Grief Counseling
An Overview
Both taking care of a loved one in your own home and losing a loved one, causes your circumstances to change dramatically. These changes may cause intense grief, varying from individual to individual. Every person deals with the storms of life in a unique way, which means that each person may need to be counseled in a way that specifically addresses their needs. Grief can be experienced when dealing with the death of a loved one, but it may also come with other losses such as the loss of independence, dreams, relationships, ideals, and goals. Such losses may cause a person to go into a time of grief, which may result in feelings of depression, confusion, loneliness, sadness, anxiety, anger, and isolation. These feelings, if not dealt with, can cause very negative consequences in a persons life.
One way of dealing with grief is to go through the process with someone else in what is known as grief counseling. Grieving is a normal part of life as we go through various obstacles, but there are healthy and unhealthy ways to deal with grief. Grief counseling can help an individual deal with their loss in a healthy and effective way.
"The purpose of grief counseling is to help individuals work through the feelings, thoughts, and memories associated with loss." (minddisorders.com)
Some more specific tasks of grief counseling include:
- Having the individual recognize the stages of the grieving process in their own life.
- Help cope with the pain associated with the loss they are experiencing.
- Help the individual feel supported after the loss.
- Develop some strategies for seeking other support and self-care.
- Allow them to express their emotional feelings regarding the loss, in a safe environment.
- Accept the loss and adjust their lives accordingly.
- Develop healthy coping techniques.
If you or your loved one are struggling with grief, there are places to go for help during this time, such places include: professional counselors, psychologists, social workers, pastoral counselors, etc. These people have been prepared and trained to help those who are struggling through the grief process. There is no reason for a person to go through this process alone, or let grief continue to consume every aspect of their life. Help is available and should be sought out when needed. A professional counselor will have the resources and tools necessary to understand, evaluate, and help a person make steps towards wholeness again.
Comfort of Home Healthcare understands that grief is a natural process, but that doesn't make it any less painful for their clients and their families. Comfort of Home Healthcare will always be available to point you in the right direction if you or your family member is in need of grief counseling.
Theses resources may be helpful in understanding the grief process:
