Grief is your reaction to loss, and it can be overwhelming. The way grief manifests is different for everyone. Some people experience extreme sadness while others react with anger. Grief can also bring up feelings of guilt and regret.

How you react depends very much on your beliefs, background, and relationship to whatever was lost. If you have prolonged sadness and emotional pain or feelings of emptiness or hopelessness, you may benefit from grief counseling to help you process your emotions.

You may experience grief in reaction to the loss of a loved one or from a terminal diagnosis you or a person close to you have received. But grief isn’t exclusive to death.

You may experience grief in the loss of a relationship, such as a divorce or the breakup of a strong friendship, or even loss of a job.

Other reasons you may suffer grief include the loss of:

• Health or independence

• Financial stability

• Pregnancy

• Major dream or goal

• Pet

Even selling the family home can trigger grief.

Remember that loss is very personal and significant, so you should never feel that you have an inappropriate reaction to your particular loss. If you’re missing something that’s important to you, it’s perfectly normal to struggle with grief.

Grief is expressed in numerous ways, most of which can be categorized into two main types: instrumental grieving and intuitive grieving.

Instrumental grieving

In instrumental grieving, a person going through grief controls or minimizes their emotional expression. Their reaction is one of stoicism and avoidance.

Intuitive grieving

With intuitive grieving, a person shares their feelings and may consider their own mortality. The person may be emotional and their reaction seems heightened.

When you’re grieving, or a loved one is grieving, the opportunity to talk through the emotions can be exceptionally healing. Dr. Branda can help you seek social support, which is vital to recovery. She has suggestions about mourning rituals to help you find a sense of closure.

Dr. Branda’s support can help, whether society recognizes your loss as significant or not. She can help you overcome the shame and secrecy that may surround your loss, too. Dr. Branda uses an integrative approach that focuses on building a strong therapeutic relationship to help you understand and process your grief without judgment.

By using evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy techniques and well-established psychodynamic theories, Dr. Branda acknowledges your grief and helps you accept loss and understand your reaction to it.

If you’re suffering from a loss, don’t struggle through the overwhelming emotions on your own. Seek support from Dr. Branda at Summit Psychology. Call the office today to set up an appointment or use the online tool to schedule.