Grief Support in Virginia

The death of a loved one often causes a ripple effect on that person’s family, friends, and community. One person has died, but the effects linger on for everyone else. Those who knew and loved the deceased must figure out a way to carry on with the void left by the passing.

Of course, at Capital Caring Health, we know that carrying on is almost never actually that simple. The intensity of grief causes many people to despair. After all, how exactly does one continue living in such a radical new way, with the dynamics of family or friendship suddenly upheaved by the loss of this individual?

One answer to this is grief counseling in Richmond. Our support teams at Capital Caring Health’s Virginia locations understand that grief is unique to each person, and we are fully prepared to provide you with everything we can to see you through this difficult time.

What Does Grief Support Involve?

You have probably heard of grief counseling before, but do you know what it involves? You may have some misconceptions about what grief counseling is all about, so let us explain.

First, grief counseling does not encourage you to forget your loved one. Doing this would be to deny your feelings, as well as the existence of the person. Instead of taking your mind off the death, grief counseling is designed to help you accept what happened and begin progressing through the natural, normal stages of grief. Only by accepting your feelings can you begin to work through them, and that is a necessary part of healing.

Capital Caring Health’s grief counselors will talk to you about accepting the death, any psychological trauma you experienced during the death, and how you feel about the situation. The counselors will also discuss how to handle the major changes that will now have to take place in your life, as well as how you can manage any residual feelings you have about the death, including guilt, anger, numbness, or non-acceptance.

We admit that these aspects of grief counseling can be difficult to go through for someone who has recently experienced the death of a family member or close friend. As with any wound, physical or mental, the pain of this event will tend to get worse before improving. However, know that the best decisions you can make at this early point are to accept your feelings, discuss them with a licensed social worker or counselor, and begin working on self-care.

Self-care is vital to grieving and recovering because, in the end, how you move on after a loved one’s death will come down to you. Our grief counselors will explain that it is not a crime to feel joy or even to laugh again after the death. It does not mean you no longer care. It may simply be your body’s way of helping itself to cope. Smiling and enjoying time with those you care about can actually help you to relieve stress during this difficult time.

The bottom line of grief counseling is that, while there is no catch-all process for every grieving person, the road to recovery does lie in being honest with yourself about your feelings and recreating your life in a way that both remembers and honors the deceased. It may take six months or a year or even longer, but our Fredericksburg grief support can help. If you still need assistance after speaking with us, we are happy to refer you out to a longer-term counselor who might be able to address your needs.

Get Grief Support in Virginia with Capital Caring Health

Capital Caring Health’s Arlington grief counseling is available to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one, even if you did not previously employ our hospice services. We want our grief support services to be available to as many people as possible, which is why we maintain locations throughout Virginia. You can access our grief support in Falls Church and many more locations in the state.

We invite you to contact Capital Caring Health to begin taking advantage of our grief counseling services. Losing a loved one is never easy, but we hope, with the aid of a compassionate counselor, you can experience your grief in healthy ways and once again find meaning in your life.