Healing from Loss: Bereavement Counseling Can Help
- Bereavement Counseling For Grief & Loss
Loss comes in different forms and for different reasons. A job loss is devastating and brings up so much pain of failure, anxiety due to the unknown and lack of routine. Grieving the loss of a loved one is shocking and painful, but is something that can be overcome.
- What Are The Stages Of Bereavement, Grief And Loss?
Although people may be familiar with the five stages of grief described by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in 1969 (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance), research has shown that we cope with grief in a dual process described by Stroebe and Schut that goes back and forth between the experience of loss (sadness, anger, yearning, crying) and the experience of restoration (feeling “normal,” joy, contentment, laughing), which gives the bereaved a break from attending to their grief.
- How Can Counseling & Psychotherapy Help With Bereavement/Grief?
Our brain is a “minimizing” organism. For example, you receive a diamond necklace and enter a euphoric feeling. Next week you look at your necklace and although you still love it, the same intense feeling is not evoked. Our brain does this to protect us against pain and suffering. Counseling helps activate this part of your brain and helps you work through your pain.
- Issues For Grief/Loss Counseling
The stress of grief and grieving can take a physical toll on your body. Sleeplessness is common, as is a weakened immune system over time. If you are living with chronic illness, grieving can worsen your condition.
Social support, good self-care, and the passage of time are usually the best medicine for grieving. But if you find that your grief is making it difficult to function for more than a week or two, contact us. Treatment can help speed your recovery.
Take the First Step Towards Change
Many clients choose to address stress through couples therapy, where we work directly on the relational patterns driving emotional overload.
Contact Marina Edelman, LMFT, today for a confidential consultation.
Learn More About Marina Edelman’s Services
You can also find more information on her Psychology Today profile: Marina Edelman – Psychology Today. Or explore resources on the AEDP Institute website: Marina Edelman – AEDP Institute
FAQ Section
Can relationship problems really cause chronic emotional overload ?
Yes. Relationship distress is one of the most significant contributors to chronic stress. Ongoing conflict, emotional disconnection, or feeling unsupported keeps the nervous system in a heightened state of alert, which can lead to anxiety, burnout, and physical symptoms over time.
Is stress management therapy different from couples therapy?
Stress management therapy often overlaps with couples therapy when stress is driven by relationship dynamics. For many clients, addressing communication patterns, emotional safety, and conflict directly within the relationship leads to more effective and lasting stress reduction.
Should we seek couples therapy if overwhelm is affecting our relationship?
Yes. If stress is contributing to frequent conflict, emotional distance, or decreased intimacy, couples therapy can help identify the patterns fueling stress and create healthier ways of relating.
Do you offer burnout counseling for individuals as well as couples?
Yes. I work with both individuals and couples. Individual therapy often focuses on stress related to relationships, emotional regulation, and personal boundaries, while couples therapy addresses shared relational dynamics.
Do you offer stress management therapy via telehealth?
Yes. I provide therapy to clients throughout California via secure telehealth, in addition to in-person sessions in Westlake Village, CA.
Serving Westlake Village, Malibu, Calabasas, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Oak Park, and surrounding areas in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and beyond in the state of California via telehealth.