Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

1,128 people sought grief & loss counseling help at Houston in the last year

Discover how starting 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 68 therapists in Texas available for an online or in-person session.
Alejandra Galindo

Hear from Alejandra Galindo, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT)

View Alejandra Galindo's profile

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

My go-to approach for helping people in grief and loss counseling is an eclectic approach. I find the best benefit of an eclectic approach is the flexibility it provides me to adjust to each individual client’s needs. Each person has a unique experience and upbringing, which can impact the level of depression a person is experiencing. I pull tools from CBT, DBT, TF-CBT, positive psychology, art and music therapy, trauma-informed care, and solution-focused therapies to help clients navigate depression.

What tools do you teach in grief & loss counseling?

I teach the following tools in grief and loss counseling:

  • Emotion regulation and distress tolerance via mindfulness practice, videos, and worksheets. I work with clients to attune themselves to their bodies physically, emotionally, and mentally so they can build insight and confidence in being able to redirect symptoms.
  • Stages of grief and exploration of life cycles.
  • Self-harm and suicidal ideation prevention plans.
  • Self-care tools to reinforce emotion regulation skills.
  • Cognitive challenging/reframing/refocusing via the use of cognitive triangles and understanding unhelpful thinking patterns. I encourage clients to use worksheets/handouts to practice their skills daily and build new habits.
  • Exploration of personal values, where they come from, and how they impact their daily lives.
  • Healthy communication skills to create positive/supportive relationships, and how to advocate for needs/reach out to healthy support systems.
  • Positive self-affirmation to improve self-worth and confidence.

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 and loss counseling when they can report reduced symptoms and express confidence in being able to navigate the stages of grief, unhelpful thinking patterns, and reactions during times of distress. I also look for a client’s understanding and knowledge of the skills being used. If a client can demonstrate and teach the skill in the session and report feeling personal balance or achievement toward their goals, the client is making meaningful progress. A client can also make meaningful progress by demonstrating vulnerability and an openness to explore their own life (history, personal reactions, etc.) and how it relates to their grief and loss. Reduced urges to self-harm, or reduction in suicidal ideation can also be a measurement of progress.

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

Clients can supplement their time in grief and loss counseling with daily skills practice, mini-projects, or reflections. I try to make a habit of giving my clients small, manageable tasks to practice each week. I spend time with my clients to build these tasks into their current habits or routines to help establish a new pattern/healthy habit and process their grief.

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

A first session can come with so many different emotions. In the first session, I will ask about a lot of different areas in a person’s life to get to know them and understand how they view the world and others around them. It’s important to share as much information as honestly as possible, but my first priority will always be my client’s safety and comfort level. If I ask a tough question, I don’t expect anyone to share every detail — just what they are willing and able to do. I encourage my clients to always ask me questions in return because I want my clients to get to know me and feel safe/comfortable. Therapy is most effective when a person can connect with their therapist. You can prepare for therapy further by thinking about your top 2-3 goals, or what it is that you hope to gain from therapy. This helps me to create a more effective approach that fits your needs.

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. Theriveworks grief therapists in Houston, TX 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 Houston, TX 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?

Losing a loved one is one of the most painful experiences we will have. When it happens we aren’t always prepared for the emotional aftermath – the grief.

Normal grieving is the experiencing of an intense emotional process as the person adapts to a new life without their loved one. The feelings that arise can be painful, confusing, and distressing. Over time, the intensity softens and people are able to move forward in their lives. Sometimes, though, grieving can become detrimental to one’s well-being.

When Grief Becomes a Problem

For some people, grieving is more difficult. The intensity doesn’t soften over time. Their grief affects their ability to function in their daily lives. Sometimes referred to as “prolonged” grief or “complicated” grief, this type of grief becomes debilitating and creates significant distress for the person. They simply cannot move past their intense feelings of loss long after the loss has occurred.

Symptoms of Prolonged Grief

Some of the indicators of prolonged grief include:

  • Intrusive thoughts related to the loss
  • Intense feelings or emotional pain, sorrow, or pangs or grief related to the loss
  • Confusion about one’s identity (e.g., role in life, feeling that a part of oneself has died)
  • Difficulty accepting the loss
  • Avoidance of reminders of the reality of the loss
  • Inability to trust others since the loss
  • Bitterness or anger related to the loss
  • Difficulty moving on with life (e.g., making new friends, pursuing interests)
  • Numbness (absence of emotion), feeling stunned, dazed, or shocked by the loss
  • Feeling that life is unfulfilling, empty, and meaningless since the loss
  • Clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
  • Duration at least six months from the onset of separation distress

Having some or even all of these indicators doesn’t necessarily mean your grief is prolonged. What sets prolonged grief apart is the amount of time that passes from the time of the loss and the breakdown in functioning due to the intensity of the grieving.

Grief Counseling Help in Houston, TX

Prolonged grief requires the help of a trained grief counselor. Thriveworks in Houston, TX can offer grief counseling, as we have experienced grief counselors who can help you work through your grief and to a place of healing.

If you or a loved one is struggling to cope with your loss, call Thriveworks Counseling in Houston, TX today for your confidential appointment.

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 Houston therapists and counselors accept 41 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Ambetter by Superior Health Plan

  • APEX Memorial Hermann

  • ARIA | Covenant Management Systems

  • Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (FEP)

  • Auto Club Enterprises (Employers Health Network)

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Exchange

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas HMO

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas PPO

  • Buist Byars and Taylor (Employers Health Network)

  • Carelon

Show more
Self-pay costs at Houston
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

Thriveworks Houston has no reviews yet, but check out these reviews from locations in Texas.

4.5 Thriveworks Houston reviews are collected through Thriveworks.com.
★★★★★
Thriveworks helped me realize that I do believe people can change. I’m not the person I was three months ago, broken and fearful. I’m healthy and happy and for the first time being kind to myself. Thank you for giving me my life back.
Read more Thriveworks helped me realize that I do believe people can change. I’m not the person I was three months ago, broken and fearful. I’m healthy and happy and for the first time being kind to myself. Thank you for giving me my life back.
Anonymous Thriveworks Client
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Houston is located off Allen Pkwy at the intersection of Rosine St and D’Amico St. We currently share the building with URBN Dental Montrose. Across the street you will find The Gordy Theater Company and Stages parking garage.

Phone number

(281) 789-6829

Languages spoken by TX providers

  • English
  • Spanish
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
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

Shown in CT

Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
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

Shown in CT

0 photos