Grief and Loss

Navigating Loss

Grief is the natural response to losing someone or something significant - a loved one, a relationship, a job, health, or a hoped-for future. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, and no timeline that everyone should follow. Yet grief can sometimes feel overwhelming, isolating, or stuck in ways that make support helpful.

The Many Faces of Grief

Grief touches every part of us and can show up in unexpected ways:

Emotionally - Sadness, anger, guilt, relief, numbness, or waves of intense longing that arrive without warning

Physically - Fatigue, difficulty sleeping, appetite changes, a heavy feeling in your body, or physical aches

In your thinking - Difficulty concentrating, confusion, preoccupation with the person or what was lost, questioning beliefs you once held

In daily life - Withdrawal from others, difficulty returning to routines, loss of motivation, or a sense that life has lost its meaning

Different Kinds of Grief

Grief takes many forms beyond the loss of a loved one:

Anticipatory grief - Beginning to grieve before a loss occurs, often when someone has a terminal diagnosis

Complicated grief - When grief remains intense and unresolved long after the loss, interfering with daily functioning

Disenfranchised grief - Losses that aren’t widely acknowledged or validated - the death of a pet, a miscarriage, the end of a friendship, or losses connected to estrangement

Cumulative loss - Multiple losses occurring close together, leaving little time to process each one

How Therapy Can Help

Grief doesn’t have a cure - it’s something we learn to carry. But therapy can help you:

• Process the loss at your own pace, in a space that holds your grief without rushing you through it
• Understand the complicated feelings that often accompany loss, including guilt, anger, and relief
• Find ways to maintain a connection to what you’ve lost while also moving forward
• Navigate changed relationships and the practical challenges that follow loss
• Address complicated grief that feels stuck or overwhelming

Our approach is gentle and follows your lead. There’s no pressure to “move on” before you’re ready, and no judgement about how you’re coping.

When to Seek Support

Some people benefit from support soon after a loss, while others come to therapy months or years later when grief resurfaces or proves harder to bear than expected. There’s no wrong time to ask for help.

Contact us to talk about what you’re going through.

Related Reading

• Grief Is Not Linear: Understanding Loss and Finding Support - Why grief doesn’t follow a predictable path
• Coping with Grief and Loss - What you might experience and how therapy can help