Grief counseling, also known as bereavement counseling, is a type of professional therapy designed to help people cope with the loss of a loved one. It is recommended for individuals whose grief interferes with daily activities, causes feelings of guilt or depression, makes it harder to carry on with their own lives, or causes problems in existing relationships. Grief counseling provides bereaved people with an avenue to discuss their feelings and emotions, helping them discover ways to ease the grieving process.
The goals of grief or bereavement counseling can include four main stages such as accepting the reality of the loss, working through the pain of grief, adjusting to life without the deceased, and maintaining a connection with a loved one you’ve lost while finding ways to move on with life. Psychologists or therapists may use techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy or psychotherapy to help individuals through the grieving process. Techniques used in grief counseling can include guiding individuals to talk about the loss, who the person was to them, and the circumstances surrounding the death.
Grief counseling is not only for adults coping with loss. Grief counselors might focus on issues such as individuals who lost a coworker, children coming to terms with the loss of a parent, a friend, or a pet, patients in hospice care, women or couples who are dealing with a miscarriage, and people who have gone through traumatic events.
In summary, grief counseling is a type of professional therapy designed to help people work through the various stages and range of emotions they may feel after a loss. It can help individuals avoid some of the more acute manifestations of grief and process their emotions in a healthy manner.
