Grief Counseling: Navigating Loss Through Therapy

There is no roadmap for grief. Sometimes, it arrives suddenly and without warning. Other times, it unfolds slowly over weeks, months, or even years. In either case, grief has the power to shake your foundation and reshape your life.

Although grief is a universal human experience, it can feel deeply personal and isolating. Therapy is a safe space to process your emotions and find the support you desperately need. At our center, your grief won’t be rushed, “fixed,” or silenced. Instead, you’ll work closely with your counselor to better understand your grief and find ways to carry it through life with hope and resilience.

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What Causes Grief?

We typically talk about grief as the result of losing something/someone, be it the loss of a loved one, a marriage, or even a job. But it can actually occur any time there is a significant change in your life. There is no limit to what factors can cause grief, but in our experience, these are some of the more common culprits:

Bereavement

Losing a loved one is obviously very distressing and can lead to confusion, sorrow, numbness, and even anger or guilt. While mourning is a natural process, grief due to bereavement can sometimes have complications that make it difficult to move forward.

Health Changes

An unexpected injury or illness can lead to grief. Additionally, a chronic illness or watching a loved one cope with a health change can cause sorrow and grief as well.

Employment Changes

Obviously, losing your job can lead to grief. But other employment-related changes may surprise you as triggers for grief. For example, missing out on an expected promotion, navigating new work challenges or tasks, and even retirement can result in complex emotions, including grief and sorrow.

Life Changes

Many of our clients are surprised to find that life changes, including everything from a graduation to a move, can cause grief.

Our counselors have the experience and skills needed to address and treat your grief so you can move forward in healing, no matter the cause. We understand that grief comes in many forms, and we are here to help you navigate the path ahead with compassion and patience. Whether your symptoms are physical, emotional, mental, or all of the above, we are here to lend our support.

The Stages of Grief

Denial

At first, you may find yourself in disbelief at the change or loss that causes your grief. This phase is typically when people feel numb or question whether a mistake has been made. Denying the cause of your grief is actually a coping mechanism that allows you more time to come to terms with what has happened. Eventually, the numbness and denial will fade as you begin to process your new reality and the emotions that come with it.
Anger

After denial has faded, you may feel a surge of anger: at yourself, your loved one, God, or anyone else you feel you can blame. This anger is a natural mask for stronger emotions at play, such as sorrow, and can also manifest as lower-level bitterness or resentment.
Bargaining

As your anger begins to fade, you may begin to grapple with unanswerable questions, like, “What if…?” If you believe in a higher power, you may find yourself asking for a change in circumstances or attempting to make bargains. Keep in mind that the bargaining stage sometimes comes simultaneously with anger, or you may even go back and forth between the two. This is normal as you grapple with feelings of helplessness and high emotions.
Depression

As the reality of the situation finally settles in, you may fall into prolonged experiences with depression. This is often a quieter stage of grief, but that doesn’t make it any easier to live with. Depression can lead to confusion, heaviness, and even anxiety.
Acceptance

Acceptance looks different for everyone. And while it’s typically a healthier place to be, that doesn’t mean your complicated battle with grief is over. You may continue to struggle to move past your loss, which is why partnering with a counselor can be helpful in the long-term as well as the short-term. You may experience the stages of grief in this order, but maybe not. Grief is not linear or predictable, and avoiding or ignoring the way you feel will only lead to deeper pain in the long run.

How Can Grief Affect Mental Health?

Uncared for, grief can have an intense effect on your mental and physical health. It’s not uncommon for sufferers of grief to experience an immune response, including inflammation, which can lead to a range of psychological and behavioral symptoms. If you feel that your grief is becoming unmanageable or that it is affecting your ability to participate in normal life, it’s time to talk to a counselor about what’s going on.

Does Therapy Really Work for Managing Grief?

Grief counseling is one way to find support, process your loss, and navigate the complicated emotions that stem from it. With time, it can help you find a way to move forward in a happier and healthier way. Counseling won’t eliminate grief or remove it from your path, but will instead help you become more resilient and adept at moving through life despite your loss.

We recommend turning to therapy if you need help in the following ways: