Grief

When you’re grieving, it’s hard to talk with others or reach out for help. But if you feel consumed with grief or your sadness doesn’t improve, it’s time to consider grief counseling from the compassionate team at Westwood Psychiatry Associates in Westwood, New Jersey. They offer support and guidance as you talk through your grief, learn ways to cope with your feelings, and move forward comforted by happy memories. Don’t wait to seek help for grief. Call the office or request an in-person or telepsychiatry appointment online today.

When do people need grief counseling? 

Grief is an emotion you feel in response to loss. Most people associate grief with the death of a spouse or family member. While death causes intense grief, you can also feel strong emotions over any loss. 

People often experience grief over the loss of:

• A personal relationship
• A friendship
• Their health
• Their job
• Financial stability
• A pet

Everyone deals with it in their own time. Some people feel better in a few weeks; others need a year or longer to overcome their grief.

When should I seek grief counseling?

There’s no timetable telling you when to seek grief counseling. However, your pain, sadness, and other emotions that accompany grief should improve little by little. If you still have intense emotions or numbness, or you still can’t move on within one year, you should seek grief counseling.

The team at Westwood Psychiatry Associates offers guidelines you can use to decide when you might need grief counseling.

It may be time to seek grief counseling when you:

• Feel stuck in grief
• Feel overwhelmed with your emotions
• Can’t get over the intense pain
• Can’t stop feelings like anger or bitterness
• Isolate yourself from family and friends
• Can’t talk about your grief
• Become depressed
• Stifle your feelings

If you stifle your feelings, you don’t grieve; you just feel numb and keep moving forward. However, not grieving can take a tremendous toll on your mental health. 

In the future, your grief may suddenly rise to the surface, causing unexpected and overwhelming feelings. Grief counseling restores your well-being by helping you work through the process.

What should I expect during grief counseling?

Your Westwood Psychiatry Associates therapist helps you work through your feelings. They gently guide your therapy, giving you a safe environment where you can talk about your emotions and depend on their support. As you talk, they suggest steps you can take to cope with your feelings.

Throughout grief counseling, you move forward at your own pace. Your therapist honors your feelings and doesn’t try to speed up the process or push you beyond your ability to deal with your grief.

The caring team at Westwood Psychiatry Associates can help you overcome grief. To schedule an appointment, call the office or book an appointment online today.