Grief and Loss Counseling in Centreville, MD.

To help a client cope through grief and loss, I sometimes use the example of how an oyster forms a pearl. The oyster ingests a grain of sand that causes pain, and which cannot be removed or dissolved (just like we cannot eliminate the pain of missing a loved one). So the oyster begins to encase the grain of sand with layers of calcium-like substance, that makes the grain of sand easier to carry and hold, without the rough edges. Coping through grief and loss can involve learning how to unpack, experience, and adjust how we carry the pain. Therapy can help you soften and encase the pain of loss, forming a "pearl" around it that is easier to carry with you, and perhaps make it more precious.

Each person experiences grief in their own way. When others don't understand our grief, we can feel even more isolated. Grief counseling at Perspectives Counseling Center can include helping you in expressing your grief, honoring your lost loved one, creating ways to help others understand and support your needs, and building a path forward for your own life.

Have you had a recent loss. This loss may the death of a loved one, divorce, having children move away, or some other painful life experience. You are likely struggling with a variety of emotions and thoughts. You may at times feel overwelmed. Therapy can help you make sense of your experience and help you take the next step move forward when you are ready.

Loss is inevitable. It is the flip side of love and the greatest pain we know. Hearts can break and hearts can heal. We must first accept ALL feelings. We can cultivate gratitude for the gifts our loved one gave us. Sometimes it is also important to acknowledge and learn from the mistakes of the one we have lost., the ways they may have caused pain to themselves and others. If the person has been a large part of our daily living, it is as if we need to recreate our lives bringing new resources into the emptiness. The waves of extreme pain become less frequent with time. The person's memory remains with us, and their gifts to us can inspire those very strengths in ourselves.

People who are expereincing grief and loss often feel overwhelmed with a variety of unpleasant feelings such as anger, quilt, sadness and shock. Adjusting to the loss can be very difficult and painful. There is no one way to do that. Grief and loss requires coping strategies that therapy can help you find. Therapy can help you find navigate the emotional challenges that come with grief and loss.