Grief & Bereavement Counseling

Bereavement and grief aren’t light-hearted topics. Bereavement refers to the process of recovering from the death of a loved one, and grief is a reaction to any form of loss. Both encompass a wide range of emotions such as fear, anger and deep, deep sadness. Mourning is the outward expression of grief.

The process of adapting to a loss can dramatically change from person to person, day to day, and even from moment to moment. Depending on the individual’s background, beliefs, life experiences, and available resources loss and grief should be handled differently. Therapy is a place to explore how you as an individual handle loss and what you need to care for yourself during such a challenging time. Symptoms of grief can be physical, emotional or social. A few symptoms in these categories are:

Physical:

• Changes in sleep patterns and fatigue
• Changes in appetite or digestive issues
• Crashing energy levels or deep exhaustion
• Difficulty concentrating or staying engaged in conversations
• Crying, bursts of anger, sighing, or body aches
• Headaches or shortness of breath

Emotional:

• Feelings of sadness and yearning
• Feelings of worry or helplessness
• Feelings of frustration or guilt
• Feelings of numbness or being empty
• Feelings of loneliness or isolation
• Feelings of anger or irritability

Cognitive Manifestations of Grief:

• slowed thinking or processing
• difficulty making decisions
• mental confusion
• daydreams or flashbacks
• talking to the deceased loved one

Social:

• Feeling detached from others
• Self-isolation or withdrawal from social contact
• Behaving in ways that are not normal for you
• preoccupation with one’s own feelings and needs to the exclusion of others’
• marital or relationship stress
• loss of interest in sex
• impatience with others who are also grieving the same loss due to different grieving styles

Every grieving experience is different. A person may be able to continue their day-to-day routine after one loss, yet not be able to get out of bed after the loss of someone or something else. Whatever your personal symptoms are, grief and bereavement counseling have been proven to help. If you are experiencing grief-related thoughts, behaviors, or feelings that are distressing, please contact me today for a free consultation. You do not need to go through this alone!