Grieving is your natural response when you experience a significant loss. The grief process is different for everyone. Some manage it through support from family, friends, or their community. Others find professional help more beneficial. There is no single “best” way to work through grief, but it is a good idea to get support from wherever you feel comfortable.

Grief Counseling

When you experience a significant loss, it can impede your ability to perform regular daily functions. If this happens, you should seek help from a medical professional right away. Grief counseling can help you in several areas, including:

• Focusing on the most difficult parts of your life.
• Figuring out ways to help you re-join your regular daily life
• Helping you accept the loss
• Finding comfort in the good memories instead of focusing on the loss
• Providing a safe environment for you to work through your grief
• Helping you understand the various stages of grief and that what you’re feeling is natural

Support Group

A support group is another great way to help someone who has experienced significant loss. Support groups are typically made up of other individuals who are going through a similar situation. Being part of a group like that helps those who are grieving not feel so alone. Other benefits of support groups include:

• Discussing feelings of grief with others who are experiencing similar feelings helps grieving individuals realize that their feelings are completely normal.
• People in support groups often share information that can help fellow group members. For example, a support group for those with cancer might share research findings about helping loved ones through the chemotherapy process.
• Participating in support group discussions can give those who are grieving a safe place to let out emotions that others probably won’t understand.

Moving On

Those who experience a traumatic loss may take a significant amount of time to heal, but they can move on. In a lot of ways, moving on is exactly what helps them heal. It may take time, but if you put the work in, you really can make it through the loss. You may not be the same person you were before, but you eventually find a “new normal”.

Welcome to Family Service Foundation, Inc.!

Family Service Foundation, Inc. has been serving the greater Maryland area since 1936. This nonprofit organization helps Maryland residents across a span of different areas such as mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse, and provides interpretation for deaf and deaf-blind individuals. To learn more about cerebral palsy or other developmental disabilities, visit here. Do you “Follow” and “Like?” Be sure to stay active on our official pages on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest today!