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686,000 people sought help with Thriveworks in the last year

Discover how starting therapy with a grief & loss counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

Meet with a provider as soon as this week

Good news! We have 60 therapists in Virginia available for an online or in-person session.
Sarah Rash

Hear from Sarah Rash, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

View Sarah Rash's profile

What is your go-to approach for grief & loss counseling?

My go-to approach for helping people in grief & loss counseling is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). I find the best benefit in this technique because often times with grief, there can be a taking on of excess blame in some form, and CBT can help to cognitively restructure a person's thoughts and ultimately find a way to reintegrate their grief as a portion of their story.

What tools do you teach in grief & loss counseling?

I teach the following tools in individual therapy:

  • CBT thought records: A journaling exercise that allows the individual to identify and dissect unhelpful thoughts to retrain the thought process for long-term healing.
  • Search for meaning: Looking at the relationship/object and what it meant to the person; uncovering the deeper meaning in the loss.
  • Self-compassion: Learning to treat yourself with love and support, treating yourself as your own best friend.
  • Mindfulness: The practice of being intentional with your attention and awareness.
  • Coping skills education: Providing education about the variety of coping skill and their function in long-term healing.

How do you know when a client is making meaningful progress in grief & loss counseling?

I know a client is making meaningful progress in grief & loss counseling when they are able to self-process when they have been triggered by an outside force and reconcile the emotions that follow without assistance.

What can clients do in their personal time to supplement grief & loss counseling?

Clients can supplement their time in grief & loss counseling by not avoiding natural emotions that will periodically arise as a part of grief, but also making sure to engage in regular means of decompression, as grief is difficult to work through.

What should someone do to prepare for starting grief & loss counseling?

To prepare for their first grief & loss counseling session, an individual can take care of their basic needs (hunger and hydration) and/or make a list of concerns with regard to the grief process (if that is helpful).

Starting Grief & loss counseling

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. Thriveworks grief therapists in Blacksburg, VA 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 provider at Thriveworks in Blacksburg, VA 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.

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our Blacksburg therapists and counselors accept 34 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Connecticut | BCBS

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia Medicare Advantage

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS HMO

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS PPO

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | Exchange

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas HMO

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia | BCBS HMO

  • CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia | BCBS PPO

  • Carelon

  • Cigna | Evernorth

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Self-pay costs at Blacksburg
Talk therapy

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Talk therapy

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

4.7 Thriveworks Blacksburg reviews are collected through Thriveworks.com.
★★★★★
So nice, reassuring, helpful for what I needed. Explained everything very well. I feel I don’t have a bunch of questions I should have asked.
Read more So nice, reassuring, helpful for what I needed. Explained everything very well. I feel I don’t have a bunch of questions I should have asked.
Blacksburg May 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Turns out our councilor in Blacksburg is working out great! This was a good idea. Highly recommend! Kudo's to Kelly.
Read more Turns out our councilor in Blacksburg is working out great! This was a good idea. Highly recommend! Kudo's to Kelly.
Blacksburg Jan 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
We have been providing the billing services to Thriveworks Blacksburgs for a good period of time now, we have had excellent professional relationship with all the staff there. They are true professional, always provide us the helping hand. And are very efficient is providing response to any query of questions. It is truly amazing working with them.
Read more We have been providing the billing services to Thriveworks Blacksburgs for a good period of time now, we have had excellent professional relationship with all the staff there. They are true professional, always provide us the helping hand. And are very efficient is providing response to any query of questions. It is truly amazing working with them.
Blacksburg Jun 2019
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
When I arrived at the Blacksburg office for counseling I got a peaceful feeling. The paper work was not daunting and my counselor greeted me in a friendly and professional manner.
Read more When I arrived at the Blacksburg office for counseling I got a peaceful feeling. The paper work was not daunting and my counselor greeted me in a friendly and professional manner.
Blacksburg Aug 2018
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I appreciated the location of the Blacksburg office. It's a pleasant place, just off the highway and feels safe. While I waited I was met by pleasant staff and refreshments.
Read more I appreciated the location of the Blacksburg office. It's a pleasant place, just off the highway and feels safe. While I waited I was met by pleasant staff and refreshments.
Blacksburg Aug 2018
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
The waiting room was so inviting and the counselor had recognized me that made me feel very comfortable. I was tense from the unknown of therapy and it was so good to be "humanized."
Read more The waiting room was so inviting and the counselor had recognized me that made me feel very comfortable. I was tense from the unknown of therapy and it was so good to be "humanized."
Blacksburg Aug 2018
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I met the Thriveworks owner to inquire about the services offered. She was very helpful with her answers, she was very patient as she gave me her time and focus, and made me feel entirely at "home."
Read more I met the Thriveworks owner to inquire about the services offered. She was very helpful with her answers, she was very patient as she gave me her time and focus, and made me feel entirely at "home."
Blacksburg Apr 2018
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Close to downtown Blacksburg and easy to get a hold of. Just what is needed for this area.
Blacksburg Dec 2017
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

We share a building with several other businesses including Fresenius Kidney Care Montgomery County, the Islamic Center of Blacksburg, and Thermostats Service and Repair Company. Next door to us Robinson, Farmer, and Cox Associates, an account service. Nearby is also a Courtyard by Marriott hotel and Park Commercial Realty.

Phone number

(540) 361-6270

Languages spoken by VA providers

  • English
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in ET

Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Monday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in ET

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