Name: Health and Healing Therapy PLLC
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Grieving and Mourning a Loved One

The loss of a loved one can be one of the most profoundly painful experiences we may ever face during our lifetime. Even though loss and grief are universal, no one can completely understand your pain. Grief and loss are deeply personal, and your grieving process is also unique to you.

Receiving compassionate, caring, and non-judgmental support during this painful time can be one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Please reach out – we are here to help.

Experiences of Grief and Loss:

Grief and loss can manifest in various emotional, physical, cognitive, and behavioral ways that vary in intensity and duration.

Intense sadness and sorrow
Anger and irritability
Feelings of guilt or remorse
Anxiety or fear
Helplessness and hopelessness
Numbness or detachment
Waves of intense emotion
Fatigue or low energy
Sleep disturbances (insomnia or excessive sleep)
Changes in appetite or weight
Headaches or migraines
Digestive problems
Weakened immune system
Difficulty concentrating or focusing
Memory problems or forgetfulness
Confusion or disorientation
Intrusive thoughts or preoccupation with the loss
Difficulty making decisions
Feelings of disbelief or an inability to accept the reality of the loss
Withdrawal from social activities or relationships
Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
Changes in daily routines or habits
An increased or decreased need for solitude
Crying spells or emotional outbursts
Restlessness or agitation

Everyone experiences grief differently. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to grieve. If these are some of the feelings you are experiencing, grief and loss counseling and therapy can help.

How can I be grieving and feel so angry at the same time?

Grief causes us to feel intense emotions that frequently involve feelings of sadness, confusion, isolation, anger, guilt and/or regret. These feelings can be unsettling and confusing. We may yearn for the person we miss and love one minute and then experience strong anger toward them in the next. Although this is completely normal, it can cause emotional distress and uneasiness. Conflicting emotions can even make people feel ashamed and question whether they are a good person or if something is wrong with them since they are angry with the person they loved and lost.

Is it ever too late for grief counseling?

Sometimes it takes a while to consider grief counseling. You may feel that therapy for grief can’t possibly help relieve any of your pain as it runs too deep. Or, maybe you believe that grief therapy may help you “move forward,” but you fear that doing so could be a betrayal of the person you lost.

Grief counseling can be beneficial at any stage of the grieving process, whether it has been weeks, months, or even years since your loss. While the intensity of grief may lessen over time, it doesn’t mean that the emotions associated with the loss have completely disappeared. Sometimes, people find that unresolved or complicated grief resurfaces later in life or is triggered by other events. Grief counseling can be valuable in helping individuals navigate their emotions, gain insight into their grief, and find ways to heal.

What to Expect from Grief & Loss Counseling

An integral part of healing is about accepting what has happened to you, lessening your suffering, and honoring who and what you lost while working through your feelings, beliefs, and thoughts so they don’t hold you back from living your life.

Some steps and processes we will guide you through during your grief and loss counseling experience include:

Expressing, processing, and understanding your states of denial, anger, bargaining, and depression,
Accepting the reality of your loss
Processing the pain of your grief
Finding ways to live in a world without your loved one and create a new normal
Developing a continued connection with your loved one while also fully participating in and creating a life you can connect to and enjoy
Navigating your new identity and purpose for the future

We will focus on understanding your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions while helping you create coping mechanisms so you can manage your emotions in healthy ways. We will work together to develop strategies specifically tailored to your needs and experience so that you can grow and heal.

Non-Death Related Losses & Different Kinds of Loss

We experience the emotions of grief and loss when unexpected or unwanted life changes happen and we are left to figure out how to navigate through it and find a new way of living.

This kind of grief and loss may be experienced when:

Your child is going to college and you are no longer needed in quite the same way
You’ve recently retired and your purpose needs to adjust while you find new passions and goals
You’ve been diagnosed with a chronic health illness and you are facing disability, pain, surgical intervention, or vital treatment
You’ve experienced the loss of a job you love and need to pivot in a new and unexpected direction
A relationship ends in an unwanted way and you need to work through your feelings, beliefs, and emotional responses while finding a way to regroup and move forward
Your role as a parent becomes less active as your children grow and mature
Family and/or friends move away and the support, connection and closeness you once had is completely new and different

Grief & Loss Therapy Can Help

We understand that everyone processes grief differently, and our counseling sessions are designed with that in mind. Our goal is to help you find insight into your needs and emotions while also providing you with the tools you need to cope through your grief.

Whether you have experienced a recent loss or have been grieving for a longer period of time, you owe it to yourself to receive compassionate counseling for the painful grief you carry.