Loss is an inevitable part of every life, but when the pain of loss happens to you through the death of a loved one, a divorce, separation, home, employment – or whatever form that loss may take – sometimes it is helpful to talk to a professional therapist. Sometimes the support of family and friends may seem insufficient to work through the loss, and sometimes it may seem or actually be the case that no one is around to understand the depth of pain involved.

Some steps to feeling safe and secure again include the following:

1. Accepting the reality of the death/loss both mentally and emotionally.

2. Feeling the pain and expressing it.

3. Reviewing the relationship involved in its totality, including the good and the bad parts, and then healing any wounds.

4. Learning to adapt to life without the other person/learning to do the things the lost loved one took care of.

5. Revising assumptions about the world, including former hopes and dreams.

6. Moving on and reinvesting in life (and this may take a variety of forms).

Sometimes talking with a professional therapist who does not have the emotional involvement that family and/or friends do, can be an advantage in helping you learn to work through these steps. Because they may have a more objective viewpoint, a therapist can sometimes help to restore a sense of stability and functioning during a grieving process.

or call her at: (619) 291-9164