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 38 therapists in Massachusetts available for an online or in-person session.
Stephen Medina

Hear from Stephen Medina, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)

View Stephen Medina's profile

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

A go-to approach for helping people in grief and loss counseling is validating the loss and meeting the individual where they are at. The best benefit of this is understanding the loss and being able to process it while understanding the stages of grief.

What tools do you teach in grief & loss counseling?

I teach the following tools in grief and loss counseling:

  • Understanding stages of grief and its complexities
  • Validation and basic empathy
  • Identifying additional supports both natural and clinical
  • Finding meaning
  • Psychoeducation

How do you know when a client is making meaningful progress in grief & loss counseling?

A client is making meaningful progress in grief and loss counseling when they are able to access their social supports and process the difficult emotions associated with the loss.

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

Clients can supplement their time in grief and loss counseling by finding additional support, such as grief support groups, and creating rituals/routines to honor and acknowledge the loss.

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

To prepare for your first online therapy session, you can think about what you wish to accomplish in treatment and setting your goals.

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 Salem, MA 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 Salem, MA 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 Salem therapists and counselors accept 30 insurance plans

  • Aetna

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

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts | BCBS

  • Carelon

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

  • Fallon Health | Medicare Advantage

  • First Health Network

  • Harvard Pilgrim

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Self-pay costs at Salem
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
★★★★★
The therapist at Thriveworks ( Stephen Medina) is absolutely fantastic. He is very well educated and is able to get me to open up.
Read more The therapist at Thriveworks ( Stephen Medina) is absolutely fantastic. He is very well educated and is able to get me to open up.
Sharron Feb 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Outstanding from first call to assigning me a therapist for my particular needs. I would recommend them to anyone. My therapist is top notch!
Read more Outstanding from first call to assigning me a therapist for my particular needs. I would recommend them to anyone. My therapist is top notch!
Sharron Feb 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
My therapist, Stephen Medina is professional, caring, smart and is very good at gaining my trust. He is highly skilled in PTSD. I am starting to feel whole again.
Read more My therapist, Stephen Medina is professional, caring, smart and is very good at gaining my trust. He is highly skilled in PTSD. I am starting to feel whole again.
Sharron Feb 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Celine is very compassionate and professional
Debra Dec 2023
Thriveworks.com verified review

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Salem is located in McIntire Historic District on Washington St. where it intersects with Lynde St. We share a building with MassHire North Shore Career Center - Salem, Koto Grill & Sushi, and other businesses.

Phone number

(978) 637-8213

Languages spoken by MA providers

  • English
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
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in ET

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
Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in ET

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