One of the many services Journey Hospice and Palliative Care provides is bereavement counseling. This service is available to patients and to their loved ones. For many people, the grieving process begins before the loss. This is known as “anticipatory grief.” Our grief counselors can work with the patient’s loved ones before and after their loved one passes away. Here are some of the ways we can help.

1. Learn about how grief can affect you and others in your life. If you have never experienced the loss of someone you were very close to, your first experience with grief can be overwhelming, confusing, and possibly even a little scary. Many people have no idea what to expect from grief until it hits them, and are then startled by the thoughts, feelings and behaviors they experience. Not only that, but every loss is unique. So, even if you have lost someone near and dear to you before, you can still be thrown off balance by the next loss of a loved one. A bereavement counselor can educate you about grief, answer your questions, and reassure you that what you are feeling is normal. There is no way to overstate how valuable this can be when you are trying to navigate something as complex and powerful as grief.
2. Discover tools for coping with grief and processing loss. Along with helping you to understand grief, your bereavement counselor can give you tools for working through it and handling the challenging emotions. This could include relaxation techniques, meditation, art therapy, cognitive reframing, grief management strategies, or other tools that can give you a different perspective on grief or help you manage your emotions. You cannot rush the grieving process, and avoiding it does not help. The sooner you engage with it, the sooner you will be able to get back to feeling more like yourself.
3. Talk to someone who will not judge you. Family and friends can often be excellent support when you are grieving. But sometimes, that isn’t the case. Another person dealing with their own grief may not be as emotionally available as they usually are, for example. Or they may not understand your emotions or how you are managing your grief, because they are experiencing it so differently. Sometimes, you just need to talk to someone who doesn’t have the same high emotional stakes in the situation that you do, and who understands the diverse ways that people can experience and cope with grief. A bereavement counselor can listen while you talk about your loved one, share memories, and discuss your thoughts and feelings. They won’t judge you. They’ll just be a patient, kind, accepting witness, and offer you their thoughts if you want to hear their perspective.
4. Access support groups and set up memorial services. If you want to talk with other people who are experiencing grief, your bereavement counselor can help you find a support group of people going through similar experiences as you are. They can also connect you with memorial services so you can honor your loved one in a way that is true to their memory and wishes.

Journey Provides Grief Counseling and More in Burbank, CA

Processing grief isn’t easy, whether you are grieving the loss of your own life or that of a loved one. But you don’t have to go through it alone. To learn how we can help you and your family, please contact us today at (818) 748-3427 to schedule a consultation. We provide hospice services throughout the Burbank area.