Woodbridge, VA Grief Counseling—Bereavement, Loss, and Mourning Therapy
Sandra’s mother died unexpectedly a while ago, and Sandra’s world changed instantaneously. Sandra and her mom were close, and Sandra would give anything to have one more conversation with her. Instead, Sandra is having a hard time focusing at work and wakes up for long stretches each night. Her family and coworkers have been kind to Sandra, but she talks about her mother endlessly. Sandra repeats the same stories, and her loved ones are starting to worry about her. Sandra knows she isn’t doing well, but she doesn’t know how to stop rehearsing what she would do with her mom if she had the chance.
Have you ever experienced anything like Sandra is going through? Chances are, you have. Sandra is going through grief, a normal reaction to bereavement. Sandra lost her mother, but people experience grief during or after the loss of anything or anyone they love or value. Maybe you can’t relate to Sandra, but maybe you can relate to Charles.
Charles lost his job. After working for the same company and having the same coworkers for years, he was laid off. Charles misses his coworkers and spending his time doing a meaningful and fulfilling job. He found another job fairly quickly, but Charles is underemployed. He doesn’t know what to do next, whether to keep looking for a job like he had or whether to just hold on until retirement. Every time he thinks about the future, Charles feels so angry—angrier than he has ever felt in his life.
Every human being, at some point in life, will lose someone or something beloved to them. Loss, bereavement, and grief are all normal experiences, but sadly, they are also some of life’s most painful. Grief can also be a bizarre experience, stirring up many differing feelings, even contradictory ones. A lot of people have found the help they needed to navigate their grief and rebuild a bright future through grief counseling.
Thriveworks Woodbridge, VA’s grief counselors have shepherded many people as they mourn a significant loss, providing compassionate care during a dark time. Rebuilding a happy future after loss is a challenge, but it is possible and worth the effort. We get it. Thriveworks Woodbridge grief therapists have helped many clients reclaim their happiness.
Grief: A Common but Complex Experience
Any kind of loss can trigger grief: a divorce, a move, a natural disaster, a death—to name a few. Whatever the particular loss may be that triggers grief, bereavement, or mourning, these almost always mean that everyday life has irreversibly changed.
People commonly feel grief during or after they have lost something or someone they love. Grief may be common, but it is also a complex, even bizarre, experience at times. Grief to one person may feel like relief while to another person it feels like a crushing weight. Someone might feel sadness, sorrow, or depression during grief while someone else might feel white, hot anger. Curiously, people may even feel these seemingly contradictory emotions within their own grief cycle.
Everyone’s grieving process is unique. There are no right or wrong things to feel after a loss. Many people feel one or more of these emotions as they mourn …
- Regret
- Sorrow
- Helplessness
- Impatience
- Anger
- Loneliness
- Apathy
- Exhaustion
- Shock
- Relief
- Guilt
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Restlessness
- Yearning
It is understandable that so many people seek help as they grieve. Navigating all of these emotions is often easier with a grief counselor’s guidance.
What Happens during Grief Counseling?
Mourning. Bereavement. Loss. Grief. These may be the most painful curve balls life can throw at people. In the midst of loss, people often have a hard time understanding what is even happening with their lives. During grief, people frequently ask themselves, What was I thinking? Where in the world did that reaction/choice/thought come from? That’s not me!
Grief therapy has helped many people understand what they feel, why they feel it, and how these emotions may be driving their behavior. Armed with this knowledge, many people are able to made healthy choices to process their grief and rebuild a fulfilling future.
Thriveworks Woodbridge, VA’s grief counselors tailor their treatment to each, individual client, but generally speaking, grief therapy has two goals.
- Processing the Pain: The finality of loss often unleashes deep pain. Processing the pain means working through grief’s varied emotions—naming them and understanding why they have arisen. Grief counselors can help their patients walk through these feelings and resolve or commemorate the loss in a meaningful way.
- Planning for the future: After people have processed the pain of a loss, they are often ready to think about the future and make plans. Usually, moving forward involves making room for new—new relationships, new routines, new locations, and more. While planning for the future is often a scary process, people often also find new happiness and a new, fulfilling life.
Scheduling an Appointment for Grief Counseling
The counselors at Thriveworks Woodbridge, VA understand that reaching out for help during a painful loss is difficult, but we also know that sometimes, it is the first step toward healing.
Appointments for grief therapy are available, and we have tried to make scheduling your session as hassle free as possible. When you call our office,
- a person will answer.
- we may be able to schedule your appointment for the next day.
- you will not be put on a waitlist.
- we accept many insurance providers.
Are you experiencing a loss? Would you like support as you mourn? The caring professionals at Thriveworks Woodbridge are ready to help.
