Grief and Loss

Grief, by definition, is the deep, wrenching sorrow of loss. There is no “right way” to grieve. Grief following the death of someone close is one of the most painful and stressful life events.

The initial intense anguish, normally called acute grief, usually abates with time. Complicated grief is more chronic and more emotionally intense than more typical grief, and it stays at acute levels for longer. Women can be more vulnerable to complicated grief than men.

It often follows particularly difficult losses that test a person’s emotional and social resources, and where the mourner was deeply attached to the person they are grieving. Grief affects 10 to 20 per cent of people after the death of a spouse or romantic partner, or when the death of a loved one is sudden or violent, and it is even more commonly debilitating among parents who have lost a child.

Grief Can Be Treated

There often is no simple progression from the pain of loss to resolution. There are people who get stuck at one of the stages, while others progress only to fall back to earlier stages time and again. In some cases, grief is postponed, only to surface unexpectedly weeks or months later.

At Foundations Counseling, grief therapies do not aim to hurry the process along. Instead,our team supports people as they grieve in their own way and in their own time. If not processed with help, grief and loss and can lead to depression, emotional outbursts, and fuel anger.

A grief counselor explains the grieving process and helps you forge a new relationship with their lost loved one, replete with healthy memories. Our counseling facilitates the journey to a state allowing you to normalize, process, and acquiring coping skills.

If you may be experiencing symptoms caused by grief and loss or for more information about the positive effects of counseling for grief and loss, please contact Foundations Counseling today.