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Discover how starting grief & loss counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
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My go -to approach for helping people with grief and loss is to validate their feelings whatever they are and explain that grief can look different than people expect. Grief is very personal and no one should be afraid of grieving the wrong way. I provide psychoeducation on the grief process and explain that we don't necessarily stop grieving but it changes over time. Grief is what you need it to be. My style is eclectic so I prefer to adapt my methods to meet their needs and this changes as therapy progresses. This allows for continued progress as the client's needs change.
These are some of the tools or coping skills that I teach for grief and loss:
I know a client is making meaningful progress when they report using skills that they learned in therapy to help them process their grief and improve daily functioning. Clients often report they are making progress when they start to feel more like themselves again.
Clients can supplement their time in grief counseling with reading articles or books to increase their knowledge and understanding. I often make suggestions or send links to articles that are specific to their needs or concerns. If you find information on your own it is always a good idea to ask your therapist to confirm that the information is accurate especially for information found on social media or online videos.
To prepare for your first grief and loss counseling session, you can: Make a list of questions and/or concerns. Bring a list of any medications that you are taking, prescription, OTC and supplements. Have a list of prior mental health treatments with dates and names if possible. But most of all be kind to yourself and allow yourself to be open to the idea exploring your thoughts and emotions.
Grief and loss counseling helps people grieve difficult losses including the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the end of a relationship. It helps people navigate their grief process and eventually accept, understand, and move forward from their loss. Thriveworks grief therapists in Pittsburgh, PA have specific experience, training, and skills that enable them to best support grieving individuals.
Grief and loss counseling isn’t one-size-fits-all, but it involves sharing about your loss and then working with your counselor to acknowledge and accept your new reality in its wake. Your provider at Thriveworks in Pittsburgh, PA will design your treatment plan around your unique needs and goals for therapy, applying the counseling techniques that best support them.
If you have recently experienced an event like the death of a loved one, a breakup or divorce, the loss of a job, or another major life change, then you may want to seek grief and loss counseling. Grief can be caused by many experiences and events, so if you feel that you are having trouble moving on from a certain event or find that it is still impacting your life and functioning, grief and loss counseling can help you process it more effectively so that you can move on and once again find fulfillment and satisfaction in your life.
There are many counseling theories for treating grief, one of the most frequently used being the dual process model of grief which helps people acknowledge who or what they’ve lost through rumination while also adjusting to the new roles and identities that this loss has now placed on them. There are also many commonly used therapy approaches used in grief and loss counseling, including Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and traumatic grief therapy.
Grief & loss counseling at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
For many, grief and loss counseling lasts for about 6 months. For others, it may last shorter or longer, depending on the severity of their loss and their grief.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
Friday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Saturday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Sunday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Monday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Tuesday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Wednesday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Thursday | 8:00am - 9:00pm |
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Friday | 1:00am - 9:30pm | |
Saturday | 8:00am - 6:00pm | |
Sunday | 8:00am - 6:00pm | |
Monday | 8:00am - 9:30pm | |
Tuesday | 8:00am - 9:30pm | |
Wednesday | 8:00am - 9:30pm | |
Thursday | 1:00am - 9:30pm |
Shown in ET