Grief and Bereavement Therapy in Kennesaw, GA—Cobb Therapists and Counselors
Losing a loved one can be earth-shattering. In an instant, life can be turned upside down. The pain can be overwhelming, and when people feel such intense emotions, they can also feel isolated—alone in their sorrow. That was Karen’s experience. She lost a child during a horrible accident. One moment she was a mother, with friends who were mothers and a loving child who was her pride and joy. The next moment, she lost it all. Of course, her friends love her and do their best to be supportive, but it’s not the same. Not only has Karen lost her child, but her relationships have changed in the process. Isolated and lonely, Karen wants more support but does not know what to do next.
Karen, like many people, is experiencing deep grief. People feel grief as a natural response to loss of something or someone they love. The pain of grief is often complex and overwhelming, and many people reach out for therapy to manage their bereavement. Everyone has or will experience grief, but each person processes their loss uniquely. The therapists at Thriveworks Kennesaw in Cobb County understand. We also understand that while grief and loss are common, so is finding healing for loss. Many people find that a compassionate grief counselor provided the support they needed to process their grief and rebuild a meaningful, new life after loss. If you are grieving, consider working with a Thriveworks Kennesaw therapist. Give us a call today.
Processing Grief
Grief is a normal reaction to any loss. Grief is often associated with death of a loved one, but the loss does not have to be death. Losing anything or anyone who is valued or loved can trigger grief. Everyone will experience such a loss at some point in life. Grief does not discriminate. Some situations that may trigger grief may include …
- Chronic health problems or pain
- Death of a beloved pet
- Divorce or break-up
- A disability (permanent or temporary)
- Moving
- Death of a family member, friend, or other loved one
- Loss of independence (especially with age)
- Loss of a job
- A natural disaster
Myths about Loss and Bereavement
Unfortunately, many well-intentioned people offer unhelpful (and maybe even unsolicited) advice about how to heal. Of course, these friends and family members only want to help, but for someone struggling with grief, these myths can be deeply painful.
- “The pain will go away with time.” While healing takes time, it also takes effort and, often, the guidance of a grief counselor. Denying or minimizing grief may feel good for a while, but grief always returns unless it is processed. Finding support sooner rather than later is usually a good choice.
- “Try to work through the grief as quickly as possible.” Grief therapy is not like pulling off a band-aid: the quicker you pull it off, the better. Healing from a loss takes time. Everyone heals at their own pace, but often, processing a loss can take a season of intentional effort and then a lifetime of acceptance. Rushing the process is not usually helpful.
- “You can just get over it.” Nobody “just gets over” bereavement. The only way to move past grief is to move through it. Friends and family can be wonderful support during a loss, but a trained grief counselor has extensive experience helping people go through grief in a healthy way.
How Can Grief Therapy Help?
Unhelpful advice and myths about grief abound, but what does effective grief therapy look like? Grief therapy aims for understanding and acceptance. The feelings that come with grief are often complex, and grief therapy can help people understand those feelings and accept them. While Thriveworks grief therapists formulate a treatment plan for each client’s unique needs, they generally aim for two goals:
- Processing the past: Before moving forward, people first need to take a step back, looking at what was lost and how it has affected them. This may include coming to terms with the difficult emotions grief can stir— anger, sadness, regret, depression, relief, and more. Thriveworks Kennesaw, GA grief therapists in Cobb County often shepherd their clients as they process their loss in a healthy way.
- Rebuilding the future: Processing the past often helps people accept a loss’ finality and then make necessary adjustments for the future. But for many bereaved, rebuilding after loss scares them. Thriveworks grief counselors understand and have navigated this fear with many clients.
Grief therapy is not a quick-fix, but many people are glad they worked with an experienced and caring Thriveworks counselor as they walked through one of life’s toughest trials.
Scheduling a Grief Therapy Appointment at Thriveworks Kennesaw in Cobb County
Are you ready for a kind and experienced therapist to help you process a loss? Are you looking for Cobb counseling for grief? Thriveworks Kennesaw grief counselors have available appointments and are ready to support you.
Grief often makes people feel isolated, so reaching out can be an important step in healing. But we know that nothing is easy when you are grieving. We tried to make scheduling an appointment for grief therapy as easy as possible. When clients call our office, they speak to person (not an automated response or voicemail), and we often schedule appointments for the following day. Our grief therapists also make weekend and evening appointments available, and we accept many insurance providers. Are you ready to process the loss and starting building toward your future? If you are ready, our grief therapists are ready too.
