Grief and loss are a part of life. It’s a harsh, unavoidable, and unfortunate reality that many of us have likely experienced first-hand. Maybe you’ve gone through a tough break up or lost someone near and dear to you. The rollercoaster of emotions can be overwhelming and hard to claw your way out of.
No matter how dark things may seem, don’t forget that you’ve always got an important opportunity to deal with these experiences and emotions in a healthy way. Those unresolved feelings and thoughts could manifest in negative ways later on but with the right outlet, you can give yourself the emotional support you deserve. It’s sometimes easier to sweep it all under the carpet but the consequences of this (for example anger, guilt, feeling distanced from your loved ones) are not worth it. Grief is serious, so treat it seriously.
What is grief counseling?
Everyone’s unique so it only makes sense that we all respond to loss differently. Sometimes it’s unexpected and others, the pain we feel is so deep that we repress it entirely. One way to take back your power and address whatever’s holding you back from constructive personal growth, is grief counseling. It’s an ideal chance to unpack all facets of the event that impacted your life, whether it’s something you’ve harbored for decades or experienced just last week.
Managing your mental health doesn’t have to be a solo mission
Grief counseling is a specialized kind of therapy that’s ideal in dealing with a specialized kind of emotional trauma. A grief counselor can help you, or someone you care about, navigate through the distressing seasons of life and offer a judgement-free platform to unpack your emotions. As you work through the grieving process, you may feel a revived sense of freedom in being able to open up and share freely and candidly. These sessions are also often the springboard from which to explore avenues of self-development and coping strategies that you can test first-hand.
Grief wears many masks
Grief counseling may look like an intense crying session, a loud and unfiltered monologue of expletives, a quiet and contemplative exploration of hard questions or even the bravery to dig deep for answers within yourself. Grief counselors allow you to go through the motions in whatever way feels most natural to you. Your experience is exactly that — yours — so you’ll be in charge heading into a safe, constructive environment where you call the shots and set the pace.
Why counseling may be for you
Counseling is not for everyone. Many people are lucky enough to be able to use ongoing, proactive coping tools to deal with grief alone. Other people can be left feeling lonely and require additional support. You may only need support from time to time or on a consistent basis that becomes part of your regular weekly schedule. If the simple idea of leaving the house for an appointment is concerning you can chat to someone online from the safety and comfort of your couch.
Talking to a trained peer counselor about your sadness, anger, denial, or depression can give you a new perspective on the grief you’ve been internalising. Once you’ve done that you may also find that what follows is a boost of empathy, a sense of stability and sincere support from someone who’s worked hard to earn your trust.
