Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

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 93 therapists in Virginia available for an online or in-person session.

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 McLean, 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 McLean, 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.

Need more help deciding?

Losing a family member or beloved friend is often an excruciating experience. It forces the individual to confront difficult emotions—like sadness and fear—to let go of the loved one lost, and learn to live a relatively new life without them. Other losses can be painful and hard to accept too, like the death of a pet or the loss of a job. In these instances, you must let go and adapt to a new life, too.

“People in grief need someone to walk with them without judging them.” –Gail Sheehy

Fortunately, there are medical professionals who specialize in helping people through painful losses. Grief counselors help their clients to process their loss, deal with any trauma related to the loss, work through the buildup of emotions, and move on with their lives. Additionally, they allow their clients to talk openly about their loss without judgment or interruption. If you are going through a tough time after losing a loved one, a pet, or a job, consider working with a grief counselor at Thriveworks McLean. We can connect you with a grief counselor who will help you through the grief process. Give us a call at (571) 589-4042 if or when you are ready to schedule your appointment.

What Can I Get Out of Grief Counseling?

If you’re struggling after the loss of a loved one (as many of us do), you owe it to yourself to do everything in your power to heal. Consider working with a grief counselor and recognize just how beneficial it can be. Millions of people have found healing in grief counseling sessions. But in order to experience these benefits, you must take that first step and reach out for help.

While grief counseling won’t rid you of the difficult feelings you are experiencing, it can help you to better process your emotions and work through the stages of grief, of which the grief counselors at Thriveworks McLean know all about. Here are a few specific goals a grief counselor can help you achieve:

  1. Accepting the loss: Sometimes, we aren’t able to accept the reality of a difficult loss, or we refuse to. A grief counselor can help you to come to terms with your loss, as well as understand how it might affect your life moving forward.
  2. Dealing with trauma: Losing a loved one can be a traumatic experience, and therefore have a serious psychological impact on an individual. A grief counselor can help you to identify any trauma caused by your loss, such as witnessing their death. Then, describing this experience and discussing it with your grief counselor can help you move forward.
  3. Talking openly about your loss: It can be hard to talk to our friends and family about the death of a loved one or the loss of a beloved job. A grief counselor can provide that nonjudgmental, safe space for you to talk freely about your loss. Doing so can relieve you up any pent-up tension or emotions that you were harboring.

These are just a few goals that you can accomplish through work in grief counseling. To experience these benefits for yourself, reach out to Thriveworks McLean. We have grief counselors on staff who are ready and eager to help you accept the reality of your loss, deal with trauma, talk openly about your loss, and more.

Schedule a Session with a Grief Counselor at Thriveworks McLean

As you can see, grief counseling can offer many benefits and help you accomplish different goals during your grief process. Grief is often one of the hardest parts of life, and therefore, it often requires a little extra help and support. The grief counselors at Thriveworks McLean can help you to come to terms with your devastating loss, work through all of the emotions that are knocking on your door, and learn to live happily again.

Grief counseling can help anyone going through a painful loss. That said, some people seriously need the extra assistance and support. If you are working through grief and loss, consider working with a grief counselor at Thriveworks McLean. You don’t have to go through this alone. We can help you through it. Just give us a call at (571) 589-4042 to schedule your grief counseling 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 Virginia therapists and counselors accept 34 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • 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 | Anthem (Blue Card)

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

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

  • CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield DC | BCBS PPO

  • Carelon

  • Christus Health Plan Exchange

  • Christus Health Plan Medicare Advantage

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Self-pay costs at McLean
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
★★★★★
My therapist is great. They aren't pushy and just ask questions that get me thinking. I feel like I am getting a little guidance to help me find my own path rather than being lead in a predetermined direction.
Read more My therapist is great. They aren't pushy and just ask questions that get me thinking. I feel like I am getting a little guidance to help me find my own path rather than being lead in a predetermined direction.
Benjamin Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Anna is incredibly respectful, professional, and compassionate. She has a strong dedication to operational and clinical excellence. Anna has proven successful outcomes for clients that she has treated. Anna is extremely knowledgeable with numerous clinics interventions and modalities. Her drive to help others is unmatched, and I believe she would make an excellent addition to the thrive works community.
Read more Anna is incredibly respectful, professional, and compassionate. She has a strong dedication to operational and clinical excellence. Anna has proven successful outcomes for clients that she has treated. Anna is extremely knowledgeable with numerous clinics interventions and modalities. Her drive to help others is unmatched, and I believe she would make an excellent addition to the thrive works community.
McLean Jan 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Anna is wonderful! She brings her kindness, humor and tons of experience to her counseling relationships, and yet in her kind way she also knows when to call it how she sees it in a way that does not make you feel judged and makes you feel understood. Highly recommend.
Read more Anna is wonderful! She brings her kindness, humor and tons of experience to her counseling relationships, and yet in her kind way she also knows when to call it how she sees it in a way that does not make you feel judged and makes you feel understood. Highly recommend.
McLean Jan 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
As a colleague, I cannot recommend Anna enough to anyone looking for a therapist. I have worked with Anna for years and trust her completely. Anna is warm, welcoming, and professional. She also has a multitude of experience working with diverse populations and is eclectic in her approach, getting to know her clients and utilizing tools and skills that she know will work best for their situation.
Read more As a colleague, I cannot recommend Anna enough to anyone looking for a therapist. I have worked with Anna for years and trust her completely. Anna is warm, welcoming, and professional. She also has a multitude of experience working with diverse populations and is eclectic in her approach, getting to know her clients and utilizing tools and skills that she know will work best for their situation.
McLean Jan 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Are you looking for an excellent therapist? I cannot recommend Anna Sihon enough. She's open, patient, non-judgemental, has a great sense of humor, and is extremely culturally competent (especially with the Latinx community).
Read more Are you looking for an excellent therapist? I cannot recommend Anna Sihon enough. She's open, patient, non-judgemental, has a great sense of humor, and is extremely culturally competent (especially with the Latinx community).
McLean Dec 2019
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I have worked with Dr. Jonies Thomas over the years in a professional capacity, and have only good things about her. She has an engaging and patient interpersonal style that resonated with our patients. She brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to any interaction, and it is clear that she is passionate about what she does.
Read more I have worked with Dr. Jonies Thomas over the years in a professional capacity, and have only good things about her. She has an engaging and patient interpersonal style that resonated with our patients. She brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to any interaction, and it is clear that she is passionate about what she does.
McLean Jul 2019
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry McLean is located off of Dolley Madison Blvd., at the intersection of Old Chain Bridge Rd and Fleetwood Rd., in Suite 3D-2. We share a building with two real estate agents from Long and Foster Real Estate.

Phone number

(571) 200-5518

Languages spoken by VA providers

  • English
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
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in ET

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
Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in ET

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