san diego grief counseling

2

Click here to load reader

Upload: jan-rakoff

Post on 14-Apr-2017

369 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: San Diego Grief Counseling

San Diego Grief Counseling

Have you recently lost a loved one? Are you dealing with major changes in your life such as theloss of a job or a divorce? These are just some common examples of life events that can triggerfeelings of grief and loss in a person. Everyone experiences grief and loss at one point oranother in their lives. How we deal with this grief, however, can differ among individuals. Forinstance, some people withdraw entirely from their family, friends, and all social situations.Others may carry on as if nothing happened, until one day something triggers their memory torelive the original loss once again. Some people laugh, some people cry, some people getangry and take their feelings out on others. Therefore, even though we all experience grief andloss throughout our lives, it is the ways in which we approach it and deal with it that make usdifferent from one another.

Grief Counseling and Loss Therapy is a form of Psychotherapy which helps individuals toconfront, cope with, and adjust to his/her recent loss and unique feelings of grief. Grief can beextremely disabling and therefore may require counseling and therapy in order to help theindividual overcome these overwhelming feelings and emotions. If you find that you are nolonger able to engage in the activities you once used to (i.e. work, school, going out with friends,etc.) then you might be suffering from feelings of grief and loss. A Grief and Loss Therapist canhelp you to express your feelings about the loss, whether they be sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety,or confusion. A Grief and Loss Therapist will ultimately help you through the process ofresolution, keeping in mind your own unique, yet natural reactions to the loss. The goal of Griefand Loss Therapy is to help you to identify and resolve the problematic psychological andemotional symptoms and consequences you are experiencing.

When a person is dealing with grief and/or loss, they may experience physical, behavioral, orpsychosomatic disturbances. Common symptoms experienced by an individual dealing with

1 / 2

Page 2: San Diego Grief Counseling

grief and loss are a lack of sleep/insomnia, changes in appetite, weight gain/weight loss,extreme fatigue, feeling disorganized or confused, feeling profound sadness and loneliness,experiencing anger and resentment, or feeling guilt and regret. Whatever your symptoms are,keep in mind that these are normal ways of dealing with grief, particularly in the early stages ofgrief and loss. The first step is often allowing yourself to accept these reactions and emotions asa part of the grieving process. It is also important to recognize that there is no right or wrongway to grieve. As stated previously, everybody grieves differently, and this is often dictated bythings such as ethnicity, religion, social norms, or upbringing. What can be learned are healthiermethods of coping with your feelings of grief and loss. Remember, grief is a natural response toloss, and therefore you have to allow yourself to experience these emotions, albeit painful andoverwhelming at times. Additionally, the grieving process takes time. For some, healing occursvery gradually, over a period of years. For others, it can be a much quicker experience (forinstance, several weeks or months). The important thing to remember is that there is no“normal” grieving timeline – everyone grieves differently and heals at different paces. Together,you and your Grief and Loss Therapist will figure out the optimal path to aid you in overcomingyour debilitating feelings of grief and loss, and subsequently get your life back on track.

Overall, grief and loss are inevitable and seemingly unavoidable events in our lives. At one pointor another, all of us will experience some form of grief and loss. We do, however, have a choicein the matter. We can choose to confront and deal with the feelings of grief, or we can choose toavoid them. Avoidance will lead to the grief resurfacing as an array of psychological problemssuch as depression, anxiety, or extreme anger. Avoidance may also lead to physical symptomssuch as fatigue and insomnia, or a weakened immune system leaving us susceptible to differentphysical illnesses. Therefore, it is obvious that there is no “easy” way around dealing with griefand loss – only a way through it. Facing grief, though difficult and mentally trying at times, willprove to benefit you in the long run, as you and your Grief and Loss Therapist venture down thejourney of healing together.

If you live in the San Diego area feel free to contact me by phone or the contact form on theright of this website for a free consultation.

Copyright ©2012 Jan Rakoff. All Rights Reserved.

San Diego Therapist and Grief Counselor

Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

2 / 2