Grief Counseling in South Tampa
How will I go on?Your heart hurts and your life has completely turned upside down and, at times, it's hard to even breathe. You feel broken. Alone. And maybe even guilt. You may be wondering if the pain will ever go away.
Understanding grief and lossGrief is the personal experience of loss and it affects everyone at some point in their life. Loss is a wound and can be caused by a number of life changes:
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During grief, it is normal to experience a wide range of emotions which may include sadness, anger, loneliness, confusion, fear, and sometimes even relief. The feelings may become overwhelming; maybe you aren't able to function or perform normal daily tasks.
How to heal from grief and loss
There is only one important rule: As long as you are not harming yourself or others, everything you do, feel and think is normal!
Everyone copes with loss differently and there is no right or wrong way to grieve. It's best to first focus on taking good care of yourself. You need plenty of rest, good sleep, and to eat well. Seek comfort from safe supportive people. And above all, be gentle with yourself, you have experienced a deep emotional wound.
Healing can occur in stages. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross proposed the concept of the five stages of grief:
- Denial - Unable to believe the reality of the loss.
- Anger - Wanting to blame somebody (including yourself) or something, having thoughts like "this isn't fair!" and "what did I do wrong?"
- Bargaining - Hope that you can somehow avoid the cause of grief with a promise to compromise or change.
- Depression - Feeling sad, discouraged, and/or hopeless.
- Acceptance - Being able to remember with love rather than pain.
It can help to work with a trained professional counselor to guide and support you on your path to healing.
Take the next step....
Learn more about me or call8139069660 now to begin to heal.
Grief and loss resources
- WebMD overview of grief and loss - Additional information on grief and loss
- The Life Center - Local grief and loss support groups
- The Grief Recovery Handbook - Book on grief and loss
- Dark Nights of the Soul: A Guide to Finding Your Way Through Life's Ordeals - Book on grief and loss
- When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times - Book on grief and loss
- Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying - Book on the dying
- Self-Guided Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction - Self-guided course on learning mindfulness