Grief & Loss
Understanding Grief & Loss
What Is Grief and Loss?
Grief is the emotional response we experience when we lose someone, something, or a way of life that is meaningful to us. While grief is often associated with the death of a loved one, loss can take many forms.
You may experience grief after:
The death of a loved one, friend, or pet
Divorce, separation, or the end of a relationship
A friendship ending
A child leaving home or going away to college
A significant life transition
Losing a job or career
Moving away from a familiar home or community
Changes in health, independence, or abilities
A change in family roles or relationships
Unfulfilled hopes, dreams, or expectations
Losing a sense of identity, security, or the life you once imagined
Grief can affect your emotions, thoughts, body, relationships, and everyday functioning. You may experience sadness, anger, guilt, loneliness, confusion, anxiety, numbness, exhaustion, or difficulty concentrating. You may have days when you feel okay followed by days when the loss feels overwhelming again.
There is no single “right” way to grieve, and grief does not follow a predictable timeline. Healing does not mean forgetting the person, relationship, or life you lost. Instead, it can mean learning how to carry the loss while gradually creating space for life to continue.
Grief is not something you have to rush through. It is something you learn to move through.
How Can Therapy Help With Grief and Loss?
Therapy can provide a safe, compassionate space where you can process your loss without being told that you should be “over it” or that you need to move on.
You don't have to navigate grief alone.
In Therapy, You May Learn To:
Process Your Emotions
Give yourself permission to experience sadness, anger, guilt, relief, confusion, or other emotions that may arise.
Make Sense of Your Loss
Explore what the loss means to you and how it has affected your identity, relationships, routines, and sense of the future.
Work Through Difficult Feelings
Address feelings such as guilt, regret, anger, helplessness, or unresolved emotions surrounding the loss.
Learn to Cope With Triggers
Develop strategies for handling anniversaries, holidays, reminders, memories, or situations that unexpectedly bring up intense emotions.
Adjust to Life After Loss
Work through the changes that come with no longer having the person, relationship, role, routine, or life you once knew.
Honor What Was Lost
Explore meaningful ways to remember, honor, or maintain a healthy connection to what or who you have lost.
Rebuild Your Support System
Identify sources of connection and support while learning how to communicate your needs to others.
Rediscover Yourself
Explore who you are becoming as you adjust to life after your loss and begin creating a meaningful future.
Therapy Can Help You Move From:
“I don't know how I'm supposed to live with this.”
“I can learn how to carry this loss while continuing to live.”
“I should be over this by now.”
“There is no specific timeline for my grief.”
“I feel like I've lost part of myself.”
→ “I can begin discovering who I am in this new chapter.”
“I don't know how to move forward without forgetting what I lost.”
→ “Moving forward doesn't mean leaving the past behind.”
The Goal of Therapy
The goal of grief therapy is not to erase your grief or make you forget what you have lost. It is to help you process the loss, understand your emotions, develop healthy coping strategies, and gradually adjust to life as it is now.
Healing does not mean that you stop missing someone or that the loss no longer matters. It can mean that, over time, the pain becomes something you can carry while still making room for connection, meaning, joy, and hope.
You don't have to go through grief alone. Therapy can provide a safe place to grieve, heal, remember, and find your way forward.