Grief can result from a lot of different situations, including divorce, trauma, or the loss of a loved one. The most difficult grief is usually the death of a child or spouse. If not addressed, this grief can result in depression or physical ailments. Because of this, grief counseling is important.

Though there is no definite period of time that it takes for people to cope with grief and loss, there are typically five stages that we all go through when experiencing grief. The first stage of grief is denial, which is a feeling of numbness that we feel, as well as not being able to fathom the idea that the person is no longer here. The next stage is anger in which a client may feel a need to lash out at someone or blame someone else, even God, for the loss. From there, one moves to the third stage, bargaining. This involves us trying to negotiate a way to reverse the situation, such as promising God that we will do something different. Though realistically we know this is not feasible, it gives us some hope. The fourth stage is depression. Clients may feel hopeless, helpless, and lonely. Working with a therapist at this point is important in order help ensure that one does not neglect his/her responsibilities or damage relationships due to the overwhelming sadness and uncertainty that accompanies depression. The final stage is acceptance, in which the client begins to understand that the loss is part of life and they can move on with their lives in a healthy way. Caring and compassionate grief counseling can help one sort out the multitude of emotions that are experienced. Not everyone will go through these stages at the same pace, and these stages may not be relevant to everyone.