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Discover how starting grief & loss counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

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Aetna, Alliance Health and Life (HAP), ASR, +23 more
Military / Veteran, Chronic Illness, Medical / Health Issues, Self Harm, Domestic Abuse, +21 more

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 40 years of experience in the fields of mental health and social work.

Aetna, Alliance Health and Life (HAP), ASR, +21 more
Chronic Illness, Medical / Health Issues, Self Harm, Domestic Abuse, Narcissism, +24 more

My passion is to help you understand yourself.

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Megan Silverman

Hear from Megan Silverman, Licensed Master Social Worker - Clinical (LMSW-Clinical)

View Megan Silverman's profile

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

My go-to approach for treating grief/loss is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I find the best benefit in CBT because it helps to change thinking patterns and negative beliefs. It also helps with understanding how thoughts, feelings and actions are all connected.

As a therapist, the most crucial part about working with a client going through grief and loss issues is starting where they are in the grief process. Offering a supportive, trusting, and caring environment is the key to engaging them in a trusting therapeutic relationship during a difficult time. I find that by offering them someone they can feel a sense of comfort with, expressing the challenges and feelings they are facing during this time becomes easier, helping the client work through the grief process.

What tools do you teach in grief & loss counseling?

I teach the following tools in grief and loss therapy:

  • Journaling (to help with self reflection)
  • Understanding of the stages of grief (helps to identify what stages resonate with the client)
  • Grounding techniques (helps to stay in the present moment)
  • Cognitive restructuring (helps to challenge and change unhelpful thought patterns)
  • Mindfulness (helps to stay in the present moment and challenge negative thoughts and feelings)
  • Challenging cognitive distortions (helps to change unhelpful thoughts)

As a therapist, I utilize a cognitive behavioral approach to help clients learn how important it is to take care of themselves, be patient with themselves, and reach out for support from friends and family while grieving. Clients need to understand that grief presents in a wide variety of behaviors and emotions, and as a therapist, I can help them navigate through the five stages of grief as they develop. Helping the client replace negative thought processes with more positive thoughts is important, and so is helping them gain insight into how negative thoughts make it more challenging to process their grief. It is imperative that I offer the empathy the client needs for them to feel supported during this time, helping them identify and express their emotions.

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 and loss therapy when they have some coping skills that are working for them to manage their symptoms.

As a therapist working with grief and loss, I will observe a client's overall affect, emotions, and behaviors as we work through the grief process. I will observe their ability to start moving forward with socialization with others, whether they are showing fewer physical and emotional symptoms, and notice when they exhibit a brighter and more optimistic view on life itself. I will also observe the client starting to share positive memories and stories of the loved one and start to keep a grief journal from the onset of therapy throughout the process and beyond.

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

Clients can supplement their time in grief/loss therapy with journaling, deep breathing, keeping a thought/mood log, reaching out to informal supports and utilizing other coping skills learned in therapy. There are also CBT and relaxation apps that can be used for exercises.

Clients can supplement therapy by keeping as active as they can, both physically and mentally. They can also find things to occupy their time that make them feel happy and supported, and engage in situations that promote positivity in their day-to-day lives, such as sharing stories with friends and family and remembering the joy and happiness they shared with the loved one. This can help allow for a healthy catharsis of feelings.

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

To prepare for your first grief/loss therapy session, clients can begin to journal their daily moods. This will help with determining current behaviors and thought patterns. This will also help with creating a treatment plan.

As a therapist, I always tell my clients that coming to therapy is a gift they give themselves to help them through difficult times. I would encourage clients to start a grief journal, writing down positive and joyful times they shared with the loved one that has passed away. Therapists would also encourage clients to come to therapy trusting that the process will take place in a safe, trusting, non-judgmental environment that offers full support during this difficult time,

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 West Bloomfield, MI 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 West Bloomfield, MI 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?

Grief and Loss Counseling in West Bloomfield, MI—Oakland Grief Counselors

Have you ever lost a loved one? Have you ever been fired from a job that was dear to your heart? Have you have ever had to put a beloved pet down? These are all tough losses that can be absolutely devastating. In all of these scenarios, you’re forced to let go of an important someone or something that you love. Additionally, you’re flooded with difficult emotions like sadness, anger, fear, even confusion. And you have no choice but to accept and work through them.

The good news is that you don’t have to work through these emotions or grieve your loss alone. There are medical professionals who specialize in helping people just like you to grieve their heartbreaking losses. This process might involve confronting those difficult emotions we just listed, accepting the loss, learning new coping tools, and ultimately figuring out how to live happily again.

If you have recently lost a beloved friend or family member, job, or pet, be sure to get the help you need to heal properly. If you are in West Bloomfield, MI or the Oakland County area, consider working with a grief counselor at Thriveworks West Bloomfield—these professionals have the skills, training, and experience to guide you through your grief and offer you essential support during this hard time. If you’re interested in hearing more about grief counseling or you’re ready to schedule an appointment, give Thriveworks West Bloomfield in Oakland a call at (248) 716-7057.

What Are the 5 Stages of Grief?

There are five stages of grief that help to explain this process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. As Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler explained in their book On Grief and Grieving, “The five stages of grief are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. But they are not stops on some linear timeline in grief. Not everyone goes through all of them or in a prescribed order.” That said, let’s understand these stages of grief a little better:

  1. Denial: This stage is characterized by avoidance, confusion, and fear. In this stage, an individual might deny the loss or avoid confronting the reality of their loss head on.
  2. Anger: This stage is characterized by frustration and irritation. The individual is angry that their loved one has “left them” or that they have been fired from their job.
  3. Bargaining: In this stage, an individual struggles to come to terms with their loss and needs extra support from others.
  4. Depression: In this stage, one might feel overwhelmed, helpless, and/or hostile. They sink into a deep despair as a result of their loss.
  5. Acceptance: In this last stage, the individual begins to accept the loss and takes important steps that allow him or her to move on with their lives.

Again, these stages are meant to explain different elements of the grieving process. They do not represent a linear timeline of what one might experience as the result of a loss. Now, if you find yourself struggling after a tough loss, that’s all you need to reach out for help. Losing a loved one is often one of the hardest experiences in life, and you need all of the support you can get. Let a grief counselor at Thriveworks West Bloomfield in Oakland County provide you with that support and more.

Work with a Grief Counselor at Thriveworks West Bloomfield in Oakland

The grief counselors at Thriveworks West Bloomfield in Oakland County are caring medical professionals who want to make a big difference in your life. They know just how hard it can be to accept a heartbreaking loss and move on with your life afterward. They also know how to help you through the grieving process and toward a happy, healthy you again.

Are you looking for Oakland therapy? If you are grieving the loss of a loved one (or you’re devastated by another loss), give Thriveworks West Bloomfield in Oakland County a call at (248) 716-7057. A scheduling specialist will answer your call and assist you in scheduling an appointment that’s convenient for you. We have flexible appointments to choose from, including evenings and weekends. We look forward to your call.

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 West Bloomfield therapists and counselors accept 23 insurance plans

  • ASR

  • Aetna

  • Alliance Health and Life (HAP)

  • Blue Care Network of Michigan

  • Blue Care Network of Michigan Medicare Advantage (HMO | PPO)

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

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan | BCBS PPO

  • Carelon

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Compsych

  • Firefly Health Plan | Cigna PPO Network

  • First Health Network

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Self-pay costs at West Bloomfield
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 Thriveworks West Bloomfield reviews are collected through Thriveworks.com.
★★★★★
I spoke with a great Therapist who was very professional and engaging. I had some questions but am not in a position to book just yet and and she took the time to answer my questions and give me some guidance. Her name was Kenya Marion and I look forward to booking sessions with her when I am able. I thank her for her time.
Read more I spoke with a great Therapist who was very professional and engaging. I had some questions but am not in a position to book just yet and and she took the time to answer my questions and give me some guidance. Her name was Kenya Marion and I look forward to booking sessions with her when I am able. I thank her for her time.
West Bloomfield Dec 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I have known Andrea Golden for over 5 years. She is one of the most loving and kind person i know. She is well educated and takes pride in her work. I can't say enough good things about her. My 3 year old son loves her. You guys are lucky to have her!
Read more I have known Andrea Golden for over 5 years. She is one of the most loving and kind person i know. She is well educated and takes pride in her work. I can't say enough good things about her. My 3 year old son loves her. You guys are lucky to have her!
West Bloomfield Aug 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I have known Andrea for many years. She is nurturing, honest and an advocate for all! Andrea is a wonderful person to have in your corner.
West Bloomfield Aug 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry West Bloomfield is located at 7439 Middlebelt Rd Suite 3, West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322, near the intersection of N. Pebblecreek Rd.

Phone number

(248) 609-3466

Languages spoken by MI providers

  • Croatian
  • English
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