Loss Therapy: Everything You Need To Know About Therapeutic Aid In The Grief Process

Loss can feel like a heavy weight on your shoulders, whether it comes as the death of someone close to you or the end of a significant relationship. If you have recently experienced a loss or feel you are having challenges moving on from a loss in your past, loss therapy, also called grief counseling, may benefit you. It may be helpful to understand how and why loss occurs in our lives. Recognizing various therapeutic means of helping people to process their grief and emerge stronger can be just as important. 

Situations that may cause loss

When considering the word “loss,” the first word that comes to mind may be “death.” While it is true that death can cause a profound sense of loss, a loss may surface in many ways throughout our lives. While some forms of loss may feel more emotionally devastating than others, all forms of loss can lead to grief, which can be complicated to work through.

Death

Death is possibly the most common type of loss people may experience. Unlike some other forms of loss, death is permanent; because of this, it can feel especially challenging to manage. 

Most people will experience the death of a close loved one at some point in their life, whether that is someone in the family, a friend, or even a beloved pet. Death can be expected, as may be the case when a loved one is aging or unwell, or it can be sudden due to an accident or severe medical complication. Depending on your relationship with the deceased and the manner of death, loss in this form can feel either fairly straightforward or quite complex. 

End of a relationship

We may associate this loss with a romantic relationship, i.e., a relationship that ends in a breakup or divorce. While losing an intimate partner can be distressing, other kinds of relationship conclusions may also prompt a sense of grief. 

A falling out with a friend or an estrangement from someone in the family can cause a profound feeling of loss. Unlike death, at the end of a relationship, the person you loved is still alive and may still be present, but your relationship with them is often irrevocably changed. This situation can make navigating grief particularly complicated.

Relocation

Relocating to a different city or state may prompt an end to relationships with people in your former home. Other times, the nature of your relationships may change—maybe you used to see a person often, and because of your proximity, your relationship became close. With the greater physical distance between you, you may now be drifting apart. 

Relocating may not only prompt a sense of loss related to relationships, though. When you move to a new place, you may feel like you have lost the life you used to live and the routines you used to have.

Loss and grief counseling

Loss can be challenging to navigate alone. In some instances, loss may result in a condition known as prolonged or complicated grief, a condition in which the intense grief from losing a family member or experiencing a traumatic event doesn't ease over time. Other types of grief that counseling may help with include:

• Anticipatory grief: Occurs when we begin mourning a loss before it happens, often seen in cases of terminal illness. 

• Disenfranchised grief: Often felt when society doesn't acknowledge our loss as significant, such as the end of a friendship or the loss of a pet. 

• Absent grief: Occurs when someone does not show or feel the expected reactions to a loss, appearing as if they are not grieving at all. 

• Chronic grief: Involves enduring sorrow that doesn’t fade over time and can affect the person’s ability to function in daily life.

Grief can deeply affect a person's life, leading to both emotional and physical health challenges. For example, grief may be linked to broken heart syndrome, which is characterized by a sudden, intense release of stress hormones that can mimic a heart attack. These complications may be triggered by the loss of a family member or the stress from a traumatic event.

If you are experiencing prolonged grief or think you may benefit from receiving support in the grieving process, you may want to seek grief counseling. Many grief therapy techniques can help you work through a loss.

Loss and grief therapy techniques

There are various loss and grief therapy interventions or techniques that may help individuals manage emotional pain and intense sadness associated with loss. Types of therapy might include acceptance and commitment therapy, complicated grief therapy, and interpersonal therapy. 

Acceptance and commitment therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy (commonly abbreviated to ACT) is based on the sometimes controversial premise that suffering is an essential component of the human experience that cannot be avoided. As a result, accepting your suffering may be healthier than trying to elude or silence it. ACT focuses on accepting unhappy emotions, developing healthy behavior patterns and coping skills to process those emotions, and navigating situations (such as loss) that may cause suffering. 

One key skill set in acceptance and commitment therapy is psychological flexibility, which researchers have defined as “the ability to stay in contact with the present moment regardless of one’s unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations while choosing one’s behaviors based on the situation and personal values.” 

Developing psychological flexibility may involve practicing mindfulness techniques, identifying and defining your value system, and learning coping strategies to help you accept negative emotions related to your loss without feeling consumed by them.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is widely used to treat various mental health symptoms and life challenges, including grief. The main idea of CBT is that a person’s thoughts and behaviors are integrally connected and that shifting negative thought patterns can result in behavioral improvement and positive life changes.

In a loss-related context, CBT may help you become aware of unproductive thought patterns and their connection to behaviors that may make it difficult for you to move on from your grief.

Interpersonal therapy

Interpersonal therapy may be used to help treat traumatic grief by improving a person’s relationships with family members and friends, thereby reducing the feelings of isolation that can come with grief. This approach focuses on interpersonal connections in managing grief reactions and encourages exploring positive experiences with others to support the healing process. It may help individuals discuss their feelings openly, understand the effects of their loss, and develop proactive coping skills to manage their intense grief.

Complicated grief therapy

Complicated grief therapy (CGT) is a type of therapy that may be helpful for those experiencing complicated grief. It borrows techniques from interpersonal therapy, CBT, and motivational interviewing to help bereaved adults process the overwhelming emotions of deep grief. It may also help an individual explore their relationship with the deceased and the circumstances surrounding their loss. It focuses on developing coping strategies to manage painful emotions in a healthy manner, acknowledging the stages of grief, and gradually moving toward accepting the loss.

Group therapy

Group therapy may be a treatment option for those experiencing loss. In loss group therapy, a small group of people usually gather for supportive conversations about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to their loss. A grief counselor typically facilitates the session and may also provide grief resources in the local community.

Grief therapy groups may be organized around a specific form of loss, often linked to the type of relationship you may have had with your loved one or the manner of the loss itself. Some examples may include:

• Support groups for the recently divorced

• Support groups for people whose loved ones passed away in a specific way: of cancer, of a drug overdose, in a natural disaster, by suicide*, etc.

• Support groups for people who have lost a spouse, parent, child, or pet

• Support groups for a sense of loss felt less on an individual than a societal level, such as loss related to the COVID-19 pandemic or climate change

• General loss support groups

*If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please consider seeking help immediately. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988 and is available 24/7.

If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.

Finding a grief counselor for support 

Loss in any form can bring about stress and other complex feelings. If you are finding it challenging to manage your grief, you may want to seek professional help from a grief counselor. Many people may be unable to get bereavement counseling in person, especially when they must take time off work, find childcare, or travel long distances. In these situations, online therapy may be a convenient way to get mental health care. 

Scientific research has indicated that online therapy may be just as effective as attending traditional therapy sessions in person, including finding support with loss and grief. One study specifically studying the efficacy of online therapy in grief and bereavement counseling found that participants were able to reduce their symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder related to loss and reported high levels of satisfaction after the counseling concluded. If you hope to get grief counseling conveniently and comfortably, online therapy may be the right choice.