Grief & Loss
What Is Grief Counseling?
Grief counseling is a form of therapy intended to help you cope with loss, like the death of a partner, family member, friend, colleague, or pet.
The death of a loved one can cause both emotional and physical pain that can sometimes impair your ability to function. In the short term, grief counseling can help you navigate the aftermath of a loss and make practical decisions, like funeral arrangements. In the long run, it can help you accept the loss of your loved one and adapt to life without them.
Techniques
Grief counseling involves talking about the person you lost, your relationship with them, how they died, how their death has impacted you, and how you’re coping with it.
These are some of the grief therapy techniques we use at Serenity Care Counseling:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT is a form of psychotherapy that encourages you to accept negative feelings and circumstances so you can begin to focus on healthier patterns that can help you reach your goals.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is also a form of psychotherapy. It involves identifying and changing thought patterns that can negatively influence
What Grief Counseling Can Help With
Grief counseling can help you identify and express your emotions. If you have lost someone who was an integral part of your life, grief counseling can also help you rebuild your routine and your identity.
Expressing Your Emotions
In the aftermath of a loss, you may experience a range of emotions that can include:
- Shock, Numbness, Sorry, Yearning, Anger, Denial, Helplessness, Regret, Guilt, Anxiety,
For instance, you may not just feel saddened by losing a loved one, you may also feel angry at them for leaving you. Maybe you regret something you said to them before they passed.
It can sometimes be difficult to admit these feelings to others, or even yourself. However, harboring unresolved issues can take a toll on your mental and physical health and make it difficult for you to move on.
Grief counseling can offer a safe place for you to express your emotions and process them so that you can start healing. You may find that you experience these emotions in different stages; grief counseling can help you navigate each stage and reach acceptance.
Rebuilding Your Routine
If you lived with the person you lost, or if they were a part of your daily routine in some way, it can be difficult to approach certain spaces or activities without them.
Additionally, it can also be stressful to figure out how to take on certain tasks yourself. For example, if your partner managed your finances or certain household tasks, you may have to take on those roles yourself.
A grief counselor can help you address your anxiety around these issues, work with you on a plan to tackle them at a pace you’re comfortable with, and gradually rebuild your routine.
Redefining Your Identity
When you lose someone very close to you, like a partner or family member, for instance, you may feel like you have lost a certain part of your own identity as well.
Grief counseling can help you redefine your identity by encouraging you to focus on your other interests or relationships. It can also equip you with the skills and confidence you need to try new hobbies, reach out to other people, and build a support system for yourself.
You may also find that you gain a new identity, like “widow” or “single parent” if you have lost, for instance. Grief counseling can help you explore what this means to you and how you can deal with adopting these new identities.
Benefits of Grief Counseling
Grief counseling can offer you several benefits, which can include:
- Fewer physical and emotional symptoms
- Development of coping skills that can help you adapt to life without your loved one
- Improved self-awareness, as you start to understand what you are feeling and why
- Acceptance of your loss, which involves integrating it into your reality and maintaining a healthy bond with the person you lost, as you move forward with your life
Effectiveness
Everyone doesn’t necessarily require grief counseling to get over the death of a loved one. However, it can be a useful tool to help you cope, especially if you are struggling with difficult emotions or having a hard time moving on with your life.
Research has shown that grief counseling can be an effective way to manage your grief and help you heal. A 2017 study published in the journal Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy found that those who participated in grief counseling after losing a partner or close relative reported fewer symptoms in the long run. These findings suggest that grief counseling can have long-term benefits.
