Bereavement refers specifically to the process of recovering from the death of a loved one. Grief is a reaction to any form of loss. Both encompass a range of feelings from deep sadness to anger, and the process of adapting to a significant loss can vary dramatically from one person to another.
Everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. Some people recover from grief and resume normal activities within six months, though they continue to feel moments of sadness. Others may feel better after about a year, and sometimes people continue to grieve for years without seeming to improve or find relief even temporarily.
When a person’s grief-related thoughts, behaviors, or feelings are extremely distressing, unrelenting, or incite concern, a qualified mental health professional may be able to help.
A therapist might help the bereaved find different ways to maintain healthy connections with the deceased through memory, reflection, ritual, or dialogue about the deceased and with the deceased.
In addition to individual therapy, group therapy can be helpful for those who find solace in the reciprocal sharing of thoughts and feelings, and recovery results are often rapid in this setting. Similarly, family therapy may be suitable for a family whose members are struggling to adapt to the loss of a family member.
The Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center offers grief support and counseling for both hospice families and anyone in the community. The professional and caring staff can bring comfort and understanding which will help you and your family through difficult times. The counselors at the center offer individual counseling and ongoing support groups.
The month of April marks the one-year anniversary of finding a permanent home for the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center on 5 Plains Road in Augusta. The Center also operates satellite offices in Hackettstown and Milford, PA.
If you know of anyone who could benefit from out services, please give them our phone number, 973-948-2283. One phone call can make the difference.
Cecelia Clayton, MPH, executive director at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice will be presenting a 4-part lecture series for those living with grief. Pre-registration is required as walk-ins will not be accepted. You can learn more about the series and register online at KarenAnnQuinlanHospice.org/
It’s good to learn more about who can benefit from grief counseling. I like how you said that when the grief is unrelenting, it’s time to get professional help. My brother is struggling with his sadness from our dad’s death, and I’m worried about him. I’ll have to tell him to try this.
Thanks for pointing out that group therapy can be helpful for someone who enjoys reciprocal sharing of feelings. I have a friend from my church group whose mother recently passed away, and her entire family has been struggling with it. They’re a close family who usually share everything with each other, so I think they might really thrive in a group therapy environment. I’ll definitely give my friend a call to see if she’ll consider group grief counseling for her family.
I like the idea of getting group therapy to help find solace in sharing thoughts and feelings with people who can relate, like you said. It seems like that could be very beneficial. It would especially be nice if you are dealing with grief.
I didn’t realize that it may take some years before they fell recovered from the grief of loosing someone. My father recently passed and the kids have noticed that our mother is dealing with some intense grief. I will have to mention the idea of speaking to a therapist and see if that is something my mother would be willing to do.