Understanding Grief
For many people the death of a loved one can be one of the most significant traumas encountered in a lifetime. Bereavement groups can help you recognize your feelings and put them into perspective. They can alleviate feelings of loneliness and the experience of sharing with others, who are in a similar situation, can be comforting and reassuring. Sometimes new friendships grow through these groups and new social networks can be established. If you find you are in great distress or in long-term depression, individual or group therapy from a counselor who specializes in grief may be advisable.
Many people discover there is hope after death. Death takes away, but grief can give back. It is possible to recover from grief with new strengths and new directions. By acting on our grief, you may eventually find peace and purpose.
Grief therapy can be beneficial when an individual has more complicated grief reactions. Complications may occur if grief from previous losses resurfaces. Grief therapy addresses what is interfering with the grieving process, identifies unfinished business with the deceased and other losses that result from death. The goal of grief therapy is to identify and resolve the conflicts of separation that interfere with the ability to mourn the loss. Grief therapy is not designed to help you “forget” the loss.
