Grief & Loss Recovery Counseling

Counseling When Losing a Parent or Loved One

The death of a loved one is not easy. Losing a parent can be incredibly painful, knocking your world off balance. It may cause a flood of emotions that change from one moment to the next, often contradicting one other. You may feel lost and like a child again, questioning your identity and role in the family. Your emotions may also include regret, guilt and anger, especially if the relationship was estranged. You may dread dying yourself. Relief is another complex emotion that may arise, especially if you looked after a parent with a life-changing illness. All of these feelings are natural.

When losing a loved one, you may experience sudden bursts of grief. Read more about this here: When Sudden Intense Waves of Grief Hit

Losing a Loved One and Your Relationships

Sometimes losing a family member can unite a family. In other cases, it can lead to tension when sibling feuds arise. Individuals grieve differently, which can cause friction when one family member wants to withdraw and others want to engage.

If you were the primary care person for an ailing parent, you might feel your role and purpose have shifted — and even if you are relieved, you still feel lost. If your other parent is still alive, you may have to deal with them moving on to another relationship.

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Coping With Loss

As you navigate your grieving process, give yourself space and time to heal. Work through your emotions and share them with people you can trust. Take care of yourself in tangible ways:

• Lean on others: Sharing your feelings is an important part of the grieving process. Take time to reach out to other family members and friends and share your feelings and memories about the deceased.
• Let yourself feel: Know that all of the emotions you’re experiencing are okay, and let yourself feel them even when it’s hard.
• Maintain your routine: Make an effort to keep up with your daily habits. Go out for a walk, enjoy hobbies, or see friends when you can. When you can’t, though, don’t be hard on yourself — it’s okay to take your time.
• Process your emotions: Find creative ways to navigate your feelings, such as journaling, listening to music, sharing with friends, or drawing — whatever helps you articulate and process what you’re feeling.

Read more about The 7 Stages of Grief →

What Is Grief?

Grief is your emotional response to losing someone or something that matters deeply to you. Whatever your loss may be, your feelings of grief are a completely normal response to what you’re going through.

Your mind and body can respond to loss with both physical and emotional pain. Some symptoms you may experience while grieving can include: