Grief is an inevitable part of life, whether it be a loss of a job, loss of normalcy, or the loss of a close person in your life. The situation is challenging, to say the least. There is no real way to prepare for grieving or to know exactly how it will affect you.
However, as time passes many people learn how to cope in their own way. Sometimes that is enough, but other times it helps when people have a professional to turn to. A professional who knows the ins and outs of grief and can provide you with the tools and support that you need to get move through your grief in a healthy way. Enter grief counseling.
1. What is grief counseling?
Grief counseling helps you manage your grief by giving you the proper tools and support you need. Grief does not come with a guide book, but grief counselors can help with that. It provides you with a safe, non-judgmental environment to discuss your feelings and find ways to move through your grief more easily.
2. How can it help me?
Here are some of the ways grief counseling can help you:
- Uncover your emotions
- Treat any trauma
- Address any guilt or resentment you may feel
- Help you find a new normal
3. What does it look like?
Counseling is catered to each individual but can have the same general format. The first step is to build trust and establish a safe environment between you and the counselor. The next step would be to uncover the reason for your grief. After that, the counselor will often let whatever thoughts or feelings come to the surface to you to lead the session and slowly help you heal.
4. What are some techniques they could teach me?
Each counselor has their own toolbox of techniques but they can often include:
- Talking about the source of your grief
- Writing letters to the deceased
- Keeping a daily journal
- Recognizing patterns of thought or behavior
- Establishing healthier routines
5. How do I get started?
The fact that you are interested in grief counseling is a big step and an important one. It’s not an easy decision to seek counseling but one that has nothing but upside in the long run for you. Many counselors specialize so it helps to think about what you need help with specifically. It could be grief, trauma, or maybe a family counselor.
If a traditional counselor doesn’t interest you, you could always seek out an online therapist so you could participate in therapy from the comfort of your own home.
Grief can be managed in many ways. Learn how we can help.