GRIEF, LOSS, and BEREAVEMENT
Grief may be defined as deep and poignant distress, sorrow, or profound sadness. It is a strong and often overwhelming emotion. Grief may be triggered by the death of someone close to you (whether expected or unexpected), loss (of a job, relationship, etc.), regret, disenfranchisement, trauma, or even a significant life transition, among other things.
The journey of grieving a loss is both deeply personal and unique to the individual experiencing it. The grieving process may include sadness, anger, fear, regret, acceptance, and possibly even joy.
There are different types of grief that you may experience depending on the situation you are navigating. Your therapist is equipped to talk to you about these, answer any questions you have, and support you as you explore a path forward.
It is important to remember that while grief can be an isolating experience, you don’t have to go through it alone.
What is grief counselling?
A critical piece that separates grief counselling from other therapeutic modalities is that rather than focusing solely on defining and addressing the root cause of the grief, we aim to build bridges to address the loss and build skills to cope with one’s grief through a variety of therapeutic interventions. Grief counselling can help provide space to discuss emotions, thoughts, and feelings with the primary goal being to address the trauma, create tools for coping, and allow you to experience the full range of emotion that comes with grief within a supportive environment and a therapist who is able to meet you where you are with empathic attunement.
The primary function of grief counselling involves you and your therapist co-creating a trusting relationship and therapeutic alliance wherein you feel safe and comfortable feeling deeply vulnerable emotions fully. Your therapist will listen to your story through the lens of compassion and curiosity. When appropriate, they might ask questions better to understand your lived experience and the loss itself. Your therapist will check in with you throughout your time together to ensure that you are comfortable with the pace and feel of the session as well as the questions they might be asking you. Your therapist may suggest tools and strategies or help you learn new skills for coping with overwhelming or complicated feelings.
We understand that grief is usually messy. You don’t have to be all put together for your therapy sessions. We are not afraid of big feelings. You are always welcome, just as you are, with whatever is going on in the moment, to enter the therapeutic space and access support.
Who is grief counselling for?
Folks who have experienced an expected, sudden, or unexpected death of a friend, acquaintance, or family member. This can also be someone who may have been distant or estranged.
Folks who have experienced the death or loss of a pet.
Folks who are navigating a sense of loss due to the ending of a relationship (e.g. estrangement, separation, loss, cut-off, divorce, distance, etc.).
Folks who are experiencing either a planned or unexpected change due to career or job loss.
Folks who are mourning various losses in the aftermath of a traumatic event.
Folks who are navigating a change in health status, recently disabled, or COVID-19-related losses.
Folks who are navigating this new pandemic normal, lifestyle changes, or the separation of connection to family or culture of origin.
Folks who aren’t sure if what they are feeling is grief but would like to explore the possibility due to historic losses that may not have been adequately processed when they first occurred.
An experienced, attuned, informed, and caring grief counsellor can support you on your path to growth and integration. If what you’ve read here resonates with you and you would like to explore the possibility of working together, we invite you to reach out and schedule a free consultation.