Losing someone important to us such as a parent, partner or friend is very difficult. Grief is a normal response to the loss of a loved one. And although such a response is normal, it’s not easy and we often need the support of other people to get us through such painful periods. We need to process the emotions around the loss so that we can get to a place of acceptance and be able to cherish the memories of that person, honouring them in our hearts and minds. It helps to talk to family and friends who listen empathically, but for some people grief can get in the way of life. Psychotherapy allows a person to explore the meaning of the loss to them and learn to cope in healthy ways.
We typically think of grief as an emotion in response to death. But often we are grieving more than just that kind of loss. Grief fundamentally is a response to something or someone being gone. We can grieve changes that come as we get older and relationships change. We can grieve when we move and leave behind one place for another. Areas of loss can include:
- Loss of a family member
- Estrangement from family
- Dealing with a family member with mental health issues
- Changing school, jobs or countries
- Immigration-related stress
- Break up of a romantic relationship
- Divorce or separation