Loss is an inevitable part of life, but its inevitability doesn’t make it any less painful. There’s nothing so excruciating as coming to terms with the end of a relationship or the death of a relative or friend. Grief, as common as it is, can sometimes become harmful and overwhelming. When your grief is making it impossible to live a positive, meaningful life, it might be time to seek therapy.
Online grief therapy is an accessible, convenient way to get the professional counseling you need. By encouraging you to talk about your pain and look for solutions, a therapist can help you accept your loss. Eventually, you’ll be able to move past your grief and regain your former vitality.
We help you find your psychologist
Why do i feel like this?
Grief is an intense emotional state that follows a loss. There are all sorts of events that can trigger grief, from the death of a loved one to the termination of a romantic relationship. Other hardships can also be responsible, including the dissolution of a friendship, the loss of a job, and even moving away from a beloved home.
It’s completely normal to feel grief in response to a loss or hardship. A period of sadness and loneliness is to be expected when you’ve suffered a significant loss in your life. If the grief is following a typical course, you can expect to feel better eventually.
Everybody experiences grief in their own way, but there are certain stages that most people go through. The first stage is denial, during which the mind briefly refuses to accept that the loss has actually occurred. From there, you’re likely to experience a bout of anger, often at life itself but sometimes at the people around you. The next stage involves bargaining, and it’s characterized by the constant repetition of “what if” statements as you grapple with your own actions in the lead-up to the loss. This is followed by a period of depression, a stage that can feature crying, insomnia, and a lack of appetite. Finally, you should enter the acceptance phase, during which you come to terms with the loss and move your life forward.
Grief is a normal part of life, and most cases don’t require professional care. There are times, however, when grief becomes so enduring and unbearable that professional intervention is advisable. If your grief is making it impossible to return to your normal routine, a therapist might be able to help you get back on track. It’s also important to seek professional assistance if you're considering harming yourself or if self-blame is your grief’s predominant feature. Talking with a professional is the best way to sort out these issues and move into the acceptance stage.
What is online grief therapy?
Grief therapy, also called grief counseling, is a process for helping people overcome loss. While it’s most commonly used after the death of a loved one, you can turn to therapy for any type of grief. The process is a type of talking therapy, meaning your sessions will be based on meaningful conversations with your therapist. You’ll have a chance to share your thoughts and feelings, and the therapist will suggest potential remedies for your grief.
Modern technology allows clients to receive top-of-the-line grief therapy on their personal devices. Online grief counseling mimics traditional therapy by using phone calls, video conferences, and messaging programs to recreate the conversations you’d have in a therapist’s office. Digital platforms help connect clients with accredited therapists and provide the means for regular communication.
Not only does online grief therapy successfully match the efficacy of traditional therapy, but it also makes certain aspects of the process even easier. Instead of having to commit to a set schedule for in-person sessions, you can use an online platform to talk with a therapist throughout the week. This flexibility allows you to overcome your grief while getting back into your normal routine.
Affordability is another factor to consider when it comes to seeking therapy. In general, online platforms are cheaper than traditional, in-person counseling. If you’re interested in therapy but worried that it’s out of your budget, an online platform might represent the perfect solution.
What does online grief therapy involve?
Online grief therapy will revolve around intimate discussions about the object of your grief. If you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, you’ll likely focus on your relationship with the deceased individual. The process requires a certain amount of vulnerability, but a professional counselor will know how to make you as comfortable as possible every step of the way.
The therapist’s first order of business will be to establish rapport with you, the client. They’ll display empathy and a keen interest in the case, welcoming the type of honesty necessary for the process to prove effective. As you establish a connection with the counselor, you’ll feel increasingly willing to open up.
Once a meaningful dialogue has been established, the therapist will ask a series of questions about the object of your grief. By learning more about the details of the situation, the counselor will have a better idea of how to steer the conversation. All of these questions will be respectful and professional, but they might touch on personal subjects. Only by accessing the truth of the matter will the counselor be able to make progress.
There are several specific topics that your therapist might want to address in relation to your grief. If you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, the counselor will want to determine whether your relationship with the deceased was a healthy one. They’ll also help you parse out your grief from a sense of trauma associated with past events. Grief and trauma often occur simultaneously, but they’re worth addressing on their own. Finally, the therapist will pay especially close attention to any feelings of guilt you have surrounding the loss you’ve suffered. While a certain amount of guilt is natural, an excessive level of self-blame can make it extremely difficult to move into the acceptance phase. By guiding you past these feelings, the counselor will make it easier for you to move on with your life.
We help you find your psychologist
How long does grief therapy take?
There’s no fixed amount of time that grief therapy should take. Since grief itself is always of indeterminable duration, the counseling meant to treat must follow suit. Some bouts of grief only last a few days, while others can linger for years. Whatever your personal timetable, you’ll be able to receive professional attention for as long as you need it.
There are several factors that determine how long a person experiences grief. One factor, of course, is the nature of the triggering event. Losing a job or moving away from home can be heartbreaking, but the grief isn’t likely to be as intense or as longstanding as what you feel after a death in your immediate family. Personal circumstances and psychological traits are also important. Some pet owners, especially those who see their pets as children, will grieve for a dead animal for months, and others will hardly grieve at all.
What’s important to remember is that there’s no “normal” amount of time for grief to last. Everyone has their own unique set of circumstances that account for their psychological response to a loss. Don’t be hard on yourself for a lingering sense of grief, and don’t think that there’s something “wrong” with you. Ultimately, all that matters is that you accept the loss and move on eventually.
Whether you need grief counseling for a week or several years, you can count on getting the assistance you need from an online therapy provider. Many counseling platforms use a subscription model that allows you to continue with your therapist for as long as you’d like. This format gives you the flexibility to set your own timetable. When you finally feel you’ve accepted the loss and regained your enthusiasm for life, you can end your subscription and bid your therapist farewell.
We help you find your psychologist
Does online grief counseling work?
While everyone has their own response to grief counseling, the process is generally considered effective. There are several benefits associated with therapy, and they add up to help clients accept the loss they’re struggling with.
For one thing, grief counseling can help you control the emotional and physical symptoms of grief. Constant crying, depression, and insomnia can make it impossible to recover after a loss. Your therapist can teach you coping mechanisms to deal with these symptoms and get back to your routine.
Therapy is also an effective method for learning more about your emotions. People are complicated, and you’re hardly alone if you often struggle to name and understand your feelings. A therapist will teach you to recognize symptoms of trauma and grief so you can actively combat them.
As you learn to control your symptoms and identify your emotions, you’ll have an easier time returning to your pre-loss routine. Eventually, this return to normalcy will help you get over your grief and come to terms with the loss. At this point, you’ll have successfully reached the acceptance stage of grief.
Conclusion: Online grief counseling can help you feel better
When grief becomes overwhelming or insurmountable, online counseling is there to help. An accredited therapist can use modern technology to discuss your grief and help you get over it. If you think you could benefit from professional assistance, sign up for online grief counseling today.
https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/mental-health-resources/grief-and-loss-resources
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-grief-counseling-5189153
We help you find your psychologist