Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

4,355 people sought grief counseling help in Michigan in the last year

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

Meet with a provider as soon as this week

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Aetna, ASR, Blue Care Network of Michigan, +24 more
Domestic Abuse, Anger, Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, Self Esteem, +15 more

I am a caring and supportive individual that will help guide children and adults to learn the skills they need, while supporting them through their th... I am a caring and supportive individual that will help guide children and adults to learn the skills they need, while supporting them through their therapeutic journey. Read more

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Aetna, ASR, Blue Care Network of Michigan, +20 more
Chronic Illness, Medical / Health Issues, Self Harm, Domestic Abuse, LGBTQIA+, +19 more

As an identified woman of color, I understand that there are many challenges that people face. I will utilize any resources necessary to improve the m... As an identified woman of color, I understand that there are many challenges that people face. I will utilize any resources necessary to improve the mental health and quality of my clients' lives. Read more

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Aetna, ASR, Blue Care Network of Michigan, +19 more
Domestic Abuse, Anger, Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, Self Esteem, +13 more

As a counselor, I realize that people enter counseling with a myriad of troubles. I rely on multiple resources to assist my clients in unearthing thei... As a counselor, I realize that people enter counseling with a myriad of troubles. I rely on multiple resources to assist my clients in unearthing their best selves. Read more

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Aetna, ASR, Blue Care Network of Michigan, +23 more
Anger, Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, Men’s Issues, Self Esteem, +9 more

My aim is to offer you a therapeutic alliance through which you can heal from past wounds and embrace imperfections so that you may cultivate and enri... My aim is to offer you a therapeutic alliance through which you can heal from past wounds and embrace imperfections so that you may cultivate and enrich the best aspects of you. Read more

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Aetna, ASR, Blue Care Network of Michigan, +22 more
Military / Veteran, Chronic Illness, Medical / Health Issues, Anger, Behavioral Issues, +14 more

Who you are is beautifully and uniquely crafted by your experiences in life and I am here to help you discover ways to improve your quality of life an... Who you are is beautifully and uniquely crafted by your experiences in life and I am here to help you discover ways to improve your quality of life and relationships. Read more

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Aetna, ASR, Blue Care Network of Michigan, +19 more
Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, Infidelity, Self Esteem, Stress, +12 more

Starting Grief counseling

What is Grief counseling?

Grief 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. Grief counselors have specific experience, training, and skills that enable them to best-support grieving individuals.

How does Grief counseling work?

Grief 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 grief counselor will design your treatment plan around your unique needs and goals for therapy, applying the counseling techniques that best support them. It may take place as individual-counseling or a form of group therapy such as Family therapy.

Is Grief counseling conducted in person or online?

Grief counseling at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and via Online therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.

How long does Grief counseling last?

For many, grief 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?

Grief is strange and comes in waves. You might have felt strangely normal after a loss, only to find yourself blindsided by a memory weeks later while shopping at the grocery store. There is no “normal” response to loss; what’s important is to express whatever feelings you might experience instead of repressing your sense of loss, however it may manifest.

While the most obvious and intense feelings of grief are in response to the death of a loved one, grief can also be the result the loss of other things that were important to the individual, such losing a close friend, a home, a job, stability after a natural disaster, financial stability, etc. Life-altering events such as a move, a job change, or retirement can lead to feelings of grief and mourning for how life was before the loss.

There is no typical response to coping with loss, but being able to talk through your story with a therapist can help you find closure and discover how to move on with life after a difficult time.

How Grief Can Affect Your Life

Losing someone or something you love can be overwhelming. There are many different emotional responses to grief including the obvious extreme sadness, but other reactions can include shock, anger, and guilt. Everyone grieves differently, but it is important to allow yourself to feel grief and cope with it, as accepting the cause of the grief is a healthy and vital part of the healing process.

Grief can have emotional, physical, social, and behavioral impacts on one’s life. A person’s unique personality, family values, culture, and religious beliefs will all play a part in determining how they cope with and are able to handle grief and the implications of a loss. Immediately after a loss or traumatic event, many people report feeling numb, have trouble believing what happened, or even deny that the event happened at all. Many say they keep expecting the person they lost to show up or even feel their presence.

Due to the intense levels of stress that are usually placed on the body when dealing with intense loss, the body often responds in a variety of negative ways such as weight fluctuation, fatigue, nausea, aches and pains, or insomnia.

Feelings of emptiness, loneliness, or despair are natural, even though they are understandably hard to deal with. Because of these feelings, a person may difficulty composing themselves enough to perform daily tasks, but over time this pain will begin to subside.

However, if you feel that the grief will never subside, or if your grief is getting worse, it may be a sign that grief has triggered a potential mental disorder, such as major depression. There is not a typical response to a loss, nor a normal timeline for grieving. If you do not feel any forward momentum day after day, you may be dealing with depression and may need to seek help from a professional grief counselor or therapist.

Bereavement versus Grief

Bereavement refers specifically to the process of recovering from the death of a loved one, but both words encompass a range of feelings from deep sadness to anger. The process of adapting to a significant loss can vary dramatically from one person to another, depending on his or her background, beliefs, relationship to what was lost, and other connections to their life. The significant feelings of loss when handling the death of a loved and important member of your life can trigger feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and insecurity, and they may even cause panic attacks or periods of depression. It’s not uncommon to struggle with persistent thoughts of death, nor is it uncommon to struggle with thinking constantly of the person you’ve lost.

Being gentle and understanding with yourself is often one of the best ways to deal with the loss of a loved one. Allow yourself to experience your emotions and accept them as natural and important.

Therapy and Grief Counseling

A professional counselor can help guide you through the grief process and assist you in understanding and coping with the intense emotions you are feeling. It can be difficult to navigate grief alone and a trained professional can help you make sense of your feelings after a significant loss. Specifically, in talk therapy people are encouraged to come to terms with their emotional states during their grieving process. As with many other types of therapy, the goal isn’t to stop feeling the painful things, but to learn to cope with them in a healthy way.

Self-care is also important to the healing process. Steps such as seeking support from friends and family, keeping a journal, spending time in nature, and finding a positive outlet to focus on are all useful tools for managing grief. If you or a loved one is experiencing a significant loss, Thriveworks Portage Counseling can help you find your way toward a sense of peace and eventual closure.

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 Portage therapists and counselors accept 27 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • ASR

  • Blue Care Network of Michigan

  • Blue Care Network of Michigan Medicare Advantage (HMO | PPO)

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

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

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan | BCBS PPO

  • Carelon

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

Show more
Self-pay costs at Portage
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

4.9 Thriveworks Portage reviews are collected through Thriveworks.com.
★★★★★
This will be short since I can only type with one hand currently, but I thoroughly enjoyed my first session with Dan. He seems very patient, thoughtful, and intelligent. I look forward to working with him and letting him pick my brain to help me become a healthier and more balanced person!
Read more This will be short since I can only type with one hand currently, but I thoroughly enjoyed my first session with Dan. He seems very patient, thoughtful, and intelligent. I look forward to working with him and letting him pick my brain to help me become a healthier and more balanced person!
Portage Jun 2022
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Cassie met with my cousin for several sessions to discuss issues related to my cousin's childhood. Cassie helped my cousin assess her feelings in a balanced way . She was also very supportive, listening and providing feedback effectively without being judgmental. This was exactly what my cousin needed. A very rare technique among many counselors these days.
Read more Cassie met with my cousin for several sessions to discuss issues related to my cousin's childhood. Cassie helped my cousin assess her feelings in a balanced way . She was also very supportive, listening and providing feedback effectively without being judgmental. This was exactly what my cousin needed. A very rare technique among many counselors these days.
Portage Feb 2022
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Rudy was professional and approachable. He was able to point out beliefs I had that were interfering with my ability to enjoy my life, but did so in a respectful manner. He was an effective therapist, with a genuine, caring approach.
Read more Rudy was professional and approachable. He was able to point out beliefs I had that were interfering with my ability to enjoy my life, but did so in a respectful manner. He was an effective therapist, with a genuine, caring approach.
Portage Feb 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
The best
Portage Jul 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
The intake coordinator Brittany was AMAZING. She listened to my needs so she could match me with a therapist that could help me. She was incredibly kind and truly listened to me in a stressful situation.
Read more The intake coordinator Brittany was AMAZING. She listened to my needs so she could match me with a therapist that could help me. She was incredibly kind and truly listened to me in a stressful situation.
Portage Jul 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Alex helped me more than I can say! He was sensitive and patient with me and helped we work through some very difficult issues. His knowledge and communication skills guided me towards a positive outcome that gave me great peace. Thank you so much Alex for being there for me!
Read more Alex helped me more than I can say! He was sensitive and patient with me and helped we work through some very difficult issues. His knowledge and communication skills guided me towards a positive outcome that gave me great peace. Thank you so much Alex for being there for me!
Portage Jul 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Heather has always been the person that many people go to for advice and help. When she isn't helping people at work she is helping people at our church. All of the staff at Thriveworks are great. I highly recommend Thriveworks Counseling.
Read more Heather has always been the person that many people go to for advice and help. When she isn't helping people at work she is helping people at our church. All of the staff at Thriveworks are great. I highly recommend Thriveworks Counseling.
Portage Jul 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
The experience from the persons answering the phone and emails to my counselor, Heather, have been efficient and very helpful. I'm very thankful for Thriveworks because I can count on you when I need you most.
Read more The experience from the persons answering the phone and emails to my counselor, Heather, have been efficient and very helpful. I'm very thankful for Thriveworks because I can count on you when I need you most.
Portage Jun 2019
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Portage is off of Milham Avenue and New Port Road. We are somewhat near a Chick-fil-A, and in the same shopping area as DICK’s, off of Gladys.

Phone number

(269) 264-4920

Languages spoken by MI 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 ET

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 ET

4 photos