Benefits Of Grief Counseling

If you're coping with the loss of a loved one, you are likely engaged in the seven stages of grief. It could be day one or a few years down the road, but you could reap the benefits of grief counseling to help you get through one or all of the stages of grief.

The seven stages of grief are as follows:

• Shock/Denial: You can't believe your loved one is gone. You could be in this stage for several weeks, and it can even vary in severity.
• Pain/Guilt: You could think of everything you wish you would have or wouldn't have done with your loved one. You feel guilt and unbelievable pain.

• Anger/Bargaining: During this stage, you could focus on "Wh, me?" or "Why them?" questions. You could get mad. You could bargain and say, "I will never do that again if I can have them back."

• Depression: You could isolate yourself from external and even internal behaviors and activities. You want to get on with your life, but you feel depressed because you're loved one isn't around.
• Upward Turn: These first four stages begin to dissipate.
• Reconstruction: You will begin to face reality and life with our your loved one. You will make more practical decisions, such as financial ones.
• Acceptance and Hope: You may not be "happy" with the loss, but you come to terms with us and look forward to your own future. There are still come good times ahead of you, after all.

So, how can you reach your own personal Acceptance and Hope stage? Here are some benefits of grief counseling:

You will be able to focus on you again.

You don't want to forget your loved one. You just want to reach the stage where you focus on the good memories and legacies. You will be able to replace your negative emotions during the grieving process with more sustainable and happy ones. You can work through worksheets and other items to assess your grief levels.

You can go at your own pace.

There isn't a set schedule for grief counseling. You can grieve in your own ways and in your own time. A grief therapist will work through you during each stage. You can grieve freely and receive advice on how to better work through issues as they arise. For example, if you are angry, a grief counselor can help you focus on the sources of your anger. When you feel the onset of anger, you can take deep breaths and meditate.

You can make your own choices.

When you're going through the grieving process, the loss of your loved one is prioritized in your brain. While, over time, you do not forget him or her, you will be able to start making your own choices. You can realize that your personal and professional lives will go on. You don't have to make end-of-life and other decisions anymore.

Resources:

^ 7 STAGES OF GRIEF Through the Process and Back to Life. Recover-From-Grief.com. http://www.recover-from-grief.com/7-stages-of-grief.html. Accessed May 4, 2017.

^ Grief Counseling: What are the Benefits? Science Care.http://www.sciencecare.com/blog-grief-counseling-what-are-the-benefits/. Written December 22, 2015. Accessed May 4, 2017.

^ Grief Worksheets. The Grieving Process. BetterHelp. https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/grief/grief-worksheets/. Accessed May 4, 2017.

^ BetterHelp.https://www.betterhelp.com/start/. Accessed May 5, 2017.