Sex File: My wife is grieving for her mum and feels guilty about having sex

Sometimes a grieving person doesn't have any energy or desire for sex. Picture: iStock

My wife recently lost her mother, to whom she was very close. Understandably, it has really affected her in many ways, one of which is that she feels guilty having sex. She says that's because she's enjoying herself, and feels that she shouldn't be. I don't want to be disrespectful of her grief, but I'm struggling. What would you advise?

It is difficult to communicate the pain of losing a parent. Whatever the relationship with the parent was like, it is a seismic event for children of every age. Death can create feelings of existential loss that can take a long time to recover from.