The Benefits of Bereavement Support Groups

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Loss is one of the most difficult aspects of the human experience. Few things can leave you as confused, torn, lost, lonely, and devastated as losing someone you love. In light of Nassau Guidance and Counseling Center’s new bereavement group services, today we’ll take a look at some of the benefits of grief support groups and how they facilitate healing after loss.

grief, depression, and Moving Forward

Bereavement is the act of mourning and grieving the loss of someone who was very important to you. It could be the death of a friend, relative, parent, child, or spouse, or even that of a beloved pet. grief, however, is not limited to death; ending a relationship can also trigger deep feelings of sorrow, grief, and anguish. Following the loss, a person might feel aimless, hopeless, or as if everything is unreal. Daily life may become difficult, as functioning with the huge weight of sorrow can feel nearly impossible.

Often, the process of grieving does not begin immediately after loss. Some people think they’ve “dealt with it,” and bottle up their feelings. This can result in depression that lingers for months or even years after someone is gone. In this case, another loss can trigger unresolved feelings from the past. In one instance, a client of Nassau Guidance began experiencing the grief over her mother’s death once she began divorce proceedings with her husband. Her mother had died nearly thirty years prior. The sadness, pain, and grief had stayed with her over all those years, waiting to be resolved.

Healing Together

Grieving takes time. As people move in and out of the stages of grief, they may need some social support and a sense of community to help see them through. Bereavement groups offer a safe and supportive environment for people to process the loss, come to terms with their feelings, and move forward into a healthier life.

The support group offers a community of people going through similar experiences as you. Although all your stories are different, the feelings are often much alike; there is the same denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and goal of acceptance. With the help of a therapist skilled in grief counseling, you and others like you can work together to support each other and move through the pain of loss into a future that treats the memory of your loved one with respect – and allows you to move on.

We have found that these groups can be an incredibly healing and powerful experience. For more information regarding bereavement group services, contact Nassau Guidance and Counseling Center at (516) 221-9494 today.

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