Christian Counseling for Grief and Loss

One of the constant things in life is experiencing loss either of someone you loved, health or dreams that never came true. And while grieving is a process, it is also learned. One has to give time for oneself to grieve properly in order to heal and one need not go through it alone.

Persons who are grieving report feeling alone, ensnared in their sorrow, yearning, and regret. If you have experienced loss and have been grieving endlessly, then maybe it is time to get help through Christian counseling.

At Culver City Christian counseling for grief and loss, we provide you the support you need for you to process your grieving and finally heal through the power of Jesus Christ. Your counselors are kind professionals who have extensive experience when it comes to people who want to move on, find joy, hope, and peace once again after suffering loss and grief.

Perhaps losing a loved is one of the most distressing life events in a person’s life. Our loved ones have profound effects on us in that they shape who we are; that when they are no longer part of our lives, it feels like there is a gaping hole left in our hearts that is hard to fill again. Losing these people whom we dearly love can significantly change our lives.

Jill was no stranger to death and knew that her mother wouldn’t live forever, but she did not expect her to be gone so soon. Her life completely changed when her mom died unexpectedly in a car accident. Helen had always lived a healthy life and so Jill was completely unprepared to lose her. Helen exercised regularly, and on the morning of her death, she was at the gym early to get her workout in.

She had rescheduled her exercise time because Jill had planned to come over to her house to have lunch and to help her dig up her flower beds. After she had finished the workout she walked out the front door of the gym to cross the street to her car. She never saw the car that hit her. Jill got the call about her mother’s death while she was out picking up take-out Chinese food for the two of them.

Loss isn’t just about death but it can also come in other forms. The grief that follows is a response to the loss we experienced which is characterized by feelings of sorrow, rage, guilt, and yearning. The term “bereavement” means grief that is related to losing a someone you love.

Grief, in general, is a term used for losing something or someone, for example, the death of a member of a family, dear friend, pet, a romantic or otherwise valued relationship, grave illness of yourself or someone close to you, loss of physical function, life-altering events, unfulfilled goals or dreams.

In this period of loss and grief, you may also find yourself feeling like God is absent in your life, doubting His existence (or even your very own), and feeling extremely lonely. The good news is that you need not go through grief all by yourself. God is close to the brokenhearted and as you cast your anxieties upon Him, He will give you peace even in the midst of the storms. At Culver City Christian Counseling, we firmly believe in how faith is able to heal the aching heart through Christian counseling. The counselors at Culver City Christian Counseling are ready to help you gain the strength to move on not just through professional counseling but also through God’s wisdom through His Word.

Any person who is going through any kind of loss will stand to benefit Christian counseling. Because the loss and grief can sometimes manifest into physical symptoms, violent behavior and strong negative emotions, Christian counseling is indeed recommended and proven helpful especially that one may get entangled in the ropes of grief for a long time. Being in this kind of situation can result to feeling detached from others and just focusing or wallowing in your grief.

Jill was racked with guilt, and how was she supposed to tell her son? She relied on her mother’s wisdom and sense of calm. How could she go on without her? Jill felt empty. Her mother had been relatively young – you weren’t supposed to lose a parent until they were much older. She still needed Helen’s stabilizing presence.

No person is immune to the pain of losing someone they love to death. While some people are able to grieve properly and move on their own, while others like Jill are unable to process their grief especially when there are hosts of other emotions such as guilt, confusion, and dysfunctional depression related to the loss of a loved one in play. This is where Christian counseling for grief and loss is very important for healing and recovery.

The cloud of darkness of grief can sometimes make us not think straight. How then do you decide when to seek Christian counseling for grief and loss? If you find that you are experiencing the following, then it may be time to seek help:

Culver City Christian counseling for grief and loss will help you by giving you a warm, supportive and caring environment where you will work with experienced Christian counselors who will help you through your grief at your own pace.

The extreme emotions that are a direct result of grief can have a significant effect on the person’s emotional and mental condition. Worse, it can result in a person no longer being able to return to their normal life.

As time went on, Jill recognized that she wasn’t coping with the loss the same way as her family. Everyone else appeared carrying on with their lives. Jill was not. She quit a job that she had formerly loved so much and even the daily tasks of motherhood were a struggle. She felt trapped by the powerful anger, self-blame, and depression that filled her. Helen had been her source of strength. Jill felt empty and like she had no control over anything.

Jill’s grief turned into a revolving door of negativity, thinking thoughts such as, “If I hadn’t insisted she reschedule her workout she’d still be alive,” “This is all my fault,” and, “I can’t believe she’s gone – I just can’t function without her.”

These thoughts are typical of grief. Christian counseling for grief and loss will teach you to handle your emotions in a way that promotes health so that you can free yourself from destructive thought patterns and behaviors.

The following are examples of thoughts related to grief:

The following are behaviors related to grief:

Everyone has their own way and pace of grieving. Some people are able to process their grieving over an average period of six months and are able to fully get back on their feet and into their normal lives but still have sudden bursts of sadness. Others take an average of a year while unfortunately for some, it takes quite a number of years and has only short moments of respite from the overwhelming sadness that they feel.

Grief can further be problematic when it is coupled with clinical depression, consecutive loss, or the degree to which the person is dependent on the loved one. At Culver City Christian Counseling, the counselors will help you by meeting where you are at your grieving period and help you discover ways on how to finally begin healing and recovering.

There is a common pattern in how people go through grieving. Some people go through the pattern in consecutive order, while others skip one stage or relapse on the previous stage. The following are the stages of grief:

Denial – “This isn’t happening.”

Anger – “This is your fault.”

Bargaining – “I’ll do anything to keep this from happening.”

Depression – “I can’t deal with the sadness.”

Acceptance – “This is real, and I’m going to be okay.”

Grief is a natural response and a process that each person must go through. But grieving is best experienced and learned when it is done in community. Some people are able to cope with their emotions and progress to healing and fully move on with their lives.

There are those who are no longer able to cope with the negative emotions that come with grief and are not able to resolve each stage of grieving. As a result, they are no longer able to function as they did before and show no signs of progress even after a year has passed after the loss. The following are signs that a person is experiencing Complicated Grief:

There are many causes of complicated grief. The person’s surroundings and mental state, such as clinical depression, can make it harder to heal and move on. Christian counseling for grief and loss is then an essential intervention for complicated grief.

If how you lost your loved one was in a tragic, violent or sudden way, then you are experiencing a traumatic loss. This kind of loss can be very hard to withstand and may leave you physically, emotionally and mentally drained. The impact of traumatic loss can result in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the symptoms are the following:

Losing a loved one through a traumatic event can be very difficult and you may feel like you will never recover from it. But with the help of Christian counseling and the passing of time, eventually, you are able to deal with the raging emotions of grief, heal, recover and move on. If you are experiencing PTSD, then the counselors at Culver City Christian counseling are ready to help.

At Culver City Christian Counseling, we have supported people in recovering after significant losses in their lives. The counselors at Culver City Christian Counseling are always available to you.

People who are experiencing a great deal of grief and are having harmful thoughts, emotions and behaviors can benefit from Christian counseling. Christian counseling for grief and loss can either be done individually or in a support group setting where you are placed in a group comprised of people who are also dealing with their own losses.

Jill’s husband suggested that she attend Christian counseling for grief and loss. Through counseling, Jill was able to let go of her guilt and actually grieve. Finally expressing her emotions to someone who understood her was such a relief. She grew in faith and let go of her anger. Jill found ways to honor her mother and used her mother’s memory and life lessons to help her build a stronger bond with her own daughter.

There are many Jill’s at Culver City Christian Counseling. We are dedicated to supporting people find the peace and wholeness through the healing power and loving embrace of Jesus Christ.

Through Christian counseling for grief and loss, it can help you:

There are a variety of methods employed when counseling for grief and loss. Your Christian counselor will help you process the loss and the grief and how they are impacting your life. During counseling, your counselor will help you:

There is no fixed way to counsel for grief and loss. At Culver City Christian counseling, the Christian counselors will meet you where you are at and guide you to complete healing and recovery. It is our vision, through the help of Jesus Christ healing power and love that you will find the peace and assurance that everything will be okay even in the midst of the storm.

Life is like a book with many chapters and grief is just but a chapter or two of your life. Even if it seems impossible, you will find peace and happiness once again. If you want more information about Christian counseling for grief and loss, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (949) 386-7179 or contact us online. The staff at Culver City Christian counseling is ready to assist you.