Saying Goodbye Is Never Easy
How can I tell if I’m grieving?
The obvious loss of a loved one is what immediately comes to mind when one thinks about grief & loss. One may not expect that the loss of a job, expectations hopes and dreams one may have had for a child that is having substance abuse or mental health problems, the loss of a career, recovering from an addiction, the birth of a new baby are the not so obvious experiences that trigger grief and loss. In the face of a significant loss a wide range of emotions are common and people will typically experience all of these five stages though the order may vary by person.
In 1969, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced what became known as the “five stages of grief.” These stages of grief were based on her studies of the feelings of patients facing terminal illness and have become the model understanding the emotions associated with any type of loss.
The five stages of grief:
- Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.”
- Anger: “Why is this happening? Who is to blame?”
- Bargaining: “Make this not happen, and in return I will ____.”
- Depression: “I’m too sad to do anything.”
- Acceptance: “I’m at peace with what happened.”
What type of loss is significant enough to get help?
Any loss can be significant enough to seek help and support to cope depending on how it effects you. Loss of a loved one, loss of home from a disaster, loss of a relationship, or even the loss of identity due to becoming disabled or losing a career can cause complicated grief that would benefit from therapy.
How can grief therapy help?
Whether you are seeking grief counseling to help you move through uncomplicated stages of grief or you are experiencing a more complicated grief reaction and are seeking clinical therapy tools for help to resolve your grief, we can help you by providing a safe space to process your feelings and the tools you need to heal.
