What Is Grief Counseling?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesTechniquesHow It HelpsBenefitsEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

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Table of Contents

Types

Techniques

How It Helps

Benefits

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

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What Is Grief Counseling?Grief counseling, also known asbereavement therapy, is a form of therapy intended to help you cope with loss, such as the death of a partner, family member, friend, colleague, or pet.

What Is Grief Counseling?

Grief counseling, also known asbereavement therapy, is a form of therapy intended to help you cope with loss, such as the death of a partner, family member, friend, colleague, or pet.

The death of a loved one can cause both emotional and physical pain that can sometimes impair your ability to function. Grief counseling involves working with a counselor, therapist, psychologist, orsupport groupto address your feelings.

In the short term, grief counseling can help you navigate the aftermath of a loss and make practical decisions, like funeral arrangements.In the long run, it can help you accept the loss of your loved one and adapt to life without them.

Types of Grief Counseling

Grief counseling can help people of all ages work through sorrow and other emotions that are part of a normal reaction to losing someone.

However, you may benefit from other forms of therapy if your grief is overwhelming and you are finding it difficult to cope with. Below are some other options that are available to you.

Grief Therapy

This form of therapy can help address behavioral andphysical problemsthat you may face in the aftermath of a loss. It can also help you if you cannot separate yourself emotionally from the person who passed away.

Complicated Grief Therapy

Incomplicated grief, deep grief takes hold of you and doesn’t let go. It can result in troubling thoughts, dysfunctional behaviors, and difficulty regulating emotions, making it harder for you to adapt to life without your loved one.

Complicated grief therapy (CGT), a form ofpsychotherapy, can help you cope with this kind of grief.

What Is Complicated Grief?

Traumatic Grief Therapy

You may experience traumatic grief if you lost a loved one suddenly or if you witnessed their death.

Traumatic grief therapycan help you deal with the intensity of your grief, reduce the symptoms of trauma, and equip you with coping skills.

What Is Trauma?

Grief Counseling Techniques

Grief counseling involves talking about the person you lost, your relationship with them, how they died, how their death has impacted you, and how you’re coping with it.

These are some of the techniques that grief counselors or therapists use:

Types of Therapy: An A to Z List of Your Options

How Grief Counseling Can Help

Grief counseling can help you identify and express your emotions. If you have lost someone who was an integral part of your life, grief counseling can also help you rebuild your routine and identity.

Expressing Emotions

In the aftermath of a loss, you may experience a range of emotions that can include:

It can sometimes be difficult to admit these feelings to others, or even yourself. However, harboring unresolved issues can take a toll on your mental and physical health and make it difficult for you to move on.

Grief counseling can offer asafe spacefor you to express your emotions and process them so that you can start healing. You may find that you experience these emotions in differentstages; grief counseling can help you navigate each stage and reach acceptance.

Rebuilding Routines

If you lived with the person you lost, or if they were a part of yourdaily routinein some way, it can be difficult to approach certain spaces or activities without them.

Additionally, it can also be stressful to figure out how to take on certain tasks yourself. For example, if your partner managed your finances or certain household tasks, you may have to take on those roles yourself.

A grief counselor can help you address youranxietyaround these issues, work with you on a plan to tackle them at a pace you’re comfortable with, and gradually rebuild your routine.

Redefining Your Identity

Losing someone very close to you can feel like losing a part of your own identity, too.

You may also gain a new identity, such as “widow” or “single parent” if you havelost a spouse. Grief counseling can help you explore what this means to you and how you can deal with adopting these new identities.

Benefits of Grief Counseling

Grief counseling can offer benefits such as:

What to Expect During Your First Therapy Session

Effectiveness of Grief Counseling

Grief counseling can be an effective way to manage your grief and help you heal.

A 2017 study published in the journalClinical Psychology and Psychotherapyfound that those who participated in grief counseling after losing a partner or close relative reported fewer symptoms in the long run. These findings suggest that grief counseling can have long-term benefits.

A 2015 study published in the journalCounseling & Psychotherapy Researchfound that people who participated in bereavement counseling felt that:

Types of Cognitive Distortions

Everyone doesn’t necessarily require grief counseling to get over the death of a loved one. However, it can be a useful tool to help you cope, especially if you are struggling with difficult emotions or having a hard time moving on with your life.

On the other hand, if you are experiencingdepression, traumatic grief, complicated grief, or other physical or behavioral problems related to your loss, you may benefit from other forms of therapy that may be more appropriate.

Many hospices and hospitals offer grief counseling services. If your loved one was in such a facility, the institution might offer you a grief counselor or support group to contact. Alternatively, your primary care physician can refer you to a qualified professional. Ask for recommendations from your family, friends, or coworkers.

Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast

A Word From Verywell

Grieving can be a difficult and confusing time. Everyone experiences grief in their own way and on their own time.

Grief counseling can help you with the emotional and practical repercussions of losing a loved one so that you can accept their loss and live a meaningful life.

8 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute.Grief counseling.NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.American Psychological Association.Grief counseling.APA Dictionary of Psychology.American Psychological Association.Bereavement therapy.APA Dictionary of Psychology.National Cancer Institute.Grief therapy.NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.Iglewicz, A., M. K. Shear, C. F. Reynolds, N. Simon, B. Lebowitz, and S. Zisook. 2020. “Complicated grief therapy for clinicians: An evidence‐based protocol for mental health practice.”Depress Anxiety, 37 (1): 90–98. doi:10.1002/da.22965Wetherell JL.Complicated grief therapy as a new treatment approach.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2012;14(2):159-166. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2012.14.2/jwetherellNewsom C, Schut H, Stroebe MS, et al.Effectiveness of bereavement counselling through a community‐based organization: A naturalistic, controlled trial.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2017;24(6):O1512-O1523. doi:10.1002/cpp.2113Simonsen G, Cooper M.Helpful aspects of bereavement counselling: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 2015;15(2):119-127. doi:10.1002/capr.12000

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute.Grief counseling.NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.American Psychological Association.Grief counseling.APA Dictionary of Psychology.American Psychological Association.Bereavement therapy.APA Dictionary of Psychology.National Cancer Institute.Grief therapy.NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.Iglewicz, A., M. K. Shear, C. F. Reynolds, N. Simon, B. Lebowitz, and S. Zisook. 2020. “Complicated grief therapy for clinicians: An evidence‐based protocol for mental health practice.”Depress Anxiety, 37 (1): 90–98. doi:10.1002/da.22965Wetherell JL.Complicated grief therapy as a new treatment approach.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2012;14(2):159-166. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2012.14.2/jwetherellNewsom C, Schut H, Stroebe MS, et al.Effectiveness of bereavement counselling through a community‐based organization: A naturalistic, controlled trial.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2017;24(6):O1512-O1523. doi:10.1002/cpp.2113Simonsen G, Cooper M.Helpful aspects of bereavement counselling: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 2015;15(2):119-127. doi:10.1002/capr.12000

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Cancer Institute.Grief counseling.NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.American Psychological Association.Grief counseling.APA Dictionary of Psychology.American Psychological Association.Bereavement therapy.APA Dictionary of Psychology.National Cancer Institute.Grief therapy.NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.Iglewicz, A., M. K. Shear, C. F. Reynolds, N. Simon, B. Lebowitz, and S. Zisook. 2020. “Complicated grief therapy for clinicians: An evidence‐based protocol for mental health practice.”Depress Anxiety, 37 (1): 90–98. doi:10.1002/da.22965Wetherell JL.Complicated grief therapy as a new treatment approach.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2012;14(2):159-166. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2012.14.2/jwetherellNewsom C, Schut H, Stroebe MS, et al.Effectiveness of bereavement counselling through a community‐based organization: A naturalistic, controlled trial.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2017;24(6):O1512-O1523. doi:10.1002/cpp.2113Simonsen G, Cooper M.Helpful aspects of bereavement counselling: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 2015;15(2):119-127. doi:10.1002/capr.12000

National Cancer Institute.Grief counseling.NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

American Psychological Association.Grief counseling.APA Dictionary of Psychology.

American Psychological Association.Bereavement therapy.APA Dictionary of Psychology.

National Cancer Institute.Grief therapy.NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

Iglewicz, A., M. K. Shear, C. F. Reynolds, N. Simon, B. Lebowitz, and S. Zisook. 2020. “Complicated grief therapy for clinicians: An evidence‐based protocol for mental health practice.”Depress Anxiety, 37 (1): 90–98. doi:10.1002/da.22965

Wetherell JL.Complicated grief therapy as a new treatment approach.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2012;14(2):159-166. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2012.14.2/jwetherell

Newsom C, Schut H, Stroebe MS, et al.Effectiveness of bereavement counselling through a community‐based organization: A naturalistic, controlled trial.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2017;24(6):O1512-O1523. doi:10.1002/cpp.2113

Simonsen G, Cooper M.Helpful aspects of bereavement counselling: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 2015;15(2):119-127. doi:10.1002/capr.12000

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