Grief is a universal response to loss, yet its intensity and duration vary widely. In therapy, we differentiate between normal bereavement which are marked by waves of sadness that gradually lessen and complicated grief, where symptoms persist beyond six months and interfere with daily functioning.

Evidence-based approaches such as EMDR, Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), and grief-specific CBT protocols provide structured pathways through the pain.

EMDR for grief uses bilateral stimulation to process distressing memories and unprocessed emotions linked to loss.

In session, clients identify a target memory (such as hearing about a loved one’s passing), rate the associated emotional disturbance, and then engage in sets of eye movements while holding the memory in mind. Over successive sets, the intensity decreases, and clients report relief and new insights about coping.

Emotion-Focused Therapy helps clients access and articulate primary emotions such as sadness, anger, guilt, within a safe therapeutic relationship. By guiding clients to express unfinished business with the deceased (through imagery or letters) and to integrate their new self-identity without their loved one, EFT fosters acceptance and adaptation.

Grief-focused CBT combines psychoeducation, exposure, and cognitive restructuring. Clients create a “grief timeline” to chart the loss and associated emotions, systematically confronting avoided reminders (such as visiting meaningful places) to desensitize distress. Cognitive interventions address unhelpful beliefs (“I should have prevented their death”) by evaluating evidence and developing balanced alternatives (“I did everything I could”).

Tips for supporting your healing:

Allow yourself permission to feel a full range of emotions - sadness, anger, relief
Maintain regular routines: sleep, meals, and social connections provide stability.
Engage in commemorative activities- planting a tree, creating a photo album- to honor memories
Seek group support through bereavement circles to share experiences and reduce isolation

If grief becomes all-consuming or persistent, our grief support services offer individualized EMDR, EFT, and CBT plans to guide you toward renewed meaning and functioning.