Are You Worried That Your Pain, Sadness or Loneliness Won’t Ever End?
Have you lost someone or something significant in your life, such as a partner, career, pet, or financial stability? Do you feel guilty or have regrets about the loss, believing you didn’t say or do everything that you should have? Are you overwhelmed or consumed by heartache and emotional pain as you try to cope with the changes in your life? You may feel physically heavy and weighed down by grief, maybe to the point that you are unable to sleep at night or stay focused in your work. You may worry that unresolved feelings of sadness and guilt or difficulty sleeping might lead to depression and prolong the grieving process. Do you wish you could discuss who or what you have lost, and regain joy and a sense of meaning in your life?
Following a significant loss, it’s not uncommon to cry or become angry with little or no provocation. You may feel overwhelmed with regret or experience uncomfortable mixed emotions, such as anger, sadness, and loneliness. Perhaps you have withdrawn from friends, family, and regular activities that you use to enjoy. You may notice that you have become less effective at work or at home as you struggle to concentrate on daily tasks. As you try to manage painful emotions and physical symptoms, such as restlessness, fatigue, body aches, and changes in your eating and sleeping patterns, family, friends, and colleagues may become frustrated, expressing that what you’re feeling isn’t normal and you need to “just get over it.” But, there is no set timetable for grief, and everyone grieves differently. Your struggle to find someone who understands what you’re going through can leave you feeling confused and isolated at a time when you need support. You may begin to wonder if you’ll ever recover from your sadness and feel like your old self again.
Grief And Loss Are A Normal Part Of Life
We all know that death and loss are parts of life, but our hearts still ache when we lose someone, or something that we care for, or wanted in life. When we grieve, our intellectual understanding of death and transition are pushed aside and replaced with overwhelming raw emotions, such as hurt, anger, loneliness, and regret. Grief is a very normal human experience, and while there are many common reactions to loss, we all go through the grieving process for different reasons and in our own way. However, we have been socialized to believe that a prolonged emotional and physical response to grief is not normal or natural, and that we should move through it as quickly as possible.
The truth is that the grieving process will take as long as it needs for you to recover from the loss in your life. With professional grief counselling at InnerPath Psychology, you can honour what or who you lost, learn to understand and cope with emotions while regaining a sense of control in your life.
You Can Learn How To Manage Difficult Emotions With Grief Counselling
Grief counselling can help you cope with the loss you have experienced and move through the grieving process in a healthy manner. In addition to learning how to manage difficult emotions and physical symptoms, you can identify steps you can take to begin rebuilding your life. At InnerPath Psychology, I provide compassion, and understanding while you work through grief and loss. When you feel comfortable expressing mixed emotions, regrets, and heartache about your experience, the intensity and frequency of your pain can be reduced.
Since everyone’s grief experience is unique, I tailor grief counselling sessions to meet your specific experience, history, personality, and needs. While many therapists use the Kübler-Ross model, which breaks down grief into five clear stages (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance), I understand that everyone copes with grief in their own way. Rather than force you to grieve in the same way others have, I work with you to understand your own grief response. With the right environment and support, you can come to terms with the loss and learn the tools you need to cope with lingering emotional pain.
I have been helping clients for over ten years, and I have seen how effective grief counselling is in helping individuals cope with pain, sadness, anger, fear, and loneliness. When you feel safe and supported in grief counselling, you can express difficult or mixed feelings and take steps to effectively resolve your grief. If you feel overwhelmed by the ebb and flow of painful emotions and physical symptoms following a loss, grief counselling can help you move forward and feel like yourself again.
You may still have questions or concerns about grief counselling…
I don’t think I can talk about the loss without crying.
Clients are often hesitant to start grief counselling for fear they might “fall apart.” Talking about your loss may bring up an emotional response that you are uncomfortable with, and you may try to contain your feelings to avoid having to cope with your loss. Releasing the emotions that you are holding onto is an important part of the healing process, and I provide you with a safe place to express yourself.
Other people go through grieving without help.
It is true that some individuals are able to work through grief within their own support system. However, many individuals struggle to process grief. Some people find their support system is either lacking, or not available, or not supportive, or they just feel their support system is tired of hearing about their loss. While others may experience no change or a worsening of their grief symptoms. Also, some people try to avoid grief, but putting pain and grief to the side doesn’t mean you have gotten over it, you may be delaying difficult and often conflicting emotions that are a normal part of grieving and it has a way of showing up later in life. With professional grief counselling, you can gain the resources and support you need to process grief and move forward in your life.
I just need to give myself more time to grieve.
Despite what the quotes say, time does not heal all wounds. Avoiding your grief can delay the process, and it is important to work through your feelings when the time is right for you. Your grieving process will take as long as it needs to take; however that doesn’t mean you need to suffer alone during that time. With professional grief counselling, you can learn the tools and strategies you need to help you through the grieving process and feel more like yourself again.
You Can Work Through And Recover From Your Grief
If you are overwhelmed by the intense emotions and physical symptoms of grief and need relief, or if you have additional questions about grief counselling, I encourage you to contact me or call 902-719-6939 at my Hantsport office.
