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Grief and Loss Counseling
When someone you love dies, it can leave you feeling like your whole world
has turned upside down. Grief can impact your life and the lives of those around you. It can also be so painful to watch someone you love grieve and not know how to help them. Coming to a therapist can help you to sort through your feelings and emotions related to your loss.
Our therapist Crystal Buchmann, MS, LPC has had many years of experience working with all ages, as young as 4 and as old as 80 years old unpack their grief.
How do I know if I need grief counseling?
Grief impacts all areas of your life. It can impact how you feel:
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physically (fatigue, nausea, stomach aches)
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mentally (lack of concentration at school or work, decision fatigue)
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emotionally (persistent anxiety, irritability toward others, sadness)
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spiritually (“Why did this happen?” “What do I do now?”)
You or your child might need grief counseling if any one of those areas becomes so disrupted that it interferes with day-to-day living.
Talking through your feelings after your loved one has died can help you to function a little more easily and accomplish daily tasks.
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Is my child or teen too young for grief counseling?
Every child grieves, no matter how young they are. Their grief can present as:
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tantrums, defiance/stubbornness, anger or irritability
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over reacting to seemingly small things that would not have bothered them before.
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withdrawal
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sleep disturbances
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concentration/attention issues
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physical symptoms, such as a headache or stomach ache
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spending more time with friends or on social media to “escape”
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not wanting to do things they always looked forward to before
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sadness sometimes, totally fine at other times
Talk therapy or a practical skills-based approach with activities can help your child to work through those thoughts and feelings that they are having a hard time putting words to. With them figuring out how to articulate how they feel, they can better express their needs to you so you can better help them at home and at school.
What should I expect during my first counseling session?
You can expect:
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weekly sessions with the therapist
they will last around 45-60 minutes.
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the first session is usually taken up with intake paperwork discussing basic personal and health information as well as putting together a treatment plan with a list of potential goals you want to work on. Don’t worry, the therapist helps you with this!
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to go at your own pace. Start talking where you feel comfortable.
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If this is your first time coming to counseling, the therapist will ask questions to help prompt you.
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When coming in for grief counseling, tears are an appropriate expression of how you feel and it’s okay to cry in session. You don’t have to feel like you need to hold them in here. It’s a safe space to explore the wide range of emotions you feel when you are grieving.
Will I be kept informed about what is being worked on and my child’s progress?
If you are a parent bringing in your child or teen for the first time, you are invited to come back for the first session. Depending on the age of the child, you will provide the basic personal information for the intake. Subsequent session’s parents are invited in periodically to update the therapist about progress or decline in the child or teen’s behaviors.
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It is important for the therapist to have one-on-one time with the child or teen without Mom or Dad there to build rapport and trust so the child/teen can feel the freedom to express their own feelings and emotions unfiltered.
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Confidentiality is a concern however with children 14 years old and older. Some information your child shares with the therapist in session may be limited to you due to the confidentiality law starting at the age of 14. However, open communication with one’s parents is encouraged by the therapist to our teen clients.
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There are limits to confidentiality. In such cases as the 14+ year old indicates that they are a danger to themselves or to someone else, confidentiality will be broken and action will be taken in the form of a parent being notified or, if necessary, the authorities.