Throughout our lives we will experience loss in some form. Whether it be the death of a loved one or close friend, the end of a relationship, or losing a job. Our hope at Blackberry Counseling Center is that you have a safe space to process and heal from the loss you've experienced.

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Grief Explained

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While grief can be uncomfortable, it is a "normal and natural emotional reaction to loss or change of any kind." While it may be a natural and normal reaction, as mentioned, it is often uncomfortable and can seem overwhelming, heavy, paralyzing, and complicated. Because of this, it is important to know that you're not alone during this time. When grief is not resolved, it can lead to a various other problems such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance use disorders, etc. Utilizing therapy to express the emotions associated with grief such as sadness, guilt, denial, shock, anger, resentment, and fear can be helpful in your journey to heal as well as to avoid developing additional mental health concerns. 

 

Treatment for Grief​

As mentioned above, everyone's journey through grief is as unique as the type of loss experienced. When meeting with a therapist to process and heal from grief, 

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How do you Treat Grief?

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Everyone’s journey through grief is as unique as the type of loss and the value that an individual placed on what or who they lost. That being said, there are a few things to keep in mind while navigating grief.

Reach out to supportive people. A supportive person may include a family member, a friend, spouse, support group, or therapist. It is important to allow the opportunity to talk about thoughts and feelings an individual may be experiencing as a result of the loss. We are not meant to live this life by ourselves, especially not when we’re struggling through grief.

​Express feelings in a healthy way. Grief is not just one emotion but instead one word to describe the experience of many emotions. In the past, grief was thought to have steps that an individual would walk through till acceptance was obtained. Now it is seen as a fluid state that allows for variance and fluctuation. This means, that the emotions experienced as a result of grief, may ebb and flow. Initially, someone may experience denial after a loss and move towards sadness and then re-experience denial again. Additionally, an individual may reach acceptance after a loss and be triggered later in life. An example of this is if an individual’s parent dies at a young age and they have reached acceptance initially and then their grief is triggered after they become a parent. Although the length of time to resolve triggered grief may be shorter, it is still important to process the thoughts and feelings experienced.

Be Patient. This is easier said than done. Ultimately, in order to be successful at being patient with yourself after loss, it is important to have healthy expectations of how long the process of reaching acceptance will take. This process can take weeks, months, and sometimes years, and should not be compared to anyone else’s individual experience of grief. Again, an individual’s experience of grief is uniquely theirs.

If you or someone you know is struggling after a loss please call                    to set up an appointment. 

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