BEREAVEMENT

The Family Resource Counseling Center (FRCC) prides itself on being a resource in the West Los Angeles area, adjacent to Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. It is a private practice therapy office providing services for infants, children, adolescents, adults, families, and couples. A variety of support and educational groups are available as well as testing and assessment. At FRCC, we provide counseling for issues of abuse and trauma, individually or in a group or family setting. We provide links below to assist you in gathering support and information.

Bereavement is a grief process experienced by people when they have lost a loved one. Whether death occurs unexpectedly or is anticipated, those who are left behind must grieve in their own way and in their own time. Bereavement is complex, for not only are you losing your loved one, you are losing your relationship to them; you are no longer a spouse, father, mother, daughter, son, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandfather, grandmother, nephew, niece or friend to them.

It is not unusual to want to avoid painful feelings of grief.  Initially after experiencing a trauma or substantial loss, our psyche and body go into shock or denial until we are more equipped to cope with our overwhelming loss. As shock wears off, reactions can include but are not limited to confusion, sadness, anger, depression, rage, suicide, mania, melancholia, or even catatonic states.

Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross defined the stages of loss as denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. Achieving the final stage of true acceptance can take time. Without assistance or support from family, friends or professionals (therapists), you may flounder and even delay the healing process. Initially, there may be a lot of support; however, as family and friends get caught up with their own concerns and back into their own routine, those who are grieving often feel alone with their feelings and abandoned.

As human beings, we dread painful feelings, trying to fight them off--like ripping off a Band-Aid, we are sometimes desperate to get everything over with as soon as possible.

However, the process of bereavement requires patience, love, caring, and understanding in a supportive environment. Often we are asked, “How long will this take?” There is no exact formula.

Fortunately, there are healthy ways to address the issues and the pain. At the Family Resource Counseling Center we know that dealing with your feelings, receiving appropriate support and learning how to enhance your coping skills will make a huge difference. Realizing someone else can be with you through this process can bring much needed relief.

LINKS:

Grief Recovery Institute
Offering information, handbooks, resources, and news to help individuals deal with grief.
www.grief-recovery.com