When Do You Need Grief Counselling?
If grieving has taken control of your day-to-day life and left you without the ability to cope with daily demands, then finding the necessary help through grief counselling is crucial. Grief counselling can help you identify your issues and help you recover.
If you have had to deal with a major loss, then the grief that follows is a normal emotion to experience. Any type of loss can trigger sadness and grief including the loss of a job, the death of a family member, the demise of a pet or a move that takes you away from familiar surroundings. Acceptance of the loss and moving forward through the grief process is what allows you to cope and heal emotionally.
Grief is a double-edged sword because it makes us more aware of what we still have to be thankful for in the midst of the sadness that results from an important loss. The most important fact to remember is that you have to accept the situation before you can begin the process of emotional healing.
Grieving for a loss is a normal and natural reaction, and is simply an extension of our human feelings and emotions. This type of suffering is very painful, and very personal. People will grieve intensely when they have to face the death of a loved one, but many individuals also experience grief when they:
- Give up on an important goal, or a long-anticipated dream
- Face a serious illness
- End a relationship
- Lose their financial assets
- Move out of their parental home for the first time
Grief can also manifest as physical symptoms such as headaches, GI upsets, vague aches and pains or loss of appetite. These symptoms should resolve with time; if not, grief counselling is indicated.
Can Grief Counselling Help You?
Read our more extensive article on Grief and Recovery on our blog to learn about the five stages of grief, grief counselling, and how counselling can help you heal emotionally.
If you are looking for help, whether for yourself or for a loved one, the psychologists at the centre can assist in exploring underlying issues through therapy. Please visit practitioners’ page to find out more, or call (03) 9820-5577 for an appointment or to make enquiries.
Related Articles
- When to Visit a Psychologist
- Trauma Counselling
- Top 5 Things to Do to Support a Family Member with Depression
- Problem Solving: A Psychological Perspective
- Coping with Loss and Grief
- Grief and Recovery
- Loss
If you are looking for help, whether for yourself or a loved one, our psychologists can assist in exploring underlying issues through therapy. Please visit our practitioners’ page to find out more, or call (03) 9820-5577 for an appointment or to make enquiries.
Psychologists at the Centre for Emotion Focused Practice
Lisa Schafer
Registered Psychologist
I’m a registered psychologist with 20+ years of experience empowering individuals to believe in themselves, develop more confidence, and improve clarity and direction in their lives. I use holistic and strengths-based approach to help clients harness their unique strengths, recognise their sources of energy and build greater resilience and wellbeing.
Carlos Schafer
Director & Principal Psychologist
I’m a registered psychologist with two passions – counselling psychology and executive counselling. To support my passion for counselling, I am trained in experiential psychology, cognitive emotive behavioural therapy, post rationalist therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and hypnosis and have a keen interest in alternative healing