Dani and Anna, who are both therapists specializing in grief, discuss their experiences and challenges related to grief therapy. The conversation delves into the complexities of grief, the emotional depth it brings to therapy, and the importance of making space for different types of grief. They urge listeners to seek support, emphasizing the transformative power of having someone to share the burden of grief, whether through therapy, support groups, or spiritual guidance.

When someone we love is grieving, most of us freeze. We're not taught how to help, and our discomfort gets in the way. This post offers practical, compassionate ways to show up—without relying on worn-out phrases or emotional guesswork.

We worked together on and off for the next three years. Though I’m not sure she would have identified as a relational therapist, I never had to guess what she was thinking. Linda didn’t beat around the bush. If she had a question, she asked it. If she had an opinion, she shared it. She openly identified as a feminist, a supporter of creative Judaism, and progressive politics. That gave me permission to bring those parts of myself into the room, too.

Without saying the words, she made it clear I could feel everything, on no timeline but my own. A typical session often included some tears and a bellyache from laughing. With Linda, I learned to drop the script—what I thought others expected of me, what I expected of myself. And in return, I let myself feel the full impact of her care. She told me she was proud of how much I’d grown and that she believed I was a true addition to the field of social work. Because of our work, I was able to believe her.

Losing a pet (dog, cat, fish, horse, truly any creature) is losing a major relationship in your life. You mourn what they meant. You miss their presence. Wish for their smell. Weep when you reach for them only to suddenly remember - they’re gone. It’s no different than losing a human and all the agonizing gut-wrenching aches that come with that.

Being with those who are grieving is one of the most powerless feelings…If you haven’t experienced loss yourself (or even if you have!), it can be hard to know how to support others who are grieving their own losses. Read on for tips on how to support a loved one who’s navigating loss.

Loss is extraordinarily painful and real. There is no pain quite like that of losing someone you love. It’s a pain you cannot know until you do, and then you can’t un-know it, no matter how badly you might want to. In western culture, the depth of pain one feels in loss is also uncomfortable and unwelcome—people just don’t want to think about it. It’s unyielding weight is very quickly considered impolite, and our cultural push toward collective denial can be so painful for those in the midst of a loss who can no longer deny its existence.

The past two years have been difficult for people worldwide due to the pandemic. Virtually no corner of society has escaped the grief of COVID-19. For many of those with deceased loved ones, coming to terms with their passing can be extremely difficult. Many also did not receive adequate social, mental, and emotional support during their bereavement. Read more about the importance of grief counseling in a post-pandemic world.

One of the most significant trials of living with (not fighting against) chronic illness is encountering, processing, and then re-encountering loss over and over again. Having chronic illness also means encountering uncertainty and tolerating not knowing what will happen…Every. Single. Day. Read more from Kaitlin on managing grief and disappointment as a spoonie.