Understanding Grief & Loss:

Grief is the natural, multifaceted emotional response to losing someone or something deeply significant, such as a loved one, a relationship, a job, or one's health. It is not a linear process with a defined endpoint but a unique and individual experience characterized by a range of emotions, including sadness, anger, guilt, confusion, and numbness. While acute grief is a universal human experience, it can sometimes become complicated, overwhelming a person's ability to cope and interfering with their capacity to function in daily life.

Grief counselling and psychotherapy provide a compassionate, supportive framework to navigate this painful terrain. They offer a safe and non-judgmental space for individuals to process their loss without timelines or pressure to "move on." The goal is not to eliminate the pain of grief but to understand it, integrate the loss, and find a way to carry it forward healthily.

Therapeutic approaches for grief are often rooted in models that normalize the experience. While not a linear prescription, understanding stages of grief (Kübler-Ross) or tasks of mourning (Worden) can help individuals make sense of their fluctuating emotions. A counsellor helps clients work through these tasks, such as accepting the reality of the loss, processing the pain, adjusting to a new world without the deceased, and finding an enduring connection while moving forward with life.

Complicated Grief Therapy (CGT) is a specialized, evidence-based approach for cases where grief becomes stuck and debilitating. It helps individuals process the trauma of the loss and restore natural adaptive processes.

A grief therapist acts as a steady companion and guide, validating all emotions—even those society may deem uncomfortable, like relief or anger. They help clients develop coping strategies for difficult moments like anniversaries, tell the story of their loss, and ultimately reconstruct a sense of meaning and purpose after their world has been fundamentally changed.

Seeking grief counselling is not a sign of weakness; it is an act of self-care and courage. It provides the tools to honor the loss while gradually rebuilding a life of connection and hope, demonstrating that while the pain of loss may change, it does not have to define one's entire future.

How Psychotherapy and Counselling Guide the Healing Journey

Counselling provides a safe place to process grief, honor the loss, and move toward healing. Support is available in Guelph through Trickett Psychotherapy and Trickett Counselling.