Feelings of grief and loss are not always associated with death of a loved one. They can occur because of the end of a relationship, loss of a pet, loss of a job, physical losses due to injury or illness, or as a result of normal life transitions such as the end of a career due to retirement.
When a person loses someone or something valuable to them, feelings of grief can be overbearing. Grief can leave a person feeling sad, hopeless, isolated, irritable, and numb by affecting them mentally, emotionally, and physically.
It is important to understand that healing from grief is a process and everyone copes with this loss differently. Psychotherapy can provide a safe place to talk about feelings and share memories in one's own time and in ways unique to the individual.
Psychotherapy can also help people to:
- Understand the grief process
- Process emotions in a healthy way
- Manage symptoms appropriately
- Identify emotional, psychological, and social roadblocks to moving through grief
- Adapt to life after loss
- Establish new life goals