions, while others may find it helpful to explore patterns of thinking and behaviour that are influencing adaptation to the loss.

The table below provides a practical overview of situations in which Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) may each offer useful ways of supporting grief.

ApproachParticularly helpful whenWhat it brings to grief work
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)When grief is accompanied by guilt, shame, self-blame or a harsh inner criticHelps clients respond to their grief with greater compassion, reducing self-criticism while making space for emotional pain
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)Particularly helpful when clients become caught in struggling against, avoiding or suppressing painful grief experiencesHelps people carry grief while reconnecting with meaning, values and everyday life, rather than waiting for grief to disappear before living again
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)Particularly helpful when unhelpful beliefs, avoidance or coping patterns appear to be maintaining distress (for example, persistent guilt or self-blame)Supports clients to understand how thinking and behaviour may be influencing adaptation to the loss, while validating grief as a natural response to loss

Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT)

Developing self-compassion and reducing self-criticism in grief. CFT can be particularly valuable when bereavement is accompanied by guilt, shame, anger or harsh self-judgement.

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Acceptance + Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Helping clients make space for difficult emotions while reconnecting with meaning, values and purposeful living after loss.

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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Supporting clients to understand the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and identify patterns that may be maintaining distress.

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