GriefcounselingwithTalkspaceonlinetherapy

Grief counseling, or bereavement therapy, is a therapy approach created to help people deal with loss. A grief counselor helps the person develop strategies and coping skills to help ease their loss. Grief counseling helps people move through the stages of mourning and toward feeling better.

Grieving looks different for everyone, but it generally includes one or more identified stages of grief, like denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Grieving can include feelings of sadness, loss, anger, and more after a loss of someone or something important to you. You may find it harder to keep your normal routine, have feelings of depression, experience self-harm, or blame yourself.

Grief counseling works by helping you move through the sadness or depression, anger, anxiety, and guilt you might be experiencing. Then, you can learn coping strategies, and find a supportive space to share and process your feelings so you can begin to move forward.

There’s no specific level of grief you need to reach to know if you need grief counseling. It’s a personal choice. However, if you’re struggling to come to terms with a loss and it’s affecting your life, it may be time to reach out.

Many insurance providers cover grief therapy as a covered benefit, although some plans may require that you use an in-network provider to find a therapist. Even if your insurance doesn’t cover it, there are free, low-cost, or no-cost options in some locations, and online grief counseling can be very cost-effective even when paying out of pocket. More insurance plans are covering therapy or counseling, so check with your insurance company to confirm your specific coverage details.

Some Talkspace therapists offer grief counseling in their practice and can help you deal with loss. Plans include the ability to message with your therapist daily, and some include live sessions (video, audio, text).

There are several online grief counseling approaches that are effective. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), traumatic grief therapy, and complicated grief therapy are four of the more common therapy approaches. Depending on your circumstance and the type of grief you’re experiencing, counseling sessions can either be conducted through individual counseling or with a grief support group.