Grief Counselling and Therapy in Calgary

Grief and Loss

Grief is the devastating pain that accompanies the loss of something meaningful. Grief is a natural, inevitable and inescapable part of life and the human experience. Grief can be experienced in a wide rage of situations, including the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, retirement, loss of a beloved pet, a break-up, divorce, loss of a friendship, a miscarriage, an illness, financial loss, or loss of a personal dream.

Grief is a different and unique experience for every person and different people deal with grief in different ways. You may experience intense yearning and longing, devastating sadness, and distress and despair. You may experience frequent thoughts and memories of the loss or feel alone or detached. Maybe you feel a sense of emptiness, anger, bitterness or guilt. Maybe you experience disbelief or shock, a loss of identity, or loss of interest in activities and friends. For some people, grief may involve symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Grief can be like a roller coaster of emotions—without a set time frame for when the ride ends. Feelings related to your loss may never completely go away, however, over time grief softens, and most people eventually recover from a loss on their own. Sometimes that doesn’t happen, and people continue to struggle or get stuck in acute grief in a way that stops them from being able to live their life in a meaningful way. If you feel like you need help coping with grief or a loss, therapy may be right for you.