Grief Counseling in South Tampa

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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 loss

Grief 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:

• Death of a loved one (family, friend, or pet)
• Loss of a relationship (divorce or end of close friendship)
• Loss of a job (termination or retirement)
• Loss of financial status, an important role or freedom
• Illness

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 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, eat well, stick to a schedule, plan your days, and stay active. 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.

The stages are not linear and not everyone experiences all five stages. This 5-stage model is meant to help normalize the grieving process and educate individuals that you have to let yourself feel your way through your grief. ​Practicing mindfulness can be helpful in dealing with the pain. Go to my mindfulness page to learn more and experience some short guided meditations. 

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 book your appointment now to begin to heal.

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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, for a modest donation 
• The Grief Recovery Handbook - Book of 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

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"Grief can be the garden of compassion.
If you keep your heart open through everything,
your pain can become your greatest ally
​in your life's search for love and wisdom."
Rumi