young man sitting on a couch with his hands on his face while a counsellor speaks to him about his grief

Reasons Why You Might Need Grief Counselling

young man sitting on a couch with his hands on his face while a counsellor speaks to him about his grief

It’s inevitable to experience loss at some point during our lives. The loss of a loved one is always a challenging situation to cope with.

Everyone grieves differently. While some people choose to deal with the loss on their own, others prefer to surround themselves with friends and family. Many factors shape the way you react to losing a loved one, such as your relationship with the deceased and your previous experiences with death.

After some time, many people begin coming to terms with the loss and find ways to cope with their emotions. However, some individuals may continue to struggle with their grief for a prolonged period without any improvement.

When the loss becomes too overwhelming to perform day-to-day tasks, it starts to take a significant toll on your mental health.

The grieving process has no set time, so how would you know when you need help? Consider some signs below that may indicate it’s time to seek counselling.

What is Grief Counselling and How Does it Help?

Suffering from loss and recovering is one of the hardest things we have to do in life, especially if we’re alone in the process.an older man staring blankly out a window as he grieves the loss of his wife

When people think of therapy, they imagine the TV cliché of scratching pens and uncomfortable couches. This perception couldn’t be farther than the truth, as therapy has been proven to help people with their mental health.

Grief counselling is designed to help people deal with the loss of a loved one by developing methods and strategies to help cope. While counselling won’t magically cure your depression or eliminate your grief, it can greatly help you work through the complicated stages of grief and begin the healing process.

You may have heard of the five stages of grief which include, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It’s important to understand that there is no common pathway to grieving and that everyone experiences it differently.

Signs You Should Seek Grief Counselling

It can be easy to miss the signs telling us we need to seek help after losing a loved one, especially when the signs are similar to grief symptoms.

While there is no proper mourning period, some people return to a relatively normal routine, whereas others may need more time to process the event. However, if you’re feeling as though you’ll never be able to move on or that your life has ended, it’s best to seek counselling.

Having someone congratulate you on “moving on” quickly or a little too well typically suggests that you’ve completely avoided processing your grief. This denial will cause you trouble down the line, as all your emotions have been repressed and the pain will resurface when you least expect it.

Having thoughts of hurting yourself is the type of feelings and thoughts you should never ignore and must address with a professional or someone you trust. Some people may reason that they can’t go on living without their loved ones, though many of them don’t realize that their loved ones would want them to continue living.a young woman seeking grief counselling to help deal with her emotions after a loss

Grief Counselling in Ottawa

Struggling with the loss of a loved one?

After experiencing a significant loss, it may seem like moving on is near impossible. We all need support when we lose someone we love, which is where our expert grief counsellors can help.

Get in touch with us to find out more about our counselling services and book your appointment with one of our experienced and highly sympathetic counsellors today.