Understanding Grief and Complicated Grief
Grief is a normal reaction to loss, loss of a loved one, loss of relationship or a significant life change. It usually manifest in feelings of sadness, anger or nostalgia, which 99% of people can deal with on their own and with the help of their support network (friends, family, community groups, etc.). However, for others, grief becomes persistant, and this occurance is known as complicated grief, or Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). Unlike normal grief, complicated grief is characterised by increased levels and prolongued duration of negative feeligs, leading to significant daily life impairment. While common grief usually decreases within months, complex grief can continue to manifest itself over one year or more. This process is drive by the affected person difficulty to process and accept loss, with great implications on normal functioning. (Shear et al., 2011). As much as 10% of bereaved individuals experience this condition one that can aggravate with physical manifestation and more serious mental health diffuculties such as depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation (Szuhany et al., 2021).
How We Can Help You Recover from Grief
First of all by listening. And being there for you and with you. Then by using – in a compassionate way – evidence-based pyshotherapeutic interventions to guide you through your recovery. At your pace, respecting and encouraging you own proecss. Below is a short overview of the CBT treatment for grief:
Making Sense of Your Feelings: Grief has mind-stopping thoughts—like punishing yourself or feeling guilty. We’ll assist you in noticing those thoughts and help you find more compassionate, more accurate ways of looking at things (Boelen et al., 2021).
Facing and processing traumatic memories little by little: It can be difficult to think about the person or thing that is gone, but trying to avoid it may make it worse. We will walk you through confronting those memories in a safe step-by-step process so they do not feel so over powering (Bryant et al., 2014).
Discovering New Ways to Cope with Negative Emotions: We explore and find your best ways to continue your life in the presence of your loss. We will work on developing your own sense of (new) purpose and redescover ways to restart regaining a sense of enjoyment and life experience (Shear et al., 2016).
What Happens in Therapy?
- Working On and With Your Thoughts
Grief can bring thoughts like “I’ll never be okay” or “It’s my fault.” We’ll help you notice these, see if they’re really true, and find gentler ways to think about your loss (Boelen et al., 2021). - Facing the Hard Questions
It’s common to avoid things that remind you of who or what you lost—like a place or a photo. We’ll start small, helping you face those reminders in a way that feels safe, until they don’t hurt as much (Bryant et al., 2014). - Finding Meaning Again
Life might feel empty now, but we’ll help you rebuild it—maybe by honoring your loved one or rediscovering what matters to you (Shear et al., 2016). - Calming the Storm
When emotions get big, we’ll teach you easy tricks—like slow breathing or relaxing your body—to feel steadier (O’Connor, 2019).
How Long Does It Take?
Everyone is different, and that’s okay. For uncomplicated grief, you might start feeling better in 5-10 sessions. If we find that you are suffering from complicated grief, it could take 16-20 sessions, based on what works best for more complex cases (Shear et al., 2011). Some people see a significant improvement after just one focused session, especially for sudden loss (Bryant et al., 2014). Our aim is not to make grief disappear— grief is part of your story, a celebration for the love that you had for the person or relationship you lost—but to help you carry it in a way that allows you to somply live again.
In Conclusion
Grief is personal—it’s about the love you had and the pain of losing it. You don’t have to figure it out alone. In this, we can only walk with you and offer a warm, proven way to heal, using Cognitive and Behavioural Techniques to guide you through. As one expert puts it, grief shows how much you cared, and we’ll honor that while helping you find and regain your peace.
If loss is weighing you down, reach out. It might feel hard now, but with support, it can get easier.