Grief and Loss

Grief is an emotional reaction to significant loss, whether you lose a loved one, a pet, a job, move or end a marriage.  Infertility or the loss of a pregnancy can also cause grief.  Grieving is the process of emotional and life adjustment after a loss.  Another term used for grief after the death of a loved one is bereavement.  Every person experiences grief differently and there is no such thing as normal grief.  Symptoms include shock, numbness, sadness, anger, guilt, yearning, anxiety or fear.  All of these are part of the grief process, but a person can become overly depressed or anxious after a loss as well.

The treatment includes grief counseling to accept the reality of the loss and assist with the journey through the stages of grief according to Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross and Dr. J. W. Worden.  The therapist will help the client work through the pain and in the case of the loss of a loved one, adjust to life without the deceased.