Facing loss and managing the feelings that come with it can be tough. Some people can handle their grief alone, but others might find it hard and need some extra support, like counseling. But what is grief counseling? It’s a type of therapy that helps folks work through all the different feelings and stages of sadness after losing someone. Counseling can help folks deal with their feelings in a good way and avoid some of the really tough parts of grief.
Here are a few good things about counseling for dealing with loss and grief:
- Makes you feel less anxious, guilty, or sad.
- Helps you understand why you’re feeling sad and what you can expect.
- Shows you that everyone deals with sadness differently, and that’s okay.
- Lets you remember the person you lost without feeling really upset.
- Explains that sadness can happen after all sorts of losses.
- Teaches you how to take care of yourself again.
5 Life Counseling Strategies For Loss & Grief
Here are the best five life counseling strategies for loss and grief:
Talk Therapy
Talk therapy is a common way counselors help folks deal with sadness. It’s all about talking through your feelings and talking about the person you lost. A grief counselor makes sure you have a safe place to share your thoughts and memories. You can do talk therapy by yourself or with others in a group. Lots of folks find it really helpful to be in a group where everyone understands what they’re going through.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), people try to notice and change their thoughts that make them feel bad and act in ways they don’t like. A grief counselor can help you find these thoughts and figure out how they’re affecting you. Then, they’ll help you come up with ways to deal with them so they don’t bother you as much.
Mindfulness
When people practice mindfulness, like through meditation or other activities, they pay close attention to what’s happening right now. This helps them notice their thoughts and feelings better. Doing mindfulness can help folks feel more centered and deal with all the big feelings that come with sadness. A study in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that mindfulness can even make grief feel less overwhelming and help folks bounce back emotionally after losing someone.
Complicated Grief Treatment
Between 5% and 10% of people who have lost someone may experience complicated grief, where their sadness sticks around and feels too much to handle. Complicated grief treatment (CGT) is there to help. CGT focuses on seven main ideas:
- Understanding and accepting your sadness.
- Finding ways to cope with the hurt.
- Thinking about what comes next.
- Strengthening the relationships you already have.
- Talking about what happened and how you feel.
- Figuring out how to live with reminders of the person you lost.
- Holding onto the memories of the person you loved.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is about helping folks accept their sad feelings and the fact that someone they love is gone so they can keep going. In ACT, counselors show patients how to step back from their feelings and look at them more clearly. Then, they help patients figure out what really matters to them and what they want for the future. With this knowledge, patients can start doing things to help them feel better and move through their sadness.
Transform your life with top-tier life counseling in Brooklyn, NY.
At Sutras, our expert life counseling services in Brooklyn, NY, are designed to help individuals unlock their full potential and achieve personal and professional growth. Our life counseling in Brooklyn, NY, provides guidance, encouragement, and inspiration as clients tackle life’s challenges, set meaningful goals, and devise strategies for success. Through tailored sessions, we help people gain clarity, enhance self-awareness, and cultivate more effective ways of thinking. Whether it’s advancing your career, achieving work-life balance, addressing personal development goals, or finding overall fulfillment, our life counseling empowers individuals to overcome obstacles, maximize potential, and create lives aligned with their values and aspirations.
