A loved one has passed away and no matter how much you were prepared for it, you realize that their loss is affecting you and your family deeply. It's difficult getting back into the daily routines and you find yourself often sitting and crying softly. Grief is a normal part of the experience of losing someone you love. When you struggle to get on with your life because of the grief, it's time to get help. Here are some of the types of grief counseling you'll find available for you and your family.
Start With the Funeral Home
Most funeral homes offer some form of grief counseling. Talk with them first about the services they provide. There are a variety of ways that they can support you, so pick the type with which you and your family will be most comfortable.
"In House" Grief Counseling
Some funeral homes hire professional grief counselors to be on their staff. These counselors will have established a number of ways in which to support families who are grieving for a loved one. Some of these will include:
- Educational sessions which teach people about the different phases of grief and how they might react in each phase.
- Support groups for families to come together and share their experience of grief and how they have coped with the passing of a loved one.
- Individual sessions for family members who prefer to have one-on-one counseling for their grief issues.
Larger facilities may have staff trained in special areas of grief counseling such as working with children or emotionally challenged family members.
Contracted Grief Counseling
A funeral home may work with grief counselors in the area to provide support for you and your family. These professionals often provide the same range of services as the in-house grief counselors, including individual sessions and support groups. One difference is that these counselors may offer the services in their own offices and not in the funeral home. You'll have to decide if it's convenient for you and your family to get to the counselor's office for help.
Community Services
Some funeral homes refer families to organizations in the community that offer grief counseling. This can be a range of groups including:
- religious organizations
- non-profit groups
- private grief organizations
You may decide that you and your family will be better served by a local church that offers grief counseling that supports your particular religious belief system.
