Grief and Loss
We have so much to grieve, both collectively and individually. Loss and death is a part of being human, but that doesn’t mean it hurts any less.
When we experience loss it may feel like we are plunged from the “everyday normal” into a new upside-down world. It is involuntary, lonely, and deeply painful - marked by deep sadness, anger, or numbness. We struggle with questions of “why” or “how” or a lack of being able to say goodbye. It’s not uncommon to have anger, guilt, or unresolved feelings around an unfulfilling or complicated relationship with the person we have lost.
Grief is often treated as something we must overcome, rather than a lifelong process of learning to live with loss and the feelings that will naturally arise. We each grieve in our own unique way, and therapy is a healing space to make sense of your experience.
Our therapists will help you safely process your grief at a pace that feels right for you, while supporting you to connect to the other important areas of your life - school, work, parenting, or your relationships.
Grief counseling encompasses many kinds of loss:
Major life changes can bring feelings of loss that often go unacknowledged by others. Or we might experience well intended comments and advice from others that is hurtful or not helpful. This threatens to leave us feeling all alone, wondering what is wrong with us for feeling the way we do.
Death or loss of a loved one
Traumatic or unexpected loss
Divorce
Loss of a job
Moving
Infertility
New health diagnosis
Family changes or relationship changes
You don’t have to be “strong,” there’s no timeline for grief, and you don’t have to do this alone.
Together you and your therapist will work toward reducing suffering, finding acceptance and integrating your loss.
Engaging in Grief and Loss therapy may look like:
Normalizing and learning about the 5 stages of grief and beyond (spoiler alert: they are not linear!)
Unpacking where there may be complicated grief - anger, unresolved pain, or ambivalence around forgiveness
Creating a narrative about your loss
Allowing you to connect to cherished memories
Working through traumatic loss - piecing together fragmented memories, managing panic or intrusive images, creating more capacity to be present to reminders of the loss
Creating rituals and self care methods when emotions overwhelm your ability to cope
Process the potential changes to your spiritual worldview, connection, or relationships
“The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal, and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again, but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same, nor would you want to.”
— Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
