What is grief?

Often when we are talking about grief and loss, we are referring to the death of a loved one. More recent research has also been shedding light on ambiguous loss – the loss of hopes, wishes, dreams and expectations in life that may not be related to someone dying – Examples include – divorce and ending of an important relationship, moving from one place to another, job loss, etc. Grief is the natural response to losing someone or something important in our life and we must be careful not to diagnose this as a something that needs to be fixed.

Signs it may be time to speak to a therapist when experiencing grief:

It is important to seek help when we are feeling “stuck” in the grief and when our symptoms are getting worse over time. 

• Grief feels overwhelming and persistent
• Intense sadness that doesn’t ease over time
• Inability to carry out daily activities
• Withdrawal from family or community
• Trouble sleeping or eating, and feeling numb or disconnected 
• Feeling of spiritual crisis in relation to the loss

How we can help:

Provide education on grief, the grieving process and the ways in which grief impacts our wellbeing

Provide you with the right tools to manage and work through the grief you are feeling

Identify unhelpful beliefs and coping strategies that may be keeping you stuck in your grief

If requested, draw from Islamic teachings to further support client in navigating and finding meaning through grief