Offered in-person & online

Our therapists offer grief & loss counseling in Westborough, MA

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Services

Individual therapy Couples/marriage therapy Child therapy Family therapy Online therapy Psychiatry/medication Teen counseling
Counseling approaches & specialties

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) Addiction ADHD therapy Anger management therapy Anxiety & depression counseling Anxiety therapy Bipolar disorder therapy Blended family counseling Borderline personality disorder counseling Christian counseling Codependency therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) Dependent personality disorder therapy Depression counseling Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) Divorce counseling Eating disorders EMDR therapy Emotional abuse counseling Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) Grief & loss counseling Humanistic therapy Insomnia therapy Internet addiction counseling LGBTQIA+ counseling Life transitions counseling Loneliness counseling Motivational interviewing Obsessive-compulsive disorder therapy (OCDT) Panic attack disorder therapy Person-centered therapy (PCT) Psychologists Sexual assault therapy Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) Strength-based therapy Stress management therapy Trauma/PTSD therapy
Our Providers
Call (774) 252-7733
Westborough, MA therapy

Connect with a therapist, psychiatrist or counselor near you

686,000 people sought help with Thriveworks in the last year

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

Meet with a provider as soon as this week

Heather Sousa She/Her

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)

Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts | BCBS, Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card), +27 more

Anger, Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, Self Esteem, Stress, +5 more

As a woman who has worked with both typical and atypical children for most of my life, I understand how to create a safe, fun, and productive therapeu... As a woman who has worked with both typical and atypical children for most of my life, I understand how to create a safe, fun, and productive therapeutic space for children. Read more

Next opening: Tue Jun 24, 9 am View all availability

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Call (774) 252-7733

Common approaches to Grief & loss counseling

Hear from Joan Barclay, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

View Joan Barclay's profile

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

The grief and loss counseling that I offer has a client-based approach, as this is the inner work of the client. I help people to reframe regret, mitigate anger, and recognize (if appropriate) that forgiveness is a process. I focus on helping the client to find meaning in the loss, which may seem incredulous to achieve. I help the client make attachments within the loss.

What tools do you teach in grief & loss counseling?

One primary tool that I promote in healing from grief and loss is to honor our feelings. There is no “set time” by which one is supposed to stop crying, stop talking about the impact of the loss, or stop feeling vulnerable. Learning to stop the negative talk of shame regarding feelings of grief and loss is another powerful tool that I help clients refine.

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

Healing in one’s grief journey cannot be measured by time or by a count of sessions. When a client experiences those gradual wistful moments of remembering their loved one with gratitude, and perhaps a smile, progress in integrating the grief is happening. Recognizable cumulative moments like these reflect our progress and acceptance of the loss.

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

I encourage my client to honor their grief and loss by creating a meaningful ritual that can be done outside of sessions. We explore ways to do that together in session. Each loss is as unique, as is our grief. There is no prescribed method that is appropriate for everyone.

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

When I start my first session with a client who is grieving, I let them know that I am here to listen. I am here to hold and to honor their pain. If someone is so brave as to reach out for support in their grief and loss recovery journey, making that first step is the beginning of the healing. No other preparation is necessary. Just call to find a companion-in-grief counselor.

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 Westborough, 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 Westborough, 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.

Insurance options

Self-pay costs

Our Westborough therapists and counselors accept 23 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
Carelon | Medicare Advantage
Cigna | Evernorth
Compsych
Fallon Health | Medicare Advantage
Firefly Health Plan | Cigna PPO Network
First Health Network
Harvard Pilgrim

Self-pay costs at Westborough

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

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★★★★★

Donna has been my lifeline for 6 years. She challenges me to think bigger and give myself grace. Donna has never missed an appointment and checks in with me when she doesn't have to. I've pushed myself to do things out of my comfort zone because of her and the results have been unmeasurable. Never once have I felt judged and she gives her full and undivided attention. I cannot say enough about her and I could not be more grateful that I found her.

Read more Donna has been my lifeline for 6 years. She challenges me to think bigger and give myself grace. Donna has never missed an appointment and checks in with me when she doesn't have to. I've pushed myself to do things out of my comfort zone because of her and the results have been unmeasurable. Never once have I felt judged and she gives her full and undivided attention. I cannot say enough about her and I could not be more grateful that I found her.

Lindsey May 2025