The loss of a loved one can feel like insurmountable emotional pain. Whether a spouse or a child, a parent or a sibling, as long as you had a close relationship with the departed, their death can deal a severe blow to your mental and emotional wellbeing. As a result, you lose interest in aspects of life that previously sparked joy for you such as socialising, engaging in your hobbies or even your career. Although every individual will process their grief in vastly different ways, one thing that a majority of bereaved people find helpful is grief counselling.
If you have never sought therapy before, you could have the impression that this simply involves talking about your departed loved one and the thought of this may be too painful to bear. In truth, this type of counselling offers much more than conversations with a therapist. Read on for a few reasons why grief counselling is not merely about talking.
Grief counselling provides a safe environment
The loss of a loved one is not just a painful experience. The process of grief is accompanied by a range of emotions and if you do not address them, then you will not heal from the loss. Yet, some of the emotions you feel may be challenging to confront such as anger at your departed loved one, resentment for survivors in the case of an accident and so on.
Grief counselling provides you with a safe environment to explore what the underlying reason is for these negative emotions without you having to worry about being judged or made to feel like a horrible person. A grief counsellor will not only explain to you why these emotions are normal but they will offer you much needed support to deal with them healthily.
Grief counselling provides you with healthy coping mechanisms
The loss of a loved one can take away all pleasure you previously enjoyed from life. Something as simple as listening to music can be an unbearable task, as some people do not want to hear songs that would remind them of their loved one and cause them to break down. Menial tasks such as getting out of bed or taking a shower may now seem meaningless, as the pain of grieving your loved one is too overwhelming for you to take care of yourself.
While these feelings are normal, living with them for the long term is not. Eventually, you need to get back into your daily routine for your mental health. Grief counselling is the best way to learn healthy coping mechanisms that will lessen the pain, guilt and other negative emotions associated with moving on with your life. Some of the coping mechanisms you can take up include preserving the memories of the departed loved by curating a memory box, coming up with a persona ritual and so on.
Get in touch with grief counsellor services to learn more.
Share6 January 2021
I am getting married this year to a great guy. I really want this to work out and one of the things that worry me is that I don't want the issues from my family to affect our relationship. My parents had a really traumatic relationship as my father is a heavy drinker and was often unfaithful. I often have trouble trusting my partner and I know that the reason is due to my family background and not anything that he has done. I've been going to counselling to work through my issues and I hope that you will join me on my journey.