Grief Counseling in Maryland
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Grief Counseling for Children, Teens, & Adults throughout Maryland
Each of us experiences loss; it’s an inevitable and normal part of life. The way you make sense of what you’ve lost and how you express yourself regarding these losses is how you grieve. Grief impacts how you feel, how you see yourself, how you relate to others, how you express yourself. Grief can be subtle. You wake up saying, “I don’t know who I am anymore….” or you find yourself thinking, “Every little thing makes me mad.” The process of grief can be burdensome. You realize, “I can’t stop crying…..I feel helpless and lost…” or you worry, “I don’t know if I can trust anyone.” Grief also has a way of separating us from others. You find yourself thinking, “No one knows how bad I feel…” or “no one can help me!” Grief is one of life’s biggest challenges.
Loss Can Include…
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People (Death, Separation, Break-up, Incarceration, Pregnancy)
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Places (Relocation, Home, Vacation Destination, Favorite Place to Relax)
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Things (Cherished Memorabilia, Home, Car, Pet, Retirement, Health, Friendship)
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Safety (Survivor of Trauma, Rape, Child Neglect, Racism, Sexism, Bullying)
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Circumstances (Changes in Roles, Shared Experiences, Life Milestones, Graduation)
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Concepts (Trust, Respect, Free Will, Spirituality)
LifeSpring’s Approach to Grief Counseling
The way you experience loss depends on many factors. These include: who/what you've lost, your personality, personal history, and cultural heritage. Your beliefs, current circumstances, and social support network are also factors to consider. Healing from loss and grief is a process. It begins with a safe and respectful working relationship with a licensed professional. The pace of the work depends on your unique needs and the problems you are currently presenting. Counseling can help with understanding your mind-body-behavior connection, processing your thoughts and emotions associated with your loss/es, acknowledging the reality of your loss/es, adjusting to life after your loss/es, and living a well balanced life.
What is Holding You Back from Starting Counseling for Grief?
Ways Grief and Loss Can Impact Us
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Emotional Release (Crying, Anger, Outbursts, Anxiety, Panic)
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Being Confused, Easily Overwhelmed, or Feeling Out of Control
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Detachment, Feeling Numb or in Shock
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Self-Doubt and/or Viewing Yourself Differently
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Having Physical Reactions: Headaches, Stomach Problems, Pains
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Experiencing Sleep Disruptions and/or Changes in Eating Patterns
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Questioning Your Faith and/or Identity
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Challenging Your World View or Future
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Having Problems Communicating Thoughts, Focusing, or Concentrating
Reasons We May Not Seek Grief Counseling
“I’m fine….I can handle this on my own
“How can anyone possibly help me…they don’t know what I’ve been through”
“What’s the point…there’s just going to be more loss”
“I’m beyond help….I just can’t get over it…”
“I don’t know…things seem fine most of the time”
“I don’t want to get all emotional when I talk about things”
“I’m not sure where to begin…”
Just as your losses are personal to you so are the symptoms of your grief and the ways in which you heal. There is no single way to grieve and there is no time table for grief. Whatever your experience is, it’s important to be patient and to allow the process to unfold slowly. Why is it so hard to talk about loss and its impact on us? The grief process has the ability to heighten our emotional states and the ways we react to emotions. This intensity may make us feel vulnerable, which may make talking to a professional seem overwhelming.
Other Mental Health Services at LifeSpring
Counseling for children and teens isn’t the only counseling service offered at our office. Our Greater Baltimore mental health counseling office also offers individual counseling services for adults and college students dealing with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, interpersonal violence, and trauma. We also offer specialized counseling services including online therapy, Brainspotting, faith-based counseling, mindfulness-based counseling, and counseling in Chinese.
Written by: Melissa Cole, LCSW-C
Photo credit: Aaron Burden, Katie Moum, and Heather Ford on Unsplash
Date of Download: 7/2/2021