Grief Counseling in the Brainerd Lakes Area
The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.
~ Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Grief is normal. Grief is healthy. But, it doesn’t feel very good. Every person who suffers loss will need to grieve. Some may try to push it off as long as they can, but, in reality, we all need to grieve in the midst of loss. Grief is what helps us heal.
Types of Grief
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Normal Grief
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Anticipatory Grief
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Acute Grief
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Disenfranchised Grief
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Complicated Grief
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Chronic Grief
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Delayed Grief
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Exaggerated Grief
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Masked Grief
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Treatment for Grief
Therapy for grief and loss is all about helping you honor your loss and make room for new experiences.
Whether you’re mourning a loss after the end of someone’s life or you’re dealing with other types of loss, therapy may be a beneficial way of processing your grief and starting to move forward. Grief and mourning are completely natural following a loss of any kind, and recognizing and accepting the validity of this response is very important. However, when grief starts to limit or impede your ability to live a fulfilling life, therapy can help you find ways to cope with and honor the emotions you’re experiencing while, making room for you to start feeling better and moving forward. Therapy can help those struggling with grief to:
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Overcome feelings of guilt related to “moving on” after loss
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Identify the ways that grief is impacting their current relationships
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Understand how grief and bereavement may change the way they connect with others moving forward (some people keep people at arm’s length, others may cling too tightly)
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Recognize and embrace their grief by making time to mourn (talking about your loss, celebrating the joy you experienced, and looking forward to new opportunities)
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Accept change and plan for a hopeful future
Therapy to help you tackle struggles related to grief and loss often begins with simply giving you a dedicated space to discuss what you’ve lost and how it’s impacting your life. As you continue to increase your self-awareness about the way that grief is impacting you, Nicole will help you develop skills to cope with the effects of grief, so you can move forward and find greater joy and satisfaction in your life.