When we grieve a loss, we can feel very alone in our sadness, but the truth is, the loss is also affecting others, from other family members to friends and friends of the family. It can feel like life has fallen apart, and picking up the pieces is a daunting task to navigate alone. It can be hard to reach out for support when we’re in the depths of grief, but a lot of support is out there, and thanks to the internet are quite easy to find. In fact, group support and individual grief counseling are widely available, like, through your healthcare provider, your school, or even some employers who will offer grief counseling. Many who have a deep faith in religion will turn to their church for support, while others will find the greatest help in a more secular counseling setting.

Loss of any type can trigger feelings of grief. Losing a job, a child moving away to college or away from home can generate emotions of grief and sadness. It is very hard for some people to imagine they will ever come to terms with their loss, but over time they will gradually come to terms with their loss and find new meaning to eventually move on. Whatever the cause of a person’s feelings of grief, there are healthy and effective ways to help people cope with the pain and ease the sadness. Some people can start to feel better in a matter of weeks or months, where for others it may take years, but it’s important to be patient and allow the grieving process to unfold naturally.

Grief is an inevitable part of life, but there are ways to help ease the pain and cope in a productive way to be able to move on. Some tips that might help include:

– Acknowledge your feelings of pain
– Understand grief will trigger a wide range of emotions
– Acknowledge that your grieving process is unique to you
– Keep physically active
– Learn the difference between grief and depression/anxiety

The “five stages of grief” was introduced by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in 1969, and was based on her research of the feelings people experienced while facing terminal illness, but they were also applicable to other negative life changes like the loss of a loved one.

The five stages are:

– Denial
– Anger
– Bargaining
– Depression
– Acceptance

Grief counseling is not a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all type of therapy and doesn’t follow the same timeline with every person. Whether you choose group, or individual therapy, or both, here are a few things to expect:

– Work on the expression of feelings – learning to talk about feelings
– Be open to new relationships – keep your heart open
– Find a new identity – no longer a spouse, or son, or daughter

Grief is not a mental disorder, and the pain is usually temporary, and something everyone experiences at some point in life.

There is no timetable for grieving, and healing cannot be forced, as it is a very personal experience. How people respond to a loss that triggers grief, and how they cope with it depends on their personality, their coping style, their faith, and how significant the loss was. Grief counseling is a specialized type of therapy and doesn’t follow the same timeline with everyone, so it can take as long as it takes until the healing is evident.

Best Fit Counseling & Psychiatry provides grief counseling with our highly trained, and compassionate therapists, and they are available to answer any questions you may have. Contact us by phone or through our website to set up your consultation. We serve patients anywhere in Michigan. Licensed in Ann Arbor MI, Pittsfield Charter TWP MI, Ypsilanti MI, Saline MI, Dexter MI, Scio TWP MI and surrounding areas.