The grief that follows the death of a loved one is one of the most painful things a human can experience. The range of emotions and the way in which we process loss is unique to every individual. Grief is a normal human experience when you lose something or someone you care about. People grieve in all kinds of ways. One of the ways you can support someone who is grieving is to ask: What can I do to help you feel supported?
While there are many different forms of grief counseling – group or individual, online or in-person – it may be helpful to talk to a licensed therapist in order to process your feelings.
A grief counselor can walk you through the grieving process and give you tools for coping and managing your day-to-day in this difficult time. A trained therapist may also help you recognize and treat other mental health issues that frequently occur with grief such as depression and anxiety.
If you think you or someone you know might be contemplating suicide, reach out for additional help here: Suicide Prevention Lifeline Or call 1 (800) 273-8255 (United States)
In-person counseling
You can find licensed therapists in a number of ways. You can: call your health insurance carrier (if you have one) to see who is covered by your plan and what your costs for services may be. Whether you have insurance or not you can always ask you health care provider for recommendations, you can search online professional resources such as The American Psychological Association, The National Association of Social Workers (search under “grief” for information and resources), and The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. You can also ask friends for their recommendations. Some people also find going through their spiritual communities helpful – asking if there are spiritual leaders who are licensed to provide therapy and/or if there are spiritual organizations that provide therapy may be helpful to you. If you do not have insurance, university counseling centers often offer low-cost psychotherapy (call the university’s psychology or counseling department and ask about any clinics they may have) as well as county health and human services agencies.
Online counseling
If you are not comfortable with or having trouble getting counseling in-person, one option is to sign up for online counseling through the Ginger.io app, which provides emotional support therapy and psychiatry via your mobile phone is less than 60 seconds. You can get access to a certified therapist to help you at any hour of the day. With online counseling, carefully research the credentials of the people you are talking with, the online agency’s privacy policies, and the costs.
