Online Grief Counseling
We experience grief anytime we lose someone or something that we love. Sometimes the loss can be deemed minor. Other times, it can be earth-shattering. The significant losses in our lives can cause us to feel hopeless, stuck, or even confused about the road ahead.
These are common responses to loss, and if they describe what you’re experiencing right now, you might need additional support. Our Christian counselors understand and have the compassion, skills, and tools to help you navigate your grief journey.
If You are Grieving, You Might Find Yourself Having:
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A hard time going to sleep or getting out of bed.
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Inability to concentrate on basic tasks.
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An unshakable feeling of guilt or regret after a loss
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Shame or fear related to the loss.
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Anger or resentment towards others or even God
How Can a Christian Counselor Help?
Many times when an individual is wrestling with grief they can also be wrestling with God. They may be asking themselves why this person had to pass away? They may be angry with God for “letting” it happen. They may even be questioning whether or not the person who passed away ended up in heaven. These questions and many more are why seeking grief counseling from a Christian Counselor can be extremely beneficial. There are often many questions that we struggle with throughout the grief process that can best be processed with an unbiased third person.
Types of Online Grief Counseling
We understand that grief enters our lives for several reasons. Our Christian counseling team has years of experience counseling individuals who are experiencing pain due to:
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Infertility and Miscarriages
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Divorce
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Loss of a relationship
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Chronic illness
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Physical Injury
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Anticipatory or Ambiguous Grief
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A loss of a child
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A loss of a parent
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A loss of a pet
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Life Transitions (ie. military separation, job loss, house, church, or business)
If you recently experienced a loss and are looking for a Christian counselor to accompany you on your healing journey, we would be honored to walk alongside you. Learn more about our team or schedule a free consultation below.
How Can Christian Grief Counseling Help You?
Everyone’s grief journey is different. Depending on the type of loss you’ve experienced (i.e., a traumatic or unexpected loss), one’s healing journey can be long and arduous. Typically, if you’ve experienced grief due to a death of a loved one, you might go to your friends and family for support. However, sometimes your loved ones are grieving and don’t have the capacity or professional training to help you navigate your grief journey.
That’s where a good Christian grief counselor can really support you. They will walk alongside you to help you to:
Although you will always miss your loved one, there is comfort, hope, and healing after your loss. Connecting with a skilled Christian grief counselor will help you to navigate your healing journey in a healthy way.
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Process the emotions you feel related to the loss.
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Give you the space to share stories about your loved one and reflect on the impact they have on your life.
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Develop a new understanding of how your life looks after the loss.
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Explore the various ways your faith can provide you with comfort, direction, and peace.
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Identify ways to honor your loved one's legacy.
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And walk with you along your grief journey to help you discover a sense of hope after the loss.
What is the Difference Between Grief and Trauma?
Whenever we experience the loss of someone or something we love or value, we grieve. However, depending on the nature of the loss, we might have experienced trauma as well.
For example, if a grandparent dies peacefully in their sleep at the age of 90, their family will grieve that loss, but their death will not be considered traumatic. In contrast, if that same grandparent experienced a violent death, the family would grieve but the violent nature would also cause the event to be traumatic.
The Trauma Healing Institute notes that “trauma can be caused by a single event, a prolonged event, or a repeated event. It overwhelms us with intense fear, helplessness, or horror.” Trauma complicates one's grieving process and requires additional support. If you think you’ve experienced trauma, visit our trauma counseling page to learn more about how trauma can impact you.
How Long Does a Person Grieve?
It is important to remember that grief is a normal and necessary part of the healing process after loss, and it is something that should not be rushed or judged. Everyone's grief journey is different.
Some people might grieve a loss for a few months, whereas others might grieve for several years. There is no definitive time that a person is expected to move beyond the feelings of grief. Even if you feel like you are beyond your time of grief, if a holiday, birthday, or a commemorative time of year rolls around, the emotions tied to that loss may resurface.
However, if the grief that a person is experiencing is for a long period of time and is preventing them from being able to function in their daily lives, it is important that they get additional support from a trained grief counselor to determine if the symptoms that they are experiencing are normal or it has developed into something else.
Am I Grieving or Depressed?
When you have experienced a loss, sometimes behaviors that you would display when you are grieving, resemble some of the behaviors that you would have if you were depressed. You might not feel like getting out of bed, eating, being around other people, or engaging in some of the activities that you typically like to do. These are normal responses to grief and are not something to be gravely concerned about. You can share some of the same strong emotions of sadness while grieving, that you would if you were depressed. However, sadness is not the only determining factor.
For example, when grieving, typically your self-worth remains in tack. When depressed, you may find yourself engaging in self-loathing or feeling worthless.
If you are grieving, you might fantasize about seeing your loved one again in heaven. If you are struggling with major depression, you may struggle with thoughts of suicide.
If you are trying to discern if you are struggling with grief or depression, reaching out for grief counseling from a trained professional can help you to determine what you are experiencing and what steps you should take to move forward in a healthy, holistic way.
Sometimes you experience a loss, and never really had the opportunity to grieve. That means your grief was delayed, and you still need time to express, process and reconcile how that loss impacted your life. At some point, if you are not given the room to grieve, the suppressed pain can surface in other areas of your life, impacting your health, relationships, and how you navigate your day-to-day life.
A grief counselor can provide you with the dedicated space you need to grieve the loss, understand the impact the loss had on you, and begin the process of healing. Schedule your free consultation today.
