Specific aims of grief or bereavement counselling include (but are not limited to) emotional expression about the, accepting the loss, adjusting to life after the loss, and coping with the changes within oneself and the world after the loss. The purpose of grief or bereavement counselling is to aid the client in working through the feelings, thoughts, and memories associated with the loss of a loved one.

Although grieving can occur for other types of loss as well (such as loss of goals, ideals, and relationships), grief counselling is generally directed toward positive adjustment following loss after the death of a loved one.

Grief counselling helps the client recognise normal aspects of the grieving or mourning process, cope with the pain associated with the loss, feel supported through the anxiety surrounding life changes that may follow the loss, and develop strategies for support and self-care. Ms Pretorius takes special care in acknowledging that South Africa has a wide variety of cultures and that each culture has a different view on the norms and experiences of mourning. She aims to take these outlooks into account when adopting a counselling modality for each client.