Grief Counselling, What Is It?

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Grief is a universal human emotion that affects everyone at some point.

Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a significant life transition, grief can be a challenging and emotionally draining experience.

Although grief is a natural part of life, it can be overwhelming and alienating to deal with it on your own.

This is where grief counselling comes in.

Grief counselling is designed to help individuals process their emotions, navigate the grieving phase, and experience healing and well-being.

We will share what grief counselling is and the techniques and types of therapy used in grief counselling.

What is Grief Counselling?

Grief counselling, often known as bereavement counselling, is a type of therapy intended to help people deal with the physical, psychological and emotional impacts of losing a loved one or something significant in their lives.

It offers a safe and confidential space for individuals to express their feelings, work on their grief and learn to cope with their emotions. Grief counselling can take many forms depending on the individual needs and preferences.

Overall, grief counselling aims to help individuals navigate the intense emotions and challenges of the loss and help them find peace and closure through it.

Even though grief is a highly personal and individual experience, seeking support in a therapeutic setting can be an essential step in fostering healing and well-being.

Types of Grief Counselling

Grief counselling aids people of all ages process the feelings and emotions related to the loss.

However, if your grief is intense and unmanageable, it can also be connected with past trauma or other individual issues that have been re-triggered along with the grief.

Grief Therapy

The most common type of grief counselling entails talking to a trained therapist about the loss and its impact and addressing the behavioural and physical problems related to the aftermath of loss. The therapist helps you develop coping skills and lets you vent the emotions that accompany the loss.

Complex Grief Therapy

A specialised form of therapy intended to help individuals struggling with severe and long-lasting effects of grief. This may involve talk therapy, behavioural therapy, medication and other trauma-focused interventions.

Traumatic Grief Therapy

They are designed to assist individuals in resolving intense emotions and psychological discomfort brought on by unexpected, traumatic, or sudden loss. This may involve talk therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, EMDR, Brainspotting, and Schema Therapy.

Techniques in Grief Counselling

Various techniques are used in grief counselling to help individuals process their emotions and cope with their loss. Here are some standard methods used:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): A form of psychotherapy that emphasises acceptance of negative feelings and emotions so that you can begin focusing on living a meaningful life despite those emotions.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A form of psychotherapy that involves identifying and changing negative thought patterns that may be contributing to emotional distress.
• Eye Movement Desensitisation (EMDR): A form of therapy that helps people process traumatic experiences and it’s emotional impact using eye movements and other related techniques.
• Schema Therapy: A form of therapy that aims to spot and change deeply rooted patterns of behavior and cognition contributing to emotional distress.
• Brainspotting treatment: A type of treatment that uses the body’s physical sensations and focal points to help individuals process and let go of emotional trauma.

Benefits of Grief Counselling

Seeking support from a grief counsellor can have many benefits for individuals who are struggling with grief. Here are a few benefits:

• Reduces depression and anxiety: Grief counselling helps reduce depression and anxiety symptoms, particularly those associated with feelings of sadness, guilt, and excessive worry.
• A safe space to process emotions: It offers a non-judgmental and supportive space to express feelings and to work through grief without feeling guilty.
• Support and Guidance during difficult times: It provides a qualified professional who offers support, guidance and practical advice to help you overcome the intense and overwhelming emotions of loss.
• Helps develop coping mechanisms: Grief Counselling offers tools and strategies to help people manage grief and adjust to the new reality.
• Regain the purpose of life: Grief Counselling helps individuals regain their sense of control and purpose through working on grief.

It’s important to remember that grief is a natural process. Everyone’s journey is different, and taking support from a grief counsellor is a personal decision but one that can have a significant impact on your ability to function while experiencing a loss.

You’re not alone if you’re going through the grieving phase. Seeking support is a courageous and essential step in the healing process and moving formore adaptively.

It’s important to remember that healing from grief is not about forgetting the loss you have experienced but about learning to live with themore adaptively.

We at Incontact aim to support you in your journey of healing from grief by giving you the best counsellor support possible.

Please book an appointment with us today by heading to our website to get the support of our best counsellors.