“What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us.”

 -Helen Keller

Grief and loss are difficult experiences in a culture that does not always support open discussion. Well-meaning friends and loved ones may not necessarily understand or welcome our expression of the powerful emotions the loss of a loved one can bring, such as anger, fear, deep sadness and despair. Many who are grieving experience loneliness and isolation.

Grief affects us physically, emotionally, and socially. Grief situations can be quite variable, whether a sudden or expected loss of a loved one after a long illness, loss of loved one to suicide or accidental death, and sometimes grief is referred to as “complicated” when sudden or traumatic.

Sometimes our loss is not related to a death but related to a life experience. We might grieve the loss of a job/career, the loss of a marriage to divorce/infidelity or other factors, a breakup with a romantic partner or friend, family member estrangement, loss of our health or functioning of our bodies to illness and aging.

However, all losses have their complexity and deserve time to process and a safe place to feel free to mourn as needed. Connect with CAWB’s compassionate therapists in Athens, Tucker, Smyrna or Marietta to start healing and honoring your experience of loss.