Talking with a mental health professional about loss and grieving can be helpful in many ways. Some mental health professionals specialize in the grieving and bereavement process which can be useful when coping with a traumatic or complicated loss. Since grieving is a normal part of the human condition, most therapists are equipped and skilled to help their clients navigate their individual grieving process.
Some people may experience “complicated grief” during which they feel stuck in persistent, unrelenting despair and functional impairment that warrants seeking help from a mental health professional. If someone has the following symptoms in a prolonged manner they may be experiencing what’s known as Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder:
Intense sadness and emotional pain
Feelings of emptiness and hopelessness
Yearning to be reunited with the deceased
Preoccupation with the deceased or with the circumstances of the death
Difficulty engaging in happy memories of the lost person
Avoidance of reminders of the deceased
A reduced sense of identity
Detachment and isolation from surviving friends and family
Lack of desire to pursue personal interests or plans
The symptoms listed above are consistent with and mimic a Major Depressive Disorder which may require clinical intervention in order for the healthy grieving process to resume.
Congratulations; you’ve made the decision to consider online therapy. My goal here is to provide more clarity about the experience from my perspective as a therapist, my professional experiences working with individuals online, and what you can expect from an online visit.
How do we find a way to carry our grief for our loved one and find joy in the present? This question is one that I often get asked. I am very open about the fact that I lost a son to cancer 20 years ago, and that loss has shaped me into the person and clinician I am today.
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