Grief counseling is a form of psychotherapy for people who are grieving – it helps them cope with mental, emotional, and even physical responses to difficult losses. Grief therapists can support those who have lost a loved one or experienced another significant loss such as the loss of a job.
If grief counseling sounds like something you could benefit from, consider scheduling a session. If you’re in the Round Rock, TX area and wondering, “Is there a grief counselor near me?”, the answer is yes. Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Round Rock has grief counselors who will support you throughout your unique grieving process and provide you with healthy coping tools for your unique symptoms of grief. You can schedule an online or in-person grief counseling session with us today.
Do I Need Grief Therapy?
Grief and loss therapy can benefit anyone who has undergone a tough loss, which is, unfortunately, a universal experience. If you’ve experienced any of the following, you can find help and support in grief counseling:
- The death of a loved one (person or pet)
- Divorce or separation
- Loss of your job
- Loss of your home
- Diagnosis of a terminal illness or life-altering condition
In addition to experiencing a difficult loss, here are a few signs that you might need grief therapy:
- You can’t or don’t know how to move forward.
Grief after loss can look different from one person to the next – some people feel frozen in time. They can’t think about anything but the loved one or thing lost. They might even feel like their life is over or might as well be over. If this describes you, consider talking to a professional. They can help you process your grief and begin to move on with your life.
- Your grief interferes with work or other important areas of life.
If your grief is negatively affecting your work (i.e., you can’t focus and you aren’t meeting your deadlines, as a result) or your personal relationships (i.e., you keep canceling on your friends because you have no desire to leave the house), it’s wise to start grief counseling. A grief counselor can offer coping tools that will enable you to better process your loss and show up in the important areas of your life.
- You feel depressed, as a result of the loss.
Grief can turn into depression. If you experience symptoms of depression — like loss of interest in your hobbies, feelings of guilt, difficulty sleeping, and low self-esteem — it’s important to talk to a professional. They can help you manage these thoughts/feelings and offer the support you need to process your loss in a healthy way. In addition, if you do develop a depressive disorder, they can treat your depression or refer you to another counselor who can offer treatment for your depression.
How Does Grief Therapy Work?
Grief counseling helps individuals work through their specific response to loss. Whether you’re feeling extremely sad, experiencing anger, struggling with guilt, or feeling numb, a grief counselor can offer the guidance and support you need to come to terms with your loss and move forward with your life.
While there are common stages of grief, grief can actually look different from person to person – and so, grief counseling can too, depending on your unique needs, experience, and goals. However, there are common topics covered in grief therapy sessions for those who have lost a loved one, accompanied by common grief therapy techniques:
- Your emotions and how you’re expressing/coping with them. It’s important to talk about your grief in order to process it. Your grief therapist might ask you to write a letter to the person who died to help you open up and release some of those feelings.
- The status of your relationships and views on relationships. Your grief counselor might also want to discuss your current relationships as well as how you feel about starting new relationships. In the former, they can offer help and support for taking care of those relationships during this difficult time; in the latter case, they’ll help you keep your mind and heart open to new relationships, despite any fears or reservations you might have related to your loss.
- Your identity: Thirdly, you’ll likely discuss how you view yourself and how that view may have shifted after your loss. For example, someone who has lost their spouse might experience a shift in identity. Your grief counselor can help you understand any chances in identity and also how to rebuild your identity/purpose.
Should I Do In-Person or Online Grief Therapy?
If you’ve decided to pursue grief counseling, your next decision might be whether to do in-person or online grief therapy. Both are proven effective – but here are a few pros of each, in order to help you make the best choice for you:
Advantages of In-Person Grief Therapy
In-person grief counseling is the traditional approach. One perk of in-person counseling is that therapists can better read an individual’s body language, as well as other nonverbal cues, which enables them to better infer/understand the client’s feelings and more.
In addition, in-person counseling allows counselors to better utilize hands-on techniques like art therapy.
Advantages of Online Grief Therapy
Grief counseling online is a popular option in modern day, as it’s more convenient for most people. In addition, some people feel more confident meeting from the comfort of their home via online therapy.
On top of those perks, online grief therapy allows you to choose from a larger pool of counselors (all of those licensed in your state) and find the very best fit for you.
What Are Grief Counseling Support Groups?
Grief counseling support groups allow people who have had tough losses to connect and heal together. Talking about shared experiences and emotions can help you to feel validated and supported throughout your grief journey.
Finding Grief Support Groups Near Me
If you’re looking for a grief support group to supplement your work and healing in therapy, you can quickly and easily find grief support groups in Round Rock, TX. Simply search on Google and/or your local platforms to find when and where you can meet with others who are grieving.
Is There Grief Counseling in Round Rock, TX?
There is grief counseling in Round Rock, TX, here at Thriveworks. We offer both in-person and online grief therapy – regardless of which medium you choose, our grief counselors will create a treatment plan that is tailored to your specific needs. They’ll help you process your unique loss and move forward with your life.
Grief Counseling Near Me: Booking a Session
We all experience grief at one point or another. If you’re struggling after the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, or another cause of grief, and you live in the Round Rock, TX area, consider scheduling a grief counseling session with us today. You can schedule online or call our phone number for scheduling assistance.