Grief and Bereavement

Grief and Bereavement can be difficult to navigate. Saying good-bye is difficult when you know you're going to see someone again, and then becomes seemingly impossible when it is a permanent good-bye such as the death of a loved one or a cherished pet.

Grief and Bereavement are often paired together but are not necessarily the same emotion. We can experience grief without bereavement, but we seldom experience bereavement without grief.

Too often, we deny ourselves appropriate grieving and bereavement time and we halt the process prematurely. Many times this is due to other obligations that we convince ourselves are more important than taking appropriate time to process and grieve. This then causes our grief to hit pause until it can no longer be ignored. Unresolved grief manifests itself in so many ways in our lives. Increased anxiety, substance use, difficulty maintaining relationships, sleep disorders, concentration and memory issues, the list goes on. Many times, we seek out the services of a therapist for these surface issues that are directly related to our unresolved grief.

How do you know when therapy is the best option for you?

Therapy is recommended if you find yourself unable to resolve your feelings of grief and bereavement on your own or if your related behaviors are causing problems in your life. If you find that you're struggling to connect to people, losing employment, or developing addiction or substance use issues, it may be time to look for a good therapist to assist you.

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