Grief Counseling

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Recommended: theories of grief

Understanding grief and the grieving process may not alleviate the pain that you are experiencing right now. However, recognizing the grief process may help stop the sheer panic of not knowing what is going to happen next.
Many people use the words grief and mourning interchangeably. These two terms, though similar have different meanings. Grief is what we feel, the ache in our heart that is so hard to describe. Mourning is the action we take such as weeping, expressing our pain from the loss, or wearing black.
Webster’s 1828 English Dictionary completely defines grief in a very definitive way.

“1. The pain of mind produced by loss, misfortune, injury or evils of any kind; sorrow; regret. We experience grief when we lose a friend, when we incur loss, when we consider ourselves injured, and by sympathy, we feel grief at the misfortunes of others.
2. The pain of mind occasioned by our own misconduct; sorrow or regret that we have done wrong; pain accompanying repentance. We feel grief when we have offended or injured a friend, and the consciousness of having offended the Supreme Being, fills the penitent heart with the most poignant grief.”

The word “mourn” is poignantly defined by Mr. Webster in this way:

1. To express grief or sorrow; to grieve; to be sorrowful. Mourning may be expressed by weeping or audible sounds, or by sobs, sighs or inward silent grief.
Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep. Gen 23.
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Mat 5.
2. To wear the customary habit of sorrow.
We mourn in black.
Grieve for an hour perhaps, then mourn a year.”

Not all grief is the same and in this book we will be addressing many of the different faces of grief. There was a t...

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...e only one trapped – not them. Forgiveness is not the same as pardon, but it helps us to look at things in a different way.
Our loved ones who have passed on would never expect us to be stuck and not feel good about ourselves. It is important to take the time to feel good; to laugh; and to make new friends.
You may be tempted to blame yourself for surviving while your loved one passed away. This may somehow make sense to us even if it isn’t logical. If you are feeling this way, take some time and forgive yourself for living.
Take the time to give back. We all have some time, energy and effort we can put into others and make a difference for someone else. Getting involved makes life better, and helps us to go on. Sometimes one of the most healing things we can do for ourselves is to help someone else that is not in a position to ever repay us for our kindness.

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