Loss or anticipating future loss is extremely difficult for people of all ages to endure. Whether it is losing a job, pet, or loved one, grief is a natural response that kids, teens, and adults may face. A common recommendation for those struggling with such loss is grief counseling, but many wonder, “What is grief counseling?”

Learn more about some key grief counseling techniques, the benefits of seeking the services, and who grief counseling can help. After reading, reach out to In Balance Counseling, a compassionate counseling center in Tucson, AZ. We offer intensive outpatient and individual counseling services.

What Is Grief Counseling?

Professional counselors can help people understand grief, process a traumatic event or situation, and share their thoughts and feelings. They can experience life after loss in a healthy way and accept the situation while making space for emotions and changes. 

You might consider seeking help for your mental health if you’re in the grieving process and experiencing major depression. Grief counseling is a safe and healthy outlet for people of all ages to manage and work through their grief symptoms. It’s especially vital if someone doesn’t have social support while grieving a loss, as counseling can offer compassion and a listening ear.

Common Techniques in Grief Counseling

Grief counselors may take different approaches based on their patients and the type of loss they’ve experienced. During grief counseling, a counselor might encourage talk therapy (discussing the loss) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to change unhealthy or negative thought patterns into positive ones. Some other techniques are acceptance and commitment therapy and complicated grief treatment.

Counselors could also use mindfulness, ritual-focused counseling, or narrative therapy to help their patients grieve a loss.

How Grief Counseling Helps People

Everyone can take something different away from their grief counseling sessions. Grief counseling often helps people to:

• Live their lives with meaning
• Honor the memories of their loved ones
• Deal with reminders of their loss
• Talk about how they feel
• Understand death and loss
• Maintain and improve their current relationships
• Decrease feelings of pain, anxiety, sadness, and more
• Navigate fears and anxieties from their grief
• Work through painful feelings

Who Can Benefit From Grief Counseling?

Grief affects people in different ways, but families and individuals can benefit from grief counseling.

• Children. Kids process grief differently and may have a harder time processing a major loss. Grief counseling gives them an outlet and place to understand loss and move forward.
• Teenagers. Many teenagers struggle to cope in a healthy way while grieving, but counseling can help.
• Adults. Some adults may have a difficult time accepting life after loss and processing emotions in a healthy manner.
• Families. Family members can disconnect after a loss or gravitate toward one another — grief counseling can address challenges.

Schedule Individual Counseling Services with Tucson’s Caring Counseling Group

Now that we’ve covered “What is grief counseling?” you might be considering seeking therapy or counseling services. You can contact In Balance Counseling in Tucson, AZ, to learn more about our individual counseling services and IOPs for substance abuse. Call us at (520) 722-9631.

If you’re living with bulimia or anorexia, you might look for coping skills for eating disorders. Below, we explain nine strategies to help you cope with eating disorders.

As a compassionate provider of counseling in Tucson, our team at In Balance Counseling helps patients manage their eating disorders and live healthier and happier lives. To see what our mental health professionals can do for you, call 520-722-9631.

1. Find a Support System

No one should deal with a mental illness alone, and having a strong support system is a major factor in successful treatment. Seek help both from a mental health professional and from your friends and family. If the people in your life remain unsupportive, ask your therapist for help finding a new social circle or support group.

2. Start Journaling

Journaling helps identify latent or subconscious emotions and offers a cathartic release. For the greatest effect, write about everything ranging from your failings and complaints about your day to positive affirmations and goals for your life.

3. Prioritize Relaxation

Stress and a perceived lack of control are significant triggering factors for eating disorders. Find time each day to do something you enjoy and relax. It can be a hot bath, spending time with a coloring book, or hanging in a hammock by a lake.

4. Practice Mediation

Emotion-oriented coping refers to the process of changing the way you feel about a situation. Practicing meditation and mindfulness allows you some control over how you react to stressful situations and better mitigates the compulsions and obsessions associated with eating disorders.

5. Try Yoga

One of the best coping skills for eating disorders is practicing regular yoga. The breathing techniques and concentration on bodily movement allow your body time to process and release endorphins and other neurotransmitters that increase your feeling of well-being.

Early research suggests that regular yoga decreases depression, body dysmorphia, and anxiety.

6. Find a New Hobby

Learning a new skill or hobby can bring greater joy to your life and distract you from those urges that tempt you to relapse. Eating disorders thrive on a lack of impulse control, so occupying your mind with consistent activity reduces the frequency of those impulses.

7. Increase Socialization

Much like finding a system for support is necessary, frequently engaging in social events can help you feel more control over your life, distract you from the disorder’s impulses, and increase the encouragement and accountability available to you.

8. Avoid Diet Culture

Avoidance-oriented coping refers to removing yourself from triggering situations. Avoid places and conversations that deal with diet culture, which is a toxic mindset for anyone dealing with an eating disorder.

9. Stay Mindful of Your Habits

Task-oriented coping strategies help you solve a problem or alter a situation. Work with your support system to identify harmful habits and routines around food and change them to support your new lifestyle.

In Balance Counseling Can Help You Cope With Eating Disorders

When you need help developing coping skills for eating disorders, seeking therapy with In Balance Counseling can help. For effective and compassionate support, book an appointment by calling 520-722-9631.

Grief finds us in many different ways. Most people associate it with the death of a loved one, which is certainly true. What many people fail to realize is that all sorts of loss can bring on grief. A relationship ending, job loss, or even financial struggles can all evoke this feeling. 

Even though all sorts of circumstances cause grief, the feelings are similar. You have to learn how to move forward with your “new normal.” It’s easy to develop harmful habits while you learn how to overcome grief, but with a little mindfulness, you can navigate the grieving process while also caring for your own personal well-being.

You don’t have to cope on your own. In Balance Counseling provides compassionate grief counseling services in Tucson to help you on your journey.

1. Take Time to Process

It’s true that every person grieves differently. It’s also true that you can’t begin the grieving process without taking the time to process your trauma. Dissociating as a coping mechanism temporarily relieves the emotional pain, but it does not help you adjust to the circumstances.

Take the time to feel sadness, guilt, confusion, and any other feelings you have surrounding your loss. Once you begin to acknowledge the pain, you can start coping with grief.

2. Make Sure To Eat

When you feel extreme emotions associated with grief, you may not feel like eating at all, much less like maintaining a healthy diet. Keep food on hand that takes little to no effort from you, such as crackers, nuts, and snacks you enjoy that you can reach for to nibble on.

Even if you don’t feel hungry, if you force yourself to eat a little bit, your mind may realize that your body needs nourishment during your grieving process, and you will regain some of your appetite.

Drinking water while you’re in a state of grief is also vital. Crying dehydrates you faster than you may realize. 

3. Don’t Isolate Yourself From Loved Ones

Many people self-isolate while they try to deal with extreme emotions. Instead of avoiding friends and family, lean on them for support. Simply turning to a friend to talk about the situation is a big step in learning how to overcome grief.

If you and your family members are coping with the same type of loss, take the time to check in with each other and talk about the way your lives have changed in the wake of a tragedy. Knowing you aren’t alone can bring a sense of peace as you learn to adjust.

4. Healing Through Talk Therapy

Keep in mind that grief is not linear. You may feel fantastic one day and devastated the next. Whatever you feel is valid, and having a few sad days doesn’t mean you will feel sad forever. If you struggle with learning how to overcome grief, you could suffer from effects of emotional trauma. Seeking support can help you cope with grief. Contact In Balance Counseling in Tucson, AZ, by calling 520-722-9631 to schedule counseling to begin your healing journey.