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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.

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Elizabeth Westmoreland

Hear from Elizabeth Westmoreland, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

View Elizabeth Westmoreland's profile

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

My go-to approach for helping people in grief & loss counseling is to normalize their grief and let them know that it is not something they need to “get over,” nor is it something that has a timeline. I find this is beneficial because most people want to just feel better when they are grieving, but they also don't know how they are supposed to move forward without their loved one. Just normalizing that grief and loss is painful, but it is okay can take a lot of weight off their shoulders.

What tools do you teach in grief & loss counseling?

In grief and loss counseling, I don't really teach any tools, but rather I help the client understand their grief and process what life will be like without their loved one in it.

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 & loss counseling when they are able to picture their future without their loved one — when they are starting to understand that this grief is something they will always carry around with them, but it won't always feel so heavy.

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

In their personal time, clients can supplement their grief & loss counseling by honoring their loved one in whatever way makes the most sense to them. Oftentimes, finding a way to keep the loved one's legacy alive, whether it be through telling stories about them, keeping up pictures, or something big like starting a foundation in their honor, can really help the client accept and process that they are deceased but not really gone.

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

To prepare for their first grief and loss counseling session, an individual should know that they can go at their own pace. It's okay if they are still crying constantly or still feel hopeless and like they will never feel better. Therapists will start wherever the client is and help them at their pace.

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 Providence, RI 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 Providence, RI 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 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our Providence therapists and counselors accept 24 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island | BCBS

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island Medicare Advantage

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

  • Harvard Pilgrim

  • Humana Exchange

  • Humana HMO/POS

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Self-pay costs at Providence
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
★★★★★
Rasheed Is my therapist and he really helps me a lot . I would recommend coming here. It’s a really nice place and Rasheed is a really good therapist.!!
Read more Rasheed Is my therapist and he really helps me a lot . I would recommend coming here. It’s a really nice place and Rasheed is a really good therapist.!!
Riley Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Vivian provides a welcoming conversational space for exchange. She is able to listen with genuine care and when the time is right give feedback that is both empathetic and constructive. If I have to share a problem with her that might be difficult to share with even a close friend, I feel she is able to help coach me along with a patient reassurance that my thoughts and feelings will be considered without judgment. There may not always be a direct or immediate answer to what I’m working through but she is able to encourage healthy thought-habits and emotional strategies which help me to progress. I really appreciate her respectful frame of mind and down-to-earth personality, they make talking with her worthwhile.
Read more Vivian provides a welcoming conversational space for exchange. She is able to listen with genuine care and when the time is right give feedback that is both empathetic and constructive. If I have to share a problem with her that might be difficult to share with even a close friend, I feel she is able to help coach me along with a patient reassurance that my thoughts and feelings will be considered without judgment. There may not always be a direct or immediate answer to what I’m working through but she is able to encourage healthy thought-habits and emotional strategies which help me to progress. I really appreciate her respectful frame of mind and down-to-earth personality, they make talking with her worthwhile.
Providence Apr 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Therapy Providence is located at 245 Waterman St Suite 504A, Providence, RI 02906, between Wayland Ave. and Butler Ave.

Phone number

(401) 235-4170

Languages spoken by RI providers

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

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Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
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

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