Online Grief Therapy

Grief is a natural and often profound response to any form of loss that significantly impacts an individual's life. While most commonly associated with the death of a loved one, grief can stem from a multitude of causes, including:

• Death of a loved one: This includes family members, friends, pets, and even public figures.
• Loss of a relationship: Such as divorce, separation, or the ending of a significant friendship.
• Loss of a job or career: This can involve the loss of identity, financial security, and daily routine.
• Major life transitions: Moving to a new city, retirement, or children leaving home can all evoke feelings of grief.
• Loss of health or physical ability: Experiencing a chronic illness, disability, or a decline in physical function.
• Loss of a dream or expectation: When life doesn't turn out as planned, it can lead to a grieving process.
• Traumatic events: Experiencing or witnessing a trauma can lead to a loss of safety, innocence, or a sense of normalcy.

Recognizing the specific cause of your grief is an important step in understanding and beginning your healing journey.

• Bereavement: Loss of a loved one (family member, friend, pet)
• Anticipatory Grief: Grieving a loss before it occurs (e.g., terminal illness)
• Disenfranchised Grief: Loss that isn't openly acknowledged or socially supported (e.g., miscarriage, loss of a public figure)
• Ambiguous Loss: A loss that lacks clear resolution or understanding (e.g., a missing person, a loved one with dementia)
• Grief related to significant life changes: Loss of a job, a relationship, a dream, or a sense of identity.

Recognizing the different forms of grief is the first step toward finding effective support. Our online grief counselors are here to help you identify and address your unique experience.

It's important to clarify that grief itself, while a profound experience, is not formally a mental health disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). However, prolonged or complicated grief, or grief that leads to other mental health conditions, can be assessed and addressed.

Our licensed mental health professionals at Doctor On Demand assess your experience through a comprehensive virtual consultation. They will:

• Listen to your experiences: You'll have a safe space to share your feelings, symptoms, and the nature of your loss.
• Evaluate your symptoms: Your provider will look for patterns and intensity of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors associated with your grief.
• Rule out other conditions: They will differentiate between typical grief responses and symptoms that may indicate conditions like major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, or complicated grief disorder, which are diagnosable.
• Assess impact on daily life: They will discuss how your grief is affecting your daily functioning, relationships, work, and overall well-being.

Based on this assessment, your provider will develop a personalized treatment for grief plan, which may include online grief therapy, coping strategies, and if necessary, medication for grief and loss if co-occurring conditions are present. Our goal is to provide supportive care that helps you navigate your unique grief journey.