Traumatic Grief + Loss

When exploring the definition of grief, it is often easier to talk about what grief is not rather than what it is. We know that grieving is not a clean-cut, predictable experience with defined stages, clean borders, linear storylines, or set solutions. It cannot be easily measured and no two people grieve in exactly the same way.

We used to believe that there were stages to grief, but now we understand that in reality, grief takes many forms and comes in waves with both varying intensity and frequency. It can manifest as rage or boredom. You may find yourself joining a dozen groups looking for comfort, or you might shut down completely and close out all human connection. One day it feels like a tsunami of unendurable pain. The next it feels like a low-grade fever you can’t shake. You may find yourself hyper-productive to avoid the pain or in a sleep-filled coma where every waking moment is agony. It can blow all the feeling right out of you like a gust of numbness so you feel nothing at all. These are just of few of the feelings that clients have shared with us about their grief.

We understand that grief and loss are normal parts of living, and most people will not need therapy for their loss, but for some situations (particularly those where the loss was complicated or unexpected), the feelings of grief, loss, and resentment can drag on longer and be more debilitating than others. Although many associate grief with the death of a loved one, grief can be caused by the loss of anything important to you. For example, a failed relationship, loss of your job, or even loss of your health. For those experiencing the negative effects of grief and loss, we can help to clear the pain. Please contact our intake coordinator today to get more information about how we can help.