What type of counseling is needed when a person cannot get over the grief of losing a loved one?
Grief and loss counseling helps people grieve difficult losses including the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the end of a relationship. It helps people navigate their grief process and eventually accept, understand, and move forward from their loss. Theriveworks grief therapists in Baltimore, MD have specific experience, training, and skills that enable them to best support grieving individuals.
How does grief and loss counseling work?
Grief and loss counseling isn't one-size-fits-all, but it involves sharing about your loss and then working with your counselor to acknowledge and accept your new reality in its wake. Your Thriveworks provider at Thriveworks in Baltimore, MD will design your treatment plan around your unique needs and goals for therapy, applying the counseling techniques that best support them.
Signs I should seek grief counseling
If you have recently experienced an event like the death of a loved one, a breakup or divorce, the loss of a job, or another major life change, then you may want to seek grief and loss counseling. Grief can be caused by many experiences and events, so if you feel that you are having trouble moving on from a certain event or find that it is still impacting your life and functioning, grief and loss counseling can help you process it more effectively so that you can move on and once again find fulfillment and satisfaction in your life.
What counseling theory is best for grief?
There are many counseling theories for treating grief, one of the most frequently used being the dual process model of grief which helps people acknowledge who or what they've lost through rumination while also adjusting to the new roles and identities that this loss has now placed on them. There are also many commonly used therapy approaches used in grief and loss counseling, including Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and traumatic grief therapy.
Is grief counseling conducted in person or online?
Grief & loss counseling at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
How long does grief counseling last?
For many, grief and loss counseling lasts for about 6 months. For others, it may last shorter or longer, depending on the severity of their loss and their grief.
Need more help deciding?
We tend to think of grief as an individual process. Families sometimes have a very hard time with the aftermath of a loss. Understanding how families are affected by loss can help the healing process. Thriveworks Baltimore Counseling has grief counselors on our team who can help families understand how to grieve together and to heal together.
Grief Is a Family Affair
The loss of a family member leaves a void in the family’s structure and in the way the family operates. They tend to adapt over time but aren’t always aware of those changes. How families make these changes can impact how well the family heals.
- Roles Change – When a person dies, their role in the family is unfilled. Family members must decide who will fill the role and how. Is the role filled? Who takes on those responsibilities? How that is decided will shape the family moving forward.
- Dynamics Change – The family is faced with dealing with the loss. How the family interacts changes. Conflicts can arise over the loss or about the “new” way the family is operating. Communication can break down. Sometimes this breakdown can fracture a family’s bond.
Grieving Together
In our moments of grief, it can be easy to forget that our loved ones might be struggling too. Sometimes reaching out to work together can enhance the healing process.
- For Parents: Your grief is two-fold. You are grieving the loss of your loved one. Your children also rely on you to maintain stability for them as they grieve. It can be overwhelming. You have to take care of yourself so that you can take care of them and be present for them. Reach out to trusted friends and family for help or support. You don’t have to go through the process alone.
- For Couples: You will each grieve in your own way and in your own time. It’s important to grieve together as well. Offer to listen. Ask to talk. Be patient with each other. Above all, be present.
- For Children: They often need help from adults to understand what is happening. Take time to talk with them. Let them ask questions or simply express their feelings. Remind them that there are no right or wrong feelings. Just like adults, they are experiencing a flood of intense and confusing emotions.
- For Siblings: Be kind to each other. Offer your support. Accept their support. Your brother or sister may be experiencing feelings very different from yours. There is no right or wrong way to feel.
- A word of caution with children: be careful what and how information is shared. While it’s important to talk about what has happened, it’s important to provide information that is age-appropriate for the child. Consulting with a child therapist can help with those decisions.
Reach Out for Help at Thriveworks Baltimore Grief Counseling
A family’s level of functioning after a loss reflects how well they are coping with the loss as a family as well as individually. If you are concerned about the way your family is coping with your loss, Baltimore Grief Counseling can help.
At Thriveworks Baltimore Grief Counseling, we have experienced counselors who can help you and your family get through this very difficult process and begin to heal as a family. Your family can heal together. Call us today to schedule your confidential appointment.
