Coping with Grief and Loss

When someone we love dies, our world is turned upside down. One minute we might feel unimaginable sadness and the next feel anger or even numbness. Sometimes, it feels impossible to imagine our life without them. Or we struggle to find an answer to the question, “why?” Grief may also bring complicated, unresolved feelings about the person we have lost. Often, we are expected to return to work still feeling unable to think clearly or concentrate, long before we are ready to function at full capacity again.

Grief Counseling encompasses many kinds of loss:

Major life changes can bring feelings of loss that often go unacknowledged by others. This threatens to leave us feeling all alone, wondering what is wrong with us for feeling the way we do.

• Divorce

• Loss of a job

• Moving

• Changes in relationships

• Infertility

• New health diagnosis

• Family changes

When to Seek Therapy for Grief and Loss in Chicago, IL

Processing and moving through grief take energy, patience, and time. Sometimes we are reluctant to share our feelings with family or friends because we don’t want to burden them. Often, we feel that no one understands our pain.

Seeking support from a therapist can help.

Here are some signs that your grief may be overwhelming you:

• Withdrawal from others, feeling isolated

• Difficulty taking care of our basic needs or the needs of our family

• Post-traumatic stress such as flashbacks

• Hopelessness and despair

• Anxiety or panic attacks

• Loss of appetite or trouble sleeping

A LifePath Therapy Associates Grief Counselor Can Help

We each grieve in our own way, and therapy can be a healing space to make sense of your experience and help you get through this difficult time. We can help you safely process your grief at a pace that feels right for you, as well as help you manage in other areas of your life. 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. Together you and your therapist will work toward reducing suffering, finding acceptance and integrating the loss. You don’t have to be “strong,” there’s no timeline for grief, and you don’t have to do this alone.

Begin Healing with Grief Counseling in Chicago, IL

Many of our compassionate therapists specialize in supporting folks going through grief and loss. We hope that you will reach out today to get the support that you deserve.