1,044 people sought grief & loss counseling help at Chicago in the last year

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

Meet with a grief counselor as soon as this week

9  therapists available in Chicago

I bring my experience as a psychiatric nurse practitioner to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients are heard, understoo...

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As a compassionate and dedicated psychiatric nurse practitioner with experience serving patients of all ages and backgrounds via T...

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Life can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. My goal is to meet you where you are and help you rediscover peace,...

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I look forward to working collaboratively to help others change their mindset and reach their goals....

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I believe every individual’s story is unique and deserves to be heard, and that effective treatment begins by meeting people where...

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Life can sometimes feel like a maze full of challenges. Together we will work to discover the best route for you....

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As a mother of adult children and a clinician with over 24 years of experience working in a hospital-based psychiatric unit, I fee...

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I believe every client can embrace and promote their best self, and I am here to support and guide you on your journey to well-bei...

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You are amazing, and it is absolutely okay to need help! With 25 years of specializing in trauma, I offer empathic support to help...

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Danielle Jacobson

Hear from Danielle Jacobson, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

View Danielle Jacobson's profile

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

My go-to approach for grief and loss counseling is cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on helping the client identify negative thought patterns and replace them with more positive thoughts. I also tend to use acceptance and commitment therapy. The underlying premise of this technique is that people can begin to move past their grief by mindfully embracing it rather than fighting it.

What tools do you teach in grief & loss counseling?

I tend to use CBT techniques, including reframing and restructuring, targeting behaviors, and developing a new narrative about the loss. With acceptance and commitment therapy tools, clients can focus on their own values, commit to action and achieving their goals, accept difficult emotions without judging, be more aware of the present, create space between themselves and their thoughts, and do something called “observing the self” in order to describe their thoughts and feelings dispassionately.

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

I know that a client is making meaningful progress when they actually tell me and when their episodes of grief and depression decrease significantly from where they were at the beginning of therapy.

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

Clients can supplement their time in grief and loss counseling with journaling, bibliotherapy, and enjoyable activities.

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

To prepare for their first grief and loss counseling session, an individual can just come and be prepared to talk about how they're feeling in a safe space with a person who is looking forward to listening to them.

Starting Grief & loss counseling in Chicago

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 Chicago, IL 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 Chicago, IL 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 360+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our therapists and counselors in Chicago accept 27 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners IPA

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners Kane County

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | HMO - Essential Health Partners Silver Cross

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | PPO

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois BCBS | PPO - Blue Choice

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois | BCBS Medicare Advantage (HMO | PPO)

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

  • Devoted Health | Medicare Advantage

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Self-pay costs at Chicago
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

5.0 Learn about verified reviews
★★★★★
Very helpful and I'm getting through my issues better than ever before.
Patricia Sep 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
It was incredibly easy for me to find a provider and book a first appointment. . . I have continued to work with Emily for over a year. She created an immediate rapport with me and understood how to meet me where I am at. She has been patient with me as some issues are more difficult to even begin to discuss let alone process. Emily has been helping me process through my difficulties now and what holds me back in life.
Read more It was incredibly easy for me to find a provider and book a first appointment. . . I have continued to work with Emily for over a year. She created an immediate rapport with me and understood how to meet me where I am at. She has been patient with me as some issues are more difficult to even begin to discuss let alone process. Emily has been helping me process through my difficulties now and what holds me back in life.
Elizabeth Sep 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
My therapist listens to me and gives excellent feedback. I feel comfortable with sharing my issues with her.
Cathy Sep 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
I appreciate the detailed support. I encounter a lot of extreme situations and the calls provide me with methods to stabilize myself. I have been more successful, amazing help.
Mary Sep 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
The session went well
Elijah Jun 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Excellent listener and provides excellent feedback and sets goals.
Cynthia Jun 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Great life building tools to takeaway and implement immediately with every session.
Samuel Jun 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Emily is amazing and continues to go above and beyond. She truly cares about people.
Carmen Jun 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Chicago is located on N Michigan Ave, near the intersection of Michigan and E Lower Wacker Dr and on the south side of the Chicago River. Our office is right next to Starbucks and Blackhawks Store, and our building neighbors the Chicago Architecture Center and Quantum Crossings. The closest bus stop is directly in front of our building at Michigan & E. Wacker.

Phone number

(630) 454-0672

Languages spoken by IL providers

  • Vietnamese
  • English
Friday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Sunday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Monday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Thursday 8:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in CT

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

Shown in CT

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