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Grief Counselling
in Ontario

Types of  Grief

Here are some common types of grief.​

  • Normal Grief – A natural response to loss, with emotions ranging from sadness to acceptance.

  • Anticipatory Grief – Felt before a loss, often due to terminal illness.

  • Complicated Grief – Intense, prolonged grief that disrupts daily life.

  • Disenfranchised Grief – Unrecognized by society.

  • Cumulative Grief – Multiple losses in a short time, leading to overwhelm.

  • Secondary Grief – Felt by those indirectly affected, like friends or family.

  • Collective Grief – Experienced by a community after a widespread tragedy.

  • Ambiguous Grief – Loss without closure.

  • Traumatic Grief – Sudden or violent loss, often linked to PTSD.

Types of Loss

Here are some common types of loss. 

  • Death of a Loved One

  • Loss of Safety, Home, or Financial Security

  • Divorce or Relationship Loss

  • Loss of Health, Independence, or Ability

  • Loss of Identity, Childhood, or Innocence

  • Loss of a Dream, Goal, or Career

  • Loss of Community, Culture, or Traditions

  • Loss of Trust, Time, or a Pet

Grief Counselling

Common Symptoms of Grief

Grief can affect the body, mind, and emotions in different ways:

  • Physical: Fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, digestive issues, weakened immunity.

  • Sleep & Appetite: Insomnia, nightmares, excessive sleep, loss or increase in appetite.

  • Emotional: Intense sadness, despair, guilt, regret, anger, or emotional numbness.

  • Cognitive: Confusion, difficulty concentrating, intrusive thoughts, existential questioning.

  • Behavioral: Social withdrawal, communication changes, increased irritability, crying spells.

  • Spiritual: Feeling abandoned by a higher power, loss of faith or meaning.

Grief Counselling

Benefits of Grief Counselling

  • Having a Supportive Guide – Grieving alone can feel isolating and overwhelming. Having someone accompany you in your pain can make the process feel safer.

  • Expand Your Capacity – Make space for the natural process of grief—without needing to fix or resolve it.

  • Regulate for Stability – Find ways to steady yourself as grief moves through, creating enough safety to stay with what needs attention.

  • Reimagine Your Relationship to Loss – Grief reshapes your connection to who or what is no longer here. Therapy helps you explore how to carry that forward in a meaningful way.

  • Uncover Hidden Griefs – Some griefs are clear, others live beneath the surface—secondary losses, unresolved grief, and what was never mourned. These, too, deserve space.

  • Listen to Your Mind-Body – Grief changes your body, mind, and emotions. Noticing these shifts deepens your connection to your experience.

  • Explore Meaning & Evolving Values – Meaning-making is optional and ever-changing. Therapy provides space to reflect on how your reality is shifting and what now feels important.

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