Grief Counseling
Are You Struggling To Come To Terms With Your Loss?
Have you experienced a loss that has made resuming life as usual seem impossible? Are you overcome with difficult emotions, such as anguish, guilt, anger, and regret? Does the fear of forgetting your loved one or worrying that life will never be the same again make you anxious?
Perhaps since your loss, your emotional reactions have become unpredictable and intense, making life feel unmanageable. There may be periods when you feel relatively okay, followed by waves of overwhelming sadness, confusion, and anger. But even your moments of respite could be tinged with guilt for having felt normal for a while. In the back of your mind, you might fear that moving on means you will forget or lose touch with your loved one and your relationship. The idea of accepting your loss becomes overwhelming.
You Could Be Avoiding Your Emotions Or Self-Isolating
If you feel numb, lethargic, or emotionally detached, you may judge yourself for not knowing how to grieve. But maybe you worry that allowing the full expression of your emotions could lead to a dark place. Rather than allowing friends and family to support you, you might avoid their company for fear of being misunderstood or triggered by something they say. Sadly, staying away from the people and places that remind you of your loved one may be causing further isolation and loneliness. And there may be a part of you that wants to console others in their grief rather than inviting them into yours for support. It can be hard letting people in and risk being vulnerable.
Sitting with your grief can feel overwhelming and intolerable. Fortunately, bereavement counseling offers you a safe space to process your complicated emotions without judgment or expectations. Working with a counselor can help you navigate the grieving process with support, empathy, and compassionate guidance.
Grief Affects Everyone Differently
Although grief is a universal experience, it is a complicated and unique journey for everyone. Whether our grief stems from the sudden loss of a loved one, a terminal health diagnosis, or a catastrophic event, we must negotiate the five stages of grief—denial, bargaining, anger, sadness, and acceptance—in order to truly heal. Far from linear and predictable, the grief stages often surprise us with how and when they reveal themselves. We often become confused and disoriented by our feelings and convince ourselves that the future won’t ever be whole again.
We Often Try To Resist The Grieving Process
There are ways we may try to outrun our grief. Keeping busy by throwing ourselves into life’s various responsibilities can give others the impression we’re doing well when, in fact, we are merely staving off the inevitable grieving we must eventually face. If we aren’t comfortable with expressing big emotions, we may shut down our feelings and try to compartmentalize our grief instead of moving through it holistically. However, suppressing how we feel catches up to us eventually, often showing a breakdown of health–mind, body, or soul.
We can encounter a disconnect between the stage of grief we are in and the stage we expect– the grieving moments seem to pick us rather than us picking them. We might tell ourselves or be told by others it’s time to move on when we don’t feel ready or, conversely, feel ready to move on when others think we should still be experiencing profound sadness and despair. Trying to fulfill the expectations of ourselves, friends and family can make an already difficult time all the more challenging.
The benefit of attending grief counseling is that you have free reign to express how you’re feeling with the knowledge that you will receive unconditional support in return. In therapy, you will discover there is no right or wrong way to grieve.
Grief Counseling Offers Support And Hope
Unresolved grief can cause you to ruminate over how things could be different and feel stuck in a reality you don’t want to embrace. Thankfully, grief counseling makes reaching a point of acceptance and newfound peace and wholeness possible.
Sessions offer a structured and supportive time to navigate the emotions, challenges, and adjustments that come with loss, allowing you to gradually adapt to living without your loved one while honoring their memory. In the process, grief therapy can help you learn more about yourself and discover what this experience has to teach you about the nature of life and living. Creating meaning in your life moving forward will be a worthy tribute to the loved one you have lost.
What To Expect In Sessions
As a grief therapist, I aim to create an environment where you won’t feel judged or worry that by talking about your loss, you’re burdening someone. Depending on what’s coming up for you, grief counseling may include:
Understanding the stages of grief and the neurobiological impact grief has on the brain;
Developing emotional regulation techniques and coping skills to handle triggers and overwhelming situations;
Finding and embracing personalized ways to preserve and honor the memory of your loved one;
Learning how to set boundaries with others and manage expectations while also respecting the unique grieving process of other family members;
Implementing self-care practices to reestablish a new routine;
Integrating your memories surrounding your loss so they no longer cause emotional distress;
Finding peace and reconciling your relationship that’s no longer physical;
Being known and finding a sense of self in the grief and healing process.
Helpful Modalities For Processing Grief
In therapy, we may incorporate helpful approaches, such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for grief, narrative therapy, and mindfulness. CBT offers coping skills to help you establish a new life without your loved one, such as increasing pleasant activities, organizing and compartmentalizing potentially overwhelming tasks and decisions, and coming up with strategies to face new or difficult situations. CBT can also help you identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts and beliefs that lead to guilt, anger, or regret.
By creating a new narrative that honors your loved one while also moving forward, you can make meaning of your loss. Embarking on an internal excavation of who you are throughout this journey will allow you to develop a sense of community with others as well as reacquaint yourself with a higher power if that’s relevant to you. For times when you feel overwhelmed by grief, mindfulness provides you with exercises that can help ground you in the present moment and restore calm.
Grief is a journey that is easier to take with a supportive partner by your side. Even if it’s hard to imagine right now, bereavement counseling can help guide you toward acceptance and emotional healing. Realizing how resilient you are in times of adversity will improve your well-being and offer hope for the future.
But Maybe You’re Not Sure If Grief Counseling Is Right For You…
How can grief therapy help me process the painful emotions I’m experiencing?
When you’re overcome with grief, it can be difficult to imagine that the big emotions you’re feeling will ever subside. Grieving counseling services can customize strategies to cope with the feelings your loss may be bringing up for you, such as guilt, anger, sadness, and anxiety. A grief counselor will offer you techniques to help understand, express, and manage these emotions, allowing you to navigate through the grief journey with presence and insight.
Can working with a bereavement counselor in grief counseling help me make meaning of my loss?
Experiencing the loss of a loved one can be hard to reckon with because the circumstances surrounding their passing may seem arbitrary and unfair. Amid grief, it’s hard to find meaning in their loss. In grief therapy, you will be guided in exploring your emotions, memories, and the overall impact this loss has had on your life. By reflecting, staying grounded in your values, and embracing the lessons learned, you can begin to create a narrative that brings a sense of purpose and understanding to your grief journey.
Is it normal to still be grieving after such a long time?
Although it may seem unusual, it’s normal to experience grief long after losing your loved one. Everyone experiences grief differently, including how long it takes. Although the intensity of grief may lessen over time, it's common for feelings of sadness, longing, and other emotions to continue, especially during significant anniversaries or triggers.
You Don’t Have To Grieve Alone
Having a safe harbor in the midst of your loss can help support you through this difficult season of your life. To find out more about individual grief therapy or bereavement support groups at Be Known Wellness Group, email, call 857-505-1856, or visit our contact page to schedule a free 15-minute call.
Recent Posts
