Grief & Bereavement Counseling

I understand the grieving process both personally and professionally. I lost my mother, father, and two sisters. 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 for any form of loss. Both encompass a wide range of emotions such as fear, anger and deep, deep sadness and loss.

The process of adapting to a loss can dramatically change from person to person, depending on his or her background, beliefs, relationship to the person who’s passed, and other factors.

From a spiritual perspective, deep or complicated grief, called lamenting, is expressed with words such as "Why did I not perish at birth, come from the womb and expire" (Job 3:11), Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable" Jer. 15:18, "my legs tremble beneath me" ( Hab. 3:6).

Common symptoms of grief can be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or social.

A few common symptoms in these categories are:

Physical

• Crying and sighing
• Headaches
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty sleeping
• Weakness
• Fatigue

Emotional

• Feelings of sadness and yearning
• Feelings of worry or anger
• Feelings of frustration or guilt

Mental

• Confusion
• Irritability
• Decreased concentration
• Memory gaps and decreased memory
• Try to get close to their loved one

Spiritual

• Denial and Isolation: Sincerity and an attempt at self-honesty
• Anger and Resentment: Grievance and honesty with God
• Bargaining and Working: Tears and petitioning God for Help
• Depression and Alienation: Consolation and receiving help form God

Social

• Feeling detached from others
• Self-isolation from social contact
• Behaving in ways that are not normal for you

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 else. Whatever your personal symptoms are, Grief & 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 or to set up an appointment.

Grief and Bereavement Counseling provides support and guidance to individuals navigating the deep emotional challenges of loss. Whether you're in Marietta, Smyrna, or Woodstock, these services aim to help you process grief in a healthy way.

Counseling sessions typically focus on acknowledging and understanding the stages of grief, which may include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Therapists trained in grief counseling offer a safe space to express feelings of sadness, guilt, or confusion that often accompany loss.

Key aspects of grief counseling include:

1. Emotional Support: Offering a supportive environment to express complex emotions and feelings of loss.
2. Education: Helping individuals understand the grief process and normalize their experiences.
3. Coping Strategies: Teaching practical techniques to manage grief symptoms and promote healing.
4. Adaptation: Assisting in the adjustment to life without the deceased and finding a new sense of normalcy.

Grief & Bereavement Counseling Services in Marietta, Smyrna, and Woodstock are readily accessible to provide tailored support that respects cultural, spiritual, and personal beliefs. Whether seeking individual counseling or group therapy, the goal is to facilitate a healthy grieving process and ultimately rebuild a sense of hope and resilience.

Grief and Loss

Grief and loss are profoundly personal experiences, and while a "normal" grieving process exists, for some, the pain can become overwhelming, prolonged, or significantly interfere with daily life. In these cases, therapy can provide invaluable support and tools to navigate the complexities of loss and find a path toward healing.

When to Consider Therapy for Grief or Loss:

While grief is a natural process, therapy might be beneficial if you experience:

• Prolonged or complicated grief: When intense grief persists for a year or more and significantly disrupts your life, making it difficult to function, maintain relationships, or engage in daily activities.
• Intense sadness, hopelessness, or despair that doesn't lessen over time.
• Difficulty accepting the reality of the loss.
• Preoccupation with the deceased or the circumstances of their death to the exclusion of other thoughts.
• Persistent yearning or longing for the person who died.
• Avoidance of reminders of the loved one or the loss.
• Social withdrawal and isolation.
• Significant changes in appetite or sleep patterns.
• Feelings of guilt, shame, or self-blame related to the loss.
• Co-occurring mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or PTSD, which can be triggered or exacerbated by grief.
• Traumatic grief: When the loss occurred suddenly, violently, or unexpectedly, leading to trauma responses in addition to grief.

Types of Therapy for Grief and Loss:

Several therapeutic approaches are effective in helping individuals process grief:

1. Grief Counseling/Bereavement Counseling (General Support):
   • Focus: Provides a safe, non-judgmental space to express emotions, share memories, and normalize the grieving process.
   • Techniques: Active listening, empathy, validation, psychoeducation about grief stages/models, coping skills development (e.g., relaxation, stress management), and guidance on self-care.
   • Goal: To help individuals move through uncomplicated grief in a healthy way, adapt to the loss, and find ways to honor their loved one while moving forward.

Complicated Grief Therapy (CGT) / Prolonged Grief Treatment (PGT):

• Focus: Specifically designed for prolonged or complicated grief, where the grieving process has become derailed. It draws from attachment theory, interpersonal therapy (IPT), and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
• Techniques:
  • Revisiting the story of the loss: Repeatedly recounting the details of the death to help process and integrate the traumatic aspects.
  • Reconnecting through memory and imaginal conversation: Engaging with memories and even "dialoguing" with the deceased to maintain a healthy bond while accepting their absence.
  • Restoring life goals: Helping the individual identify and pursue new goals and interests to re-engage with life.
  • Cognitive restructuring: Challenging unhelpful thoughts and beliefs about the loss.
  • Behavioral activation: Encouraging engagement in meaningful activities.
• Goal: To help individuals come to terms with the finality of the loss, resolve the trauma, modify maladaptive grief responses, and reintegrate into life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Grief:

• Focus: Helps identify and challenge negative thought patterns and behaviors that make it difficult to process grief.
• Techniques:
  • Cognitive Reframing/Restructuring: Becoming aware of distorted thoughts (e.g., "I should have prevented this," "I'll never be happy again") and replacing them with more balanced and realistic ones.
  • Targeting Behaviors: Addressing unhelpful habits (like social withdrawal) and replacing them with healthier coping mechanisms.
  • Developing a New Narrative: Creating a new understanding or story about the loss that promotes healing rather than dwelling on negative aspects.
• Goal: To change unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns that perpetuate grief symptoms and prevent healthy adaptation.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):

• Focus: Uses mindfulness and acceptance strategies to help individuals process grief by learning to accept difficult emotions and situations, rather than fighting them.
• Techniques: Mindfulness exercises, identifying core values, and committing to actions that align with those values, even in the presence of pain.
• Goal: To foster psychological flexibility, allowing individuals to experience their grief fully without being consumed by it, and to continue living a meaningful life.
1. Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT):
   • Focus: Examines how grief impacts current relationships and helps individuals navigate changes in roles and social interactions.
   • Techniques: Addresses issues like social isolation, role disputes, or difficulties forming new relationships after a loss.
   • Goal: To improve interpersonal functioning and adapt to new life circumstances following bereavement.
2. Narrative Therapy:
   • Focus: Helps individuals "re-story" their experience of loss, integrating it into their life narrative in a way that promotes healing and meaning.
   • Techniques: Encourages individuals to recount their memories and experiences related to the deceased, helping them explore the impact of the loss and find new ways to connect with their loved one's memory.
   • Goal: To construct new and adaptive ways to integrate the loss and compassionately reconnect with the deceased.
3. Group Therapy/Support Groups:
   • Focus: Provides a community of individuals who are also experiencing loss, fostering a sense of shared understanding and reducing isolation.
   • Benefits: Offers a safe space to share experiences, receive validation, learn from others' coping strategies, and build new connections. Often led by a trained facilitator.
   • Goal: To provide peer support and a sense of belonging during a time of profound emotional challenge.
4. Creative Arts Therapies (Art Therapy, Play Therapy):
   • Focus: Utilizes creative expression (drawing, painting, sculpting, music, drama, play) to help individuals, especially children, process emotions that may be difficult to verbalize.
   • Goal: To provide an alternative outlet for emotional expression, facilitate understanding of complex feelings, and promote healing through creative means.

How Therapy Helps:

Regardless of the specific approach, grief therapy generally helps by:

• Providing a safe and supportive space: A non-judgmental environment where all feelings are valid.
• Normalizing the grief process: Helping individuals understand that their reactions are a natural response to loss.
• Developing coping skills: Teaching healthy ways to manage the intense emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations associated with grief.
• Processing complex emotions: Addressing feelings like guilt, anger, anxiety, and despair.
• Facilitating acceptance: Helping individuals come to terms with the reality and permanence of the loss.
• Rebuilding a sense of identity and purpose: Assisting in adapting to a life without the deceased and finding new meaning.
• Reducing isolation: Encouraging connection and breaking down feelings of loneliness.
• Preventing complicated grief: Intervening early to prevent acute grief from becoming chronic and debilitating.

If you are struggling with grief or loss, reaching out to a mental health professional can provide the guidance and support needed to navigate this difficult journey and find a path toward healing and renewed well-being.