Grief Therapy

“Grief is the intense emotional response to the pain of a loss. It is the reflection of a connection that has been broken. Most important, grief is an emotional, spiritual, and psychological journey to healing.

There is wonder in the power of grief. We ­don’t appreciate its healing powers, yet they are extraordinary and wondrous. It is just as amazing as the physical healing that occurs after a car accident or major surgery. Grief transforms the broken, wounded soul, a soul that no longer wants to get up in the morning, a soul that can find no reason for living, a soul that has suffered an unbelievable loss.
Grief alone has the power to heal.  Grief always works.  Grief always heals."*

The authors of this excerpt refer to grief as a gift, but if you are in the depths of it, it surely doesn't feel like anything you would want.  Grief can follow any loss, be it the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, the loss of youth, the loss of a pet, etc.  The five stages of grief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, are useful to help understand where one might be in their grief, but it is important to understand that we do not necessarily progress through these stages in a linear fashion and there is no specific timeline.  How we grieve is also influenced by cultural and personal belief systems.

Remember that grief is a healing process.  While most of us can heal from the wound created by a loss in time, some have difficulty and experience prolonged symptoms of unresolved grief.  In those cases, grief therapy can be very helpful.

*Excerpt From: Kübler-Ross, E., & Kessler, D. (2005). On grief and grieving: Finding the meaning of grief through the five stages of loss. New York: Scribner.