Bereavement counseling can help you work through difficult emotions in a safe and confidential environment. Therapy focuses on accepting your new reality resulting from loss, processing any interconnected trauma, and dealing with other symptoms such as guilt and self-blame. Counseling offers a support structure where you can learn coping strategies, how to maintain your health, and the ability to function.

A qualified mental health professional applies psychotherapy techniques and therapeutic exercises to help you rebuild connections with others and develop a positive sense of self and an optimistic outlook. While it is not always necessary to start therapy, it can be a beneficial support that can help you come to terms with your loss and constructively manage the grieving process.

Many people manage the discomfort and sadness of the ‘normal’ mourning process without therapy. However, challenges in grieving that extend in duration and severity beyond the spectrum of typical bereavement responses can have detrimental effects mentally and physically. People with prolonged and complicated grief have a higher risk of mortality, suicide, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Children, adolescents, and families bereaved by sudden, traumatic death or suicide face additional challenges. Children experience grief in ways distinct from adults because their understanding varies depending on age. Grief and bereavement counseling is an effective psychological intervention for anyone not coping with bereavement. It can help families deal with the death of a child, spouse, parent, or other loss that has adversely impacted their lives.

There are bereavement counseling techniques to deal with different types of grief and loss, just as people grieve differently. Various therapeutic methods help people develop coping mechanisms when experiencing prolonged grief. Bereavement can get complicated when characterized by a persistent, unrelenting feeling of sadness. The therapist determines the best treatment approach depending on the individual’s symptoms and how their life is affected.

Counselors may also combine different treatment techniques to yield better results. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps identify destructive thought patterns and unhelpful behaviors. Acceptance and commitment therapy assist in learning to accept unfavorable feelings and use mindfulness to process sorrow and loss. Counseling offered in-person or online are highly effective ways to participate in and engage with a qualified mental health therapist.