“Grief is… a reaction to any form of loss… [that] encompass a range of feelings from deep sadness to anger, and the process of adapting to a significant loss can vary dramatically from one person to another, depending on his or her background, beliefs, relationship to what was lost, and other factors.”

Grief is an unfortunate, inevitable part of life. Sometimes losses— whether expected or untimely—can affect a person more than expected. If an individual has experienced distress or anxiety prior to the loss, or if the grief is chronic and interferes with normal functioning and daily life, Grief Counseling can help to address these intense emotions and begin the healing process.


Grief can effect many aspects of a person’s life, and can present itself in a variety of forms. This includes:

COGNITIVE & BEHAVIORAL EXPRESSIONS

  • unusual perceptional experiences

  • lack of energy

  • absent-mindedness

  • distracted/disoriented

  • diminished self-concern

  • search for meaning

  • rumination/obsession

  • identification with the deceased

  • dreams of deceased

EMOTIONS

  • despair

  • numbness

  • sadness

  • fear

  • anger

  • anxiety

  • guilt

  • loneliness

  • yearning/longing

PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS

  • sleep disturbances

  • nervousness/tension

  • exhaustion

  • immune system increased vulnerability

  • sexual desire changes

  • increased mortality rate

  • chest pains

  • feeling empty or heavy

While asking for help in the grieving process is not always easy, we are here at Pica & Associates to help you navigate through this difficult time and to help with the healing process.

For further questions about Grief Counseling, feel free to contact Dr. Pica or Dr. Gluzerman, who have both received additional, specific training in Grief Counseling and Traumatic Bereavement.

Dr. Michael Pica, PsyD

phone: (630) 549-6497 x 700 or email: pica@picaassoc.net

Dr. Tanya Gluzerman, PsyD

phone: (630) 549-6497 x 701 or email: gluzerman@picaassoc.net

RESOURCES:

1. www.positivepsychology.com/grief-counseling/

2. Counseling Grief Clients: Functional Interventions for Everyday Use (Joy R. Samuels, D.Min, LPC-MHSP, NCC)