Grief Counseling

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? – 1 Corinthians 15:54-55

The astonishing hope of the resurrection and the destruction of death itself is one of the central hopes of the Christian life. This hope marks a key difference between Christians and the various secular worldviews who view death as final.

Yet, we often find our Christian hope severely tested under the extraordinarily difficult experience of losing a loved one. Nevertheless, God can put back together what has been shattered by tragedy and loss and, through the encouragement and ministry of Christ and other believers, God can lead us on the path to restoration.

This is where Christian grief counseling comes in. A professional bereavement counselor can help those suffering from loss make a transition from pain to comfort, with care, compassion, and Christ-centeredness.

There is no “normal” way of grieving, as each of us responds to loss in different ways. However, general patterns of grief guide us through loss to acceptance. We go through these stages of grief as we seek to understand what has happened and to sort through our own feelings.

The stages of grief include:

• The Denial stage – “This isn’t real.”
• The Anger  stage– “This is all the fault of someone else.”
• The Bargaining  stage– “As long as I do this, it won’t happen.”
• The Depression  stage– “I don’t know how I can go on with this happening.”
• The Acceptance  stage– “This is happening, but I’m going to be okay.”

When we learn about the stages of grief, we can better understand our own emotional response to our loss and begin dealing with it in a productive way.

How do I know whether I need Grief Counseling?

While many people are able to deal with grief through all its stages without the help of a professional counselor, some find themselves stuck because of their loss, without the ability to move forward in life. If you or someone you know is trapped in grief or is dealing with loss by engaging in self-destructive behaviors, then it is a good idea to get help from a professional grief counselor.

If any of the following behaviors are true for you, contact one of our counselors:

• You are blaming yourself for the loss.
• You are finding yourself trapped by recurring thoughts.
• You feel that life is no longer worth living.
• You’re having thoughts of death or suicide.
• You feel disconnected from others for long periods of time.
• You’re having difficulty trusting others.
• You’re finding it hard to return to daily activities.

If grief has made it hard for you to engage in day to day activities, they you may be suffering from a condition known as complicated grief, in which those suffering from grief become locked into harmful negative cycles with hardly any improvement within a year of the loss.

What does complicated grief look like?

• You are constantly sad.
• You long to be with the lost.
• You cannot stop thinking of the person who you lost or the circumstances of their loss.
• It is difficult for your to have happy memories of your lost loved one.
• You try avoiding reminders of the one you lost.
• Your desire for participating in activities is gone.
• You experience bitterness or anger.

If you are suffering from grief or complicated grief, the professional counselors at Bellevue Christian counseling are ready to help you. Whether your loss happened recently, or months or years ago, our counselors are here to help you grieve well and begin the path to healing.

Does My Child Need Grief Counseling?

It can be challenging dealing with a child who is grieving over a lost family member or friend. It can be even more challenging helping a child when you yourself are experiencing the same grief.

Your child might benefit from Christian grief counseling at Bellevue Christian Counseling, where our child and adolescent counselors provide a safe, friendly setting to help your child understand and express their emotions and deal with questions of loss, faith, and restoration.

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. – 1 Thessalonians 4:13

When Christians face the death of other believers, we can be comforted by the promise of eternity with Christ. But what about when we lose a loved one who was not a believer? These are exactly the kinds of feelings, concerns and questions a professional Christian counselor can help you sort through.

Christian grief counseling helps us work through a myriad of details surrounding the circumstances, relationships, and emotions surrounding our loss, helping us move forward with a Christ-centered perspective and practice.

Hope to Heal from Grief

Because we all deal with grief in different ways, it can be immensely helpful to have a person who is outside of the loss with whom you can discuss your emotions and thoughts – someone who won’t try to suppress your feelings or compel you to move forward when you’re not ready. At Bellevue Christian Counseling, we have seen grief sufferers move forward through the most heartbreaking of losses. We trust that through Christ, you will gain exactly what you need for your healing.

Some of the ways a Christian counselor can help you through grief and loss include:

• Learning to accept that the loss is real.
• Understanding your feelings and working through grief.
• Readjusting to life without your lost loved one.
• Keeping a connection to your lost loved one that is healthy.

Professional counselors at Bellevue Christian Counseling address grief and loss with a faith-based biblical perspective. It is important during a time of grief to be in an environment where your faith is affirmed and where any questions or doubts on life, faith, and loss can be addressed with compassion, understanding, and biblical faithfulness.

Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. – Psalm 31:9-10

All loss hurts and takes healing, but trying to heal from grief that is associated with a sudden, traumatic, or violent loss can feel like an impossibility. Many of those who suffer from grief from traumatic loss additionally suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you think you are suffering from of any of the symptoms of PTSD, you should seek help immediately.

Some symptoms of PTSD are:

• Having memories, nightmares, and flashbacks that replay details of the traumatic event
• Staying away from places, people or circumstances that remind you of the traumatic event
• Experiencing acute emotional sensitivity, including nervousness, anger, anxiety, and fear
• Having trouble sleeping

Many people who have suffered traumatic loss have regained control of their lives and learned to process their grief through the help of Christian counselors. Be sure to find out about Chrisitan trauma counseling if you are suffering from tragic loss or think you are suffering from PTSD.

At Bellevue Christian Counseling, people have rebuilt their lives through working with professional Christian counselors. For any help dealing with grief or loss of a typical or traumatic nature, we at Bellevue Christian Counseling are here for you.

See the possibility of healing from grief. Contact us to start Christian grief counseling today.

Find out more about Christian grief counseling at Bellevue Christian Counseling by contacting us online or calling us at 425-939-6856 to schedule your first appointment.