Grief Counseling & Therapy NYC

There is no set timeframe for what is considered a normal grieving time, but if these problems last years, it is safe to say this is going beyond healthy grieving. Our therapists can help you through.

Therapy for Grief & Loss

Grief is a natural part of life and the human experience. If you have ever lost someone you loved, a family member or a friend, you must have experienced a period of time when you felt sad, lethargic, and depressed.

Maybe you had trouble sleeping, lost your appetite, and did not socialize or enjoyed some things you normally would. These are all very common signs of grief. Even though we normally associate grief with death, you can also experience grief as a result of losing a beloved pet, losing a job, getting seriously ill, or getting divorced.

Types of Therapy for Grief

There are a variety of different types of therapy that our therapists specialize in that can help grief and loss:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is the approach our NYC therapists seek to reduce the intensity and frequency of a client’s emotional pain, suffering, and self-defeating behaviors. CBT can help clients to cultivate skills leading to goal achievement and life satisfaction by assessing and treating:

  • Cognitions what we think
  • Behaviors what we do and say
  • Emotions how we feel
  • Relationships how we interact with others

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is what’s considered a “third-wave” type of therapy developed after CBT. ACT can help you learn how to drop the struggle with any negative thoughts you have, rather than trying to push them away or defeat them. By building distance between yourself and your thoughts and emotions, your symptoms will likely naturally decrease.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy was originally developed by Marsha Linehan for the treatment of individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), but has since been shown to be effective therapy for many concerns.

DBT contains four treatment modes that aim to address five functions. The four treatment modes are individual therapy, group skills training, phone coaching on an as-needed basis, and therapist consultation meetings.

The five functions of treatment include:

  1. Increasing the client’s motivation to change
  2. Enhancing the client’s capabilities
  3. Generalizing gains to the client’s larger environment
  4. Structuring the environment to reinforce the client’s gains
  5. Increasing therapist motivation and competence (Linehan, 1993a).

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a form of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).  It has been applied to various mental disorders, e.g., anxiety, anger, depression, personality disorders, eating disorders, etc. REBT was created by Dr. Albert Ellis. Al Ellis was originally trained as a psychoanalyst and began practicing psychoanalysis in New York City. After working with his patients for some time, he became dissatisfied with the lack of progress they were making. At this point he decided to return to his long-term passion, philosophy, to see if the wisdom there could benefit clients.

He developed the ABC model of emotional disturbance largely based on the work of philosophers who emphasized the role of beliefs and thinking in influencing emotional states.  The REBT ABC model is an acronym that stands for Activating Events, Beliefs, and Consequences. Consequences include both emotional consequences and behavioral consequences. REBT therefore conceptualizes emotional disturbances like anxiety, as a result of the combination of  an activating event and one’s beliefs about the activating event, the self, life and the future.

What is Grief or Loss?

There is no set timeframe for what is considered a normal grieving time, but if these problems last years, it is safe to say this is going beyond healthy grieving.  Losing a loved one, job, or marriage are a few of the situations which could elicit these symptoms.  How grief is viewed and the steps taken to overcome it vary from culture to culture.

If not treated properly, grief can be detrimental to a person’s functioning and in some cases leave them debilitated. Physical illness and hallucinations can occur in a person experiencing prolonged grief.  The best treatments are cognitive behavioral therapy and support groups.  By using these treatments a person can successfully move past the loss and learn to get on with a fully functioning life.

Common Grief Symptoms

  • Depression
  • Loss of appetite
  • Sleeping problems
  • Anger or agitation
  • Anxiety
  • Guilt, self-blame, or shame
  • Isolation or feeling like you’re alone
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Increased nightmares
  • Muscle tension
  • Headaches or stomach aches
  • Decreased immunity

Grief & Loss Specialists

Meet Our Team

Chief Operating Officer

How Therapy for Grief Works

Step one

Connect with your therapist by either completing our matching form or reaching out to our care coordinators over the phone.

Step two

Attend a 45 minute intake session, where you will get to know your chosen therapist. The point of this visit is to learn what brought you to therapy and how we can help.

Step three

In each ongoing session, you and your therapist will use trusted therapy approaches to help you develop and reach your goals. Collaboratively, you’ll connect in a safe, comfortable space to help you engage in your life in the way you want.

Contemporary care

Empathetic Experts

Our therapists and coaches have combined decades of experience and are specially trained to provide high quality, compassionate support for your health and wellbeing.

Goal oriented

We’re dedicated to using evidence-based methods to ensure you receive the most effective treatment and meet your goals.

Here to support you

personalized matching

We know that having a better relationship with your therapist leads to better outcomes, so we carefully match you with the right therapist to fit your unique needs.

compassionate care

It’s important to our therapists that you feel safe, seen, and understood in therapy. Our offices are judgment-free spaces.

Find support for grief and loss.

Many people feel alone when they’ve experienced a loss, even if connected to close friends and family. Our NYC therapists are here to help you understand the grief symptoms you are experiencing and offer coping tools to help you engage in your life again.

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