Grief is a normal emotional reaction to a significant loss, and often, grief counseling can be a helpful way to accept or recover from painful loss. These losses can be anything from a loss of a loved one, animals, your health, or simply the loss of a way of life, such as losing your job or getting a divorce. Grieving is a process a person goes through after a loss and is a personal experience that varies from person to person.
There is no “normal or expected” time for grieving and our grief counseling isn’t a ridged program that forces you through states you’re not ready for. It’s considered complex grief when someone is unable to move on from a loss 1-2 years after the event. Social support, self-care, cognitive awareness, and time are the best cures for grief. Sometimes people find their grief to be debilitating, making it hard for them to function in their everyday life, but grief counseling therapy shows them how to function again.
What Does Grief Counseling Look Like?
Grief counseling helps you through the typical stages of grief. It can also guide you through obstacles that grief might place in your life. For people who have recently experienced a loss, grief counseling starts by explaining what you can expect to feel throughout the grieving period. Sometimes, this is enough. These people simply want to know that what they’re going through is normal after suffering a loss.
For complex grief issues though, more therapy may be needed to overcome the heavy feelings of loss and hurt. A grief therapist might also encourage you to form new relationships as part of the process of rebuilding after a tragedy. Talk through your feelings with a therapist and come to terms with the events in your life.
Why Choose New Horizons for Grief Counseling?
If you or a loved one are walking the journey of grief, count us in as a partner on your path. Our grief counselors and mental health professionals are trained to provide you the additional support, cognitive strategies, and psychoeducation to make the journey easier for you. We are a phone call or click away.