grief process

Loss doesn’t announce itself gently. One moment, someone or something is woven into the fabric of your daily life. The next, they’re gone, and you’re left holding the weight of that absence. Whether you’re grappling with the death of a loved one, the end of a significant relationship, or another…

If you’re reading this, you might be wondering if your grief feels “too intense” or has lasted “too long.” First, know this: you’re not broken, and you’re not alone. While grief is one of life’s most universal experiences, sometimes it gets stuck, and that’s when complicated grief (now clinically known…

Grief is never easy. But what if you started feeling its weight before a loss even happens? This is the reality for many people who experience anticipatory grief: a wave of sadness and anxiety that arrives in advance of a major loss, often when a loved one is seriously ill…

Imagine suffering a terrible loss and not having it be understood by hardly anyone. Sounds pretty awful, no? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what disenfranchised grief is—a profound and often overlooked emotional pain experienced by individuals following a significant loss that society does not fully acknowledge or validate.  Disenfranchised grief can have…

Q: How do I cope with death with a down-low friend relationship? A: First, I want to offer sincere condolences for your loss. You have layers of challenges to unpack and process. It is very important for you to have emotional support at this time. While the grief process is…

When we think of grief, often the first thoughts that come to mind are of the emotional waves that come crashing down. Feelings of powerlessness, disbelief—and even shock. These powerful and dysphoric emotions are not just limited to their impact on the mind. In fact, researchers have long known that…

The bargaining stage of grief is a process in which an individual who has suffered a loss might seek to regain control of their inner narrative, as they slowly process what has happened to them or someone they care about. Bargaining involves psychological negotiating with oneself, other people, or even…

Child therapists know that children grieve differently from adults, and they also understand how a child’s unique grieving process might be overlooked in the midst of significant loss. Children who experience the death of someone close to them are often surrounded by adult suffering. They might not want to burden…

In January of last year, my boyfriend and I jumped on the bandwagon and adopted a pandemic puppy. We named her Summer (thought it fitting for a golden retriever) and quickly fell in love. She’s like our child — we’ve watched her grow into the stick-loving, ball-chasing, somersaulting, silly, loving,…

If you’ve ever suffered from a major loss — that of a loved one or even the loss that comes with a breakup or job change — you might’ve experienced a change in appetite: in most cases, a loss of it. When my boyfriend of a few years broke up…