The death of a loved one can trigger a great deal of emotional pain and stress in family members. Sadness, anger, shock, anxiety, guilt, and numbness are all common emotions that people experience following the death of someone close to them. Grief counseling can help you navigate and sort out those emotions that you are dealing with and eventually cope and find peace with the loss. Loneliness is also a very common feeling. That is where family grief counseling can be very helpful. The love and support of friends and family are invaluable following a difficult loss.

5 Stages of Grief 

The Kübler-Ross model is widely accepted as the five stages of grief most people may experience after a loss. While each person grieves in their own way and this model is not necessarily linear or predictive, it serves as a solid starting point for understanding the likely feelings associated with grief.

Denial: Shock and denial is usually the first stage following a death. You feel like this is a nightmare and can’t be real. You struggle to wrap your head around the fact that they are gone and keep expecting them to come back.

Anger: Anger is often used to mask all the other emotions you may be experiencing following a death. Internal pain can manifest as anger and harboring that anger for a long time can be extremely destructive to yourself and others around you. It can be hard to be rational when these feelings of anger overcome you. 

Bargaining: This stage is when feelings of guilt tend to take over. You think of everything you wish you did or didn’t do with your loved one and ask yourself hypothetical “what if” questions.

Depression: This is one of the most dangerous and longest-lasting stages of grief. Depression can be a heavy burden and lead to self-destructive behaviors. People tend to turn inward and isolate themselves from loved ones and interests. Grief counseling is a very helpful tool to help people move past this stage of grief.

Acceptance: The final stage of grief does not mean the loved one is forgotten and that you no longer miss them or feel sad. Acceptance just means you have successfully learned to accept and cope with the loss, and comfortably live in the new reality of life without them.

Benefits of Grief Counseling

Grief is a very personal experience and unique to each individual. But just because each person grieves in their own way, does not mean you should do it alone. Grief counseling helps individuals move through each stage of grief to allow a person to reach acceptance and learn to cope with the difficult loss. Family grief counseling can help an entire family grieve together and navigate any unresolved issues or resentment and blame that may be placed following a death. 

Harmony Harbors Family Grief Counseling 

Harmony Harbors Family Recovery offers virtual family grief counseling to help families work together to navigate the rough emotional waters following a loss. If you live near King of Prussia and have been searching for grief counselors near me, look to Harmony Harbors for the support you need. Not only do we offer family grief counseling, but our Crisis Management Program is available for off-hours support when a family crisis occurs that needs immediate assistance. If you have recently experienced a loss, contact 1-877-538-5800 so we can help you get through it together.