Dealing with death or loss of a loved one can be one of the most emotionally painful and traumatizing life experiences.  Each one of us responds to loss in our own personal and unique ways and there is no standard approach to grieving.  It can certainly be overwhelming and consuming to navigate the depth of feelings of sadness, confusion, angry, loneliness hurt and fear especially at a time of significant loss.

Working with a Psychotherapist with expertise in bereavement and grief counselling can provide guidance and support to process and normalize pain of grief, validate emotional experience and see grief as an opportunity to reflect on what matters the most. Grief counselling appointments are available with a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker either in-person at our west Toronto location, virtually, or by phone.

What is Grief?

Grief is a natural response to loss. Many people associate grief with the death of a loved one or pet. However, grief is also experienced after the loss of a job or the end of a relationship. In some cases grief may come with a sense of relief following a loss, especially where a loved one had been terminally ill for an extended period of time, providing a sense of peace.

Many people experience difference qualities around their grief, such as:

• Wanting to maintain assumptions about the world before the loss,
• Adjusting to the new reality and
• Incorporating this new reality into a new assumptive world.

What is the difference between Grief Counselling and Bereavement Counselling?

Grief describes the response to loss. This could be the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the loss of a relationship. Whereas Bereavement is grief involving the death of a loved one.

Is there a proper way to grieve?

There is no right way to grieve and people grieve differently. Grief can be a universal or individual experience. Grief can also be complicated. People tend to grieve according to two different patterns which are called instrumental and intuitive grieving styles.

Whether one is more attuned to his/her thoughts or feelings determines if one is an instrumental or intuitive griever.

•  Intuitive Grieving
  Intuitive grieving involves experiencing grief through strong emotions and expressing those emotions and seeking support from others.
  
• Instrumental Grieving
  Instrumental grieving is defined as grief that is experienced physically and expressed through activity or thoughts. They channel grief energy into activity. Such as memorializing the person in some way, solving problems related to the loss, or exercise. Grief is experienced as augmented energy like restlessness or nervousness.
  
• Blended Grieving
  Most people are a third style called “Blended” grievers who utilize both strategies to one extent or another.

Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Grief Counselling

Seeking help with a trained Psychotherapist for grief / bereavement counselling is beneficial for people trying to recover and adjust to a death or diagnosis of a terminal illness.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is proven to be a successful approach towards grief recovery. CBT for grief works by helping you become aware of your negative thought patterns. These patterns can lead to behaviours that make it difficult to process grief. During CBT sessions, a therapist might ask you to discuss what you’re thinking about or feeling in terms of your grief.

CBT can also include steps to help support you through the grieving process. Including an assessment and screening for symptoms, psycho-education, and Loss history. As well as, completing tasks of mourning, engaging in Cognitive and Behavioural Restructuring and relapse prevention.

Many of our Psychotherapists at Ohana Wellness Clinic have experience providing grief counselling.