Compassionate Care and Support to Process Your Loss

There’s No Wrong or Right Way to Grieve

In life, we cultivate relationships with the people and things we love. When we lose these relationships, we suffer a significant loss. In particular, the loss of a loved one can be emotionally devastating. The death of a pet, loss of a relationship, or a miscarriage can also cause overwhelming feelings of grief. Regardless of why you are grieving, this period of loss can feel isolated and lonely.

Our grief is the natural reaction to processing the losses we inevitably experience in life. The loss of a loved one often leaves us feeling as if we are the only person who understands our pain or that our sorrow and sadness we feel will never end. However, you do not have to face your grief alone. At The Juniper Center, we’re here to provide you and your loved ones with a safe space to help you process your emotions during this challenging chapter in your life.

Grief in the Face of COVID-19

Grief is a complex process. It can include the longer process of having to say goodbye, or it can arrive suddenly after an extended period of time. Grief can cause emotions ranging from sadness and disbelief to anger, anxiety, and guilt. When left unmanaged, these emotions can impact your mental health, relationships, physical health, and quality of life.

On top of all of these emotions and feelings, many of us are processing our loss during a global pandemic. These losses include lost loved ones, lost jobs, lost patterns in life, and so much more. Many of us aren’t able to find the closure we need through the societal norms of wakes, Shivas, and funerals, as the pandemic has interrupted these gatherings to stop the spread of the virus. “We’re not being allowed to go through or finish the steps we’ve designed as a culture to process grief,” says Kate Willamska, LCSW with The Juniper Center Counseling and Therapy. “That can overwhelm our self-regulation pattern and cause stress or even PTSD.”

On the other hand, societal expectations for grief can be limiting for individuals who experience loss differently. “Being at home and isolated gives the okay to grieve more, the space to indulge feelings”, says Elizabeth Berland, LPC at The Juniper Center. “We can delve into it and take the time to grieve, whereas before, we may have been too busy,” she adds. However, “it’s a double-edged sword, as the isolation also means any support or connection may be virtual, with no physical comfort.”

Compassionate Solutions to Process Your Grief

Both Kate and Elizabeth acknowledge that there’s no one right way to grieve. Grief counseling is designed to help you or a loved one cope with the emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and cognitive response associated with a loss. Together with your grief counselor, you will work to arrive at a place of peace and healthy acceptance.

Counseling for Grief Helps Individuals Process

• Intense feelings of emptiness and sadness
• Feeling withdrawn, isolated, numb, or apathetic
• Guilt
• Anger
• Disbelief
• Complicated emotions associated with your loss
• Changes in energy levels and focus
• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Personal mortality

Helping You Live Your Best Life

Grief is a very personal process. We each experience and process our loss in our own way. We each have our own approach to cope with our grief. Grief Counseling is designed to help our clients develop the coping skills they need to process the thoughts, emotions, feelings, and challenges unique to their loss.

At The Juniper Center, we understand it takes courage to ask for help, and you don’t have to process your grief alone. Using a combination of psychotherapy and compassionate care, we empower our clients to navigate their grief, coming to terms with their loss. We are passionate about helping individuals find the solutions they need to process their grief in a manner that brings them their version of resolution and peace.

What matters to you, matters to us. Contact a member of our team to schedule your no-obligation consultation today. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you on your journey.