Grief, loss, and bereavement graphic with two chairs overlooking a peaceful lake beside a candle, flowers, and mug, symbolizing remembrance, absence, connection, and healing.

Understanding Grief

Grief is a natural response to loss, but that does not mean it is easy.

Some losses are expected. Others are sudden, traumatic, or deeply disruptive. Grief may affect emotions, sleep, concentration, relationships, identity, routines, physical health, and your sense of what life is supposed to look like.

There is no single “right” way to grieve and no universal timeline for when someone should feel better.

How Grief Can Show Up

Grief can affect people emotionally, physically, cognitively, and socially.

Some experiences may include:

Sadness or crying
Anger
Guilt or regret
Numbness
Relief
Anxiety
Difficulty concentrating
Sleep changes
Changes in appetite
Fatigue
Feeling disconnected from other people
Avoiding reminders
Wanting to stay close to reminders
Waves of emotion that seem to come unexpectedly
Feeling that life has lost meaning or direction

Grief is rarely one emotion.

Grief Is Not Only About Death

Bereavement specifically refers to grief following a death, but people can experience grief after many kinds of loss.

This may include:

Death of a loved one
Death of a pet
Miscarriage or pregnancy loss
Divorce or separation
Loss of a friendship
Job loss or retirement
Changes in health or physical ability
Caregiving-related losses
Infertility
Estrangement from family
Moving away from a meaningful place or community
Loss of identity or role
Recovery-related losses
The loss of a future you expected to have

Sometimes a loss may not be fully recognized or understood by other people, which can make grief feel even more isolating.

There Is No Correct Timeline

Grief does not move neatly through a set of stages.

You may be familiar with the idea of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

These can be useful words for describing some grief experiences, but they are not a checklist, a fixed order, or a timeline everyone follows.

You may move in and out of different emotions, experience several at once, or not relate to some of the stages at all.

Anniversaries, holidays, familiar places, music, milestones, or seemingly small reminders can bring emotions back unexpectedly.

That does not necessarily mean you are “going backward.” Grief often changes over time rather than simply ending.

Grief & Depression Are

Not the Same

Grief and depression can overlap, but they are not identical.

Grief often comes in waves and remains connected to the loss. A person may still experience moments of connection, humor, or pleasure even while grieving.

Depression may involve more persistent hopelessness, loss of interest, worthlessness, low motivation, or difficulty experiencing pleasure across many areas of life.

Sometimes grief and depression occur together.

Therapy can help sort through what you are experiencing and identify whether additional support may be needed.

When Grief Feels

Stuck or Overwhelming

For some people, grief remains intense and disruptive for a long period of time.

You may feel unable to reconnect with life, experience persistent longing or preoccupation with the loss, avoid reminders entirely, or feel that part of your identity disappeared with the person or role you lost.

Therapy can help create space for the grief while also supporting movement toward a life that can include both the loss and continued connection to what matters.

Grief may overlap with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, sleep problems, burnout, relationship concerns, or emotional regulation difficulties.

A significant loss can also reactivate older losses or unresolved experiences.

Therapy can help look at the whole picture and identify what support is most needed.

Grief, Loss & Mental Health

How Therapy Can Help

Therapy for grief and loss may include work around:

Making sense of the loss
Processing difficult emotions
Addressing guilt or unfinished feelings
Adjusting to changes in identity or roles
Coping with anniversaries or reminders
Improving sleep and daily functioning
Managing anxiety or depression related to the loss
Navigating changes in relationships
Finding ways to maintain meaningful connection or memory
Rebuilding routines
Clarifying what matters moving forward
Making room for both grief and moments of joy
Processing and normalizing the stages of grief

What Therapy With Me
May Look Like

My approach to grief is person-centered, collaborative, and respectful of the fact that grief cannot be rushed.

I am not going to tell you that you should be “over it,” that everything happens for a reason, or that there is one correct way to move forward.

Some sessions may focus directly on the loss. Others may focus on the ways life has changed, relationships, identity, guilt, anger, loneliness, or what it feels like to begin moving forward while still carrying what happened.

Depending on your needs, I may incorporate Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Gestalt techniques, psychoeducation, strengths-based approaches, and other interventions.

The goal is not to erase the grief. It is to help you live alongside it in a way that feels more manageable and meaningful over time.

DBT &
Emotional Regulation Skills

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, includes a number of practical skills that can be especially helpful for emotional regulation.

Depending on your needs, therapy may incorporate DBT-informed skills related to:

Mindfulness
Distress tolerance
Emotional regulation
Interpersonal effectiveness
Pausing before reacting
Tolerating intense emotions
Identifying what is within your control
Communicating needs more effectively

Ready to Get Started?

Ready to schedule therapy?

Visit Healthstead Psychiatry for scheduling, availability, and insurance information.

Not sure yet?

Contact me for a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to see whether we may be a good fit.