Grief Counseling in Fort Worth

We experience grief when we lose something or someone we value. It can be described as the way one experiences loss. This can be the death of a dream, relationship, career, or lifestyle. Grief is universal, as it is experienced by everyone at some point in their lifetime. However, it is unique to each individual as no two people have the same background, relationships, goals, or even DNA. The journey of loss is very personal, cannot be compared, and requires our attention and work.

What is Grief Therapy?

Grief therapy is a gentle, supportive form of counseling designed to help people navigate the intense and often overwhelming emotions that follow a significant loss. Loss can take many forms—whether it's the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a significant life transition that brings a deep sense of sorrow. In grief therapy, we provide a safe and compassionate space where you can explore these feelings, understand how grief is affecting your life, and find a path forward with the guidance of a caring, trained counselor.

Grief Symptoms

All types of grief consist of emotional and physical symptoms. Emotional symptoms include feelings such as numbness, anxiety, guilt, anger, and sadness. Meanwhile, physical symptoms may present as headaches, fatigue, restlessness, or appetite changes. Some individuals may experience behavioral symptoms, including prolonged isolation, worrying about others, and forgetfulness.

Common Types of Grief

Masked Grief: When grief is suppressed or intellectualized, and it presents in physical symptoms.

Anticipatory Grief: When symptoms of grief arise before the loss occurs.

Cumulative Grief: When multiple losses occur in a short period.

Complicated Grief: Characterized by long-lasting, severe emotional reactions often from traumatic loss.

Chronic Grief: Ongoing, heightened state of mourning that lasts for years and often causes significant depression and/or other mental health challenges.

How Does Therapy Help With Grief?

Our brains and bodies are wired to form narratives around our inner experiences. This is done subconsciously as we go about our everyday life. When we experience loss, it can be challenging to integrate into our body, mind, and soul. The ability to manage emotions that grief produces can be overwhelming to navigate alone. A foundational part of therapy is allowing the components of grief to be witnessed in the context of a safe relationship. Bearing witness does not mean lessening, reframing, or finding the silver lining in the loss. From the moment we are born, we realize we are not alone. Our emotions bind us to one another and the need for our grief to be witnessed is hard-wired into us. As clinicians, we compassionately create space for clients to experience a sense of “with-ness” in their pain.

Our nervous system often registers grief as a threat, turning on the stress response. Learning to notice and move through the fight, flight and/or freeze responses through therapeutic interventions is essential to process our losses. The goal is to allow our brain and body to fully move through the waves of grief. Without judgment, we can curiously lean into what our body needs and validate its response to grief. Allowing the emotion to dominate our behavior or avoiding the emotion altogether can leave one feeling stuck, resulting in long-term anxiety and depression.  In counseling, we offer a different approach: to tune into what the body, mind, and soul need, as there will be a broad spectrum of emotions in need of care.

Why Move Through Grief?

There is no timeline to be done grieving, as David Kessler stated, “The grief doesn’t get smaller over time, you get bigger.” The goal is for the individual to get bigger- to grow around the grief. The truth is that post-traumatic growth occurs more often than post-traumatic loss in individuals who choose to turn toward their grief compassionately.

Get Started Today!

If you want a safe place to move through your grief, please contact one of our therapists; we would love to be a part of your healing journey. This looks like increased resilience and ability to hold space for others in their pain. The last stage in the grief cycle is making meaning, which is how we create meaning from tragedy. This does not minimize the loss but instead gives balance to the pain. In time, we can explore ways to develop a sense of meaning not in the grief but from the grief.