Grief and Loss
Grieving allows us to heal, to remember with love rather than pain. It is a sorting process. One by one you let go of things that are gone and you mourn for them. One by one you take hold of the things that have become a part of who you are and build again.
– Rachel Naomi Remen
Life comes with losses.
The loss of a loved one, a cherished relationship, a pet, a dream, a career, an identity, a business, or a reputation can shake the foundations of one’s life.
It is common to feel that therapy cannot retrieve the loss or change the past, so there is no benefit.
While it is true that the past cannot be undone, your life is continuing now. The way it moves forward can be severely impaired by grief and loss.
Therapy helps not only with processing emotions and effects associated with the loss, but also enables you to regain the ability to make your present and future more vibrant and healthier.
Grief is different for everyone.
The stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) do not always occur consecutively or linearly and develop differently for everyone. Moreover, there is no time limit for the grieving process.
You may feel that you have reached the stage of acceptance, and then an event or memory occurs resulting in reverting to a familiar state of depression or anger. Grieving a significant loss is not a clean-cut and predictable process.
Living with unresolved grief comes with a cost. It is harder to be in the present moment, and many valuable opportunities are missed. It is difficult to make new beginnings when the pain of the past is with you day after day.
Having someone by your side makes the process more accessible.
Processing grief takes time and support.
As therapists, our primary goal with grief and loss therapy is to help you move through the grieving process and not stay stagnant. When grief is left unexpressed and unspoken, it can remain fixed in time for years or even a lifetime. Having a secure space to express your loss and emotions is critical in your healing journey.
The grieving process can be stalled and prolonged when there is trauma intertwined with grief. During treatment, we look for unresolved trauma associated with the significant loss to process with emotional expression, cognitive methods, and EMDR. Once associated trauma is processed, it is common for individuals to move much faster through the stages of grief and truly heal.
Loss is not something you forget entirely, but it is possible to move forward and learn to process your loss. I am here to provide professional support and encouragement as you express your emotions freely and gain the ability to move forward. Contact today for more information on how I can help you move beyond the grief you feel.
