Grief – How Grief Counseling Can Help
The expression “good grief” seems an oxymoron. Mourning doesn’t look good in the process of mourning. The expression is an expression of shock or disbelief associated with the early stages of grief.
Grief is actually a good thing, despite grief and the tragedy and heartache that accompanies it. Grief Counselling Toronto is the process of healing from a traumatic event. Traumatic events are not limited to death and can result from job loss, relocation, drug addiction, divorce, and many other circumstances. There are as many ways to heal as there are different situations that cause grief. The grieving process is not the same as any other, and there is no common, easy-to-grieve process. There is no general process, but there are countless resources available to help and encourage those who are grieving.
There are many stages in the grieving process. This stage occurs at different times for different people. Depending on the traumatic experience and the person who experienced it, the stages of the grieving process can take months or years. The stages of the grieving process are:
Denial – “This can’t happen to me.” “I can not believe it.” Denial is a protective defense that the grieving person puts around to block out the reality of the situation.
Anger – “How could this happen to me?” “Why me?” In the anger stage, one realizes that infidelity can no longer continue. Anger and jealousy can consume a grieving person.
Bargaining – “I’ll do anything…” “I’ll do whatever it takes to have more time.” A negotiation is a tool a person uses to get something back.
Depression – “Why live?” “My life will end one day, one way or another.” At this stage of the mourning process, a person feels hopeless and has no motivation to continue living.
Accept – “You can continue.” “It will be fine.” In the stage of acceptance, a person begins to understand life, reality, and truth.
Grief doesn’t have to be alone! Whether the grieving person seeks support from friends and family or seeks counseling from a therapist, grief can be a healthy part of living.
Grief counseling provides an opportunity for healing, growth, and a fresh start to a life that was once broken. Having an outside source to help you through the grieving process brings balance and hope.
