Grief and Loss

Grief is the emotion we feel at times of significant loss. This loss can be the death of a loved one; a relationship breakdown; a failed pregnancy; infertility; the loss of a job or role; or the loss of ability.

Countless books tell us that losing a loved one will take us through many stages of grief. However, anyone who has lost a loved one and experienced grief knows that coping with grief is not clear-cut or simple, and that sometimes “stages of grief” can change from moment to moment.

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We experience grief as an emotional “roller coaster” which may include feelings of disbelief, anger, shock, numbness, relief, confusion, sadness, and guilt. When we are grieving we also often experience sleeplessness, loss of pleasure, and loss of appetite.

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There is no right way to grieve. No matter where you are in your process, sometimes it’s helpful to have a safe space removed from friends and family to be honest about what you’re going through. To process your feelings and to express them in whatever way you need to. That’s where grief counselling comes in.

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At Atan Therapy, we believe that emotional freedom and health are directly related to one’s ability to effectively cope with grief and loss. Therefore, we aim to reduce avoidance of emotional discomfort associated with grief and to increase acceptance and tolerance of it. This process requires a unique set of skills that are learnable through therapy, including distress tolerance skills, acceptance skills, self-soothing skills, and skills to tolerate uncertainty.