“Grief is not a disorder, a disease, or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve.” -Earl Grollman
The pain of losing a loved one can eclipse all other pains. The emotions accompanied with it can fall anywhere from a raging storm, to a dark emptiness you’re not sure you’ll ever escape.
Grief doesn’t have to be a result of a death, but it often is. Losing someone- in whatever capacity- can be life-altering. As painful as it is, it doesn’t have to change your life for the worse. Thriveworks Pooler Grief and Loss Counseling is here to walk with you through this pain and support you as you grow and adjust to this new life.
What Is Grief and Loss Therapy?
It doesn’t feel like it at times, but grief is actually a healthy and necessary way of coping with loss. Where we can get into trouble is when it spins out of control. With a Pooler Grief and Loss counselor though, we can regain control and move through the grief in a healthy way.
Researchers have adhered to 5 key stages that we travel through while grieving. It’s just a rough template, and we all experience each phase very differently.
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
Thriveworks Pooler understands those stages paint a grieving person in a rather negative light. But the thing is, there’s nothing wrong with being angry or feeling a little depressed. It doesn’t make you weak or wrong. It means you cared deeply for someone and lost them. Grieving can be a tool to remember that person while forming a new life around their absence. With some outside support, it can be healthy.
It is all too common to get “stuck” in a stage of grief. When you find yourself stuck with the emotions, thoughts, and actions of one stage, we never get to the acceptance- the full healing. Thriveworks Pooler Grief and Loss counselors are here to help you get to a healthy place where you can remember your loved one with gentle joy.
Our goal is never to have you forget them or move on without processing fully. We strive to support you as you get the healthy mental and emotional life you deserve. We’ve picked up a few tools along the way:
- Art and music therapy
- Exercise therapy
- Adapting to a new role
- Managing changes in behavior or schedule
- Developing new relationships
- Reaching out to friends and family
- Talk therapy
Thriveworks Pooler strives to always keep the focus on you. We respect and priorities your thoughts, emotions, and goals. This way, every session will be unique to who you are and what you’re going through right now.
Do I Need Grief Therapy?
As much as we want to make the pain go away, nothing can stop grieving from hurting. No matter how healthy you are or how strong your support system, losing who you love will still hurt. So, when does it become abnormal, destructive hurt? When do you make the call and reach out to a professional?
We wish it were a black and white answer. Thriveworks Pooler will always be here for you no matter how big or small you perceive your concern to be. It’s always worth calling a professional if you are unhappy with your life!
If you or a loved one are experiencing any of these symptoms, it might be worth reaching out:
- Suicidal Thoughts
- Depression
- Difficulty finding joy in people and activities you used to enjoy
- A small or weak support system
- Pushing away friends and family
- Hesitancy or fear in pursuing new relationships
- Numbness of emotion
- Fighting to stay busy and distracted
- Sudden changes in behavior (like anger, sleep or eating patterns)
- Inability to move on
It’s terrifying and difficult to reach out for help. Thriveworks Pooler Grief and Loss Therapy thanks you for having the courage and strength to think about it today. When you’re ready, we’re excited to begin this journey of healing.
