Losing a loved one leaves a void that feels impossible to recover from. After the initial shock fades, you’re caught in a storm of sadness, despair, anger, and pain. You might feel lost and misunderstood—drifting through life without direction. But you don’t have to navigate the aftermath of grief alone.
As the world around you moves forward, reconnecting with friends and family becomes harder. You might withdraw from social events, unsure how to engage or worried about how others will react. Deep down, you may fear that feeling joy again would be a betrayal—as if you’re leaving your loved one behind. So, instead, you retreat even further, holding onto grief as a way to keep their memory close.
At our Deerfield counseling practice, we specialize in grief and loss therapy, providing a compassionate space to process your emotions, honor your loss, and move through grief at a pace that feels right for you.
Common Grief Symptoms Therapy Can Help With
Grief is our natural response to loss, touching every part of our lives—our physical and mental health and even our relationships. While each person’s experience is unique, there are common challenges many of us face.
Physical symptoms
Fatigue or a general sense of exhaustion.
Headaches, body aches, or tension in the muscles.
Increased heart rate or tightness in the chest.
Weakened immune system or frequent illnesses.
Upset stomach, nausea, or digestive issues.
Changes in appetite—eating too much or too little.
Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or oversleeping.
Emotional symptoms
Intense sadness or feelings of emptiness.
Sudden waves of overwhelming emotions.
Difficulty concentrating or feeling mentally foggy.
Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed.
Guilt or regret over things left unsaid or undone.
Anxiety about the future or fear of more pain.
Anger (toward yourself, others, or even the person you’ve lost).
Grief is an unavoidable part of being human, yet it is a deeply personal and often lonesome experience. A grief therapist provides understanding, support, and guidance—helping you navigate your pain in a way that honors both your loss and your healing journey.
Find Grief & Loss Support in Deerfield, IL
Grief can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to carry it alone. We’ll be with you every step of the way, supporting you in your own time, at your own pace, in a way that feels right for you.
How a Grief & Loss Therapist Can Help You
When a meaningful part of your life is suddenly and permanently gone, the resulting shock and emotional aftermath can feel overwhelming, and yet all you have left.
Sometimes, holding onto grief feels like the only way to stay connected to what we’ve lost, but healing doesn’t mean forgetting.
Working with a grief therapist can help you keep your cherished memories while letting go of the weight of pain and sorrow, so you can find peace as you move forward.
Our Approach to Grief & Loss Therapy in Deerfield, IL
Our trained grief therapists can help you navigate loss by combining different evidence-based treatments tailored to your specific needs.
Some of the approaches we incorporate include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Challenging negative thoughts and beliefs related to loss allows you to navigate grief without getting lost in overwhelming and irrational thoughts.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
By focusing on the present moment and accepting painful emotions without judgment, you can honor your grief and find meaning moving forward.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Helps you balance the intense emotions triggered by grief by developing skills to tolerate distress, regulate emotions, and cultivate healthy relationships.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Identifies unresolved emotional wounds, allowing you to reframe painful memories and move on.
Mindfulness Techniques
Grounding and deep breathing exercises help anchor you in the present, reducing the mental and physical strain that grief can place on you.
Self-Care Practices
Prioritizing good sleep, nutrition, and overall well-being helps you manage grief and supports both your emotional recovery and physical health.
Every grief journey is unique and unfolds in its own time. In grief & loss therapy at Ammirati Counseling Group, we help you find meaning in your loss, allowing it to become a part of you that fosters growth and strength.
Get Started with Grief & Loss Therapy in Deerfield, IL
Looking for grief support in Deerfield, Bannockburn, or the North Chicagoland area? Taking the first step can feel overwhelming, but we’re here to guide you through it with care and understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect in grief & loss therapy sessions?
When you’re in the throes of grief, it’s common to feel like you’re doing it “wrong.” Your therapist will help normalize your experience and demystify the grieving process, allowing you to accept your emotions as they come. The focus will be on stabilizing your emotional state, ensuring you have the support you need to begin your healing journey.
Will I ever get over this overwhelming sense of loss?
While time is often said to heal all wounds, grief is deeply personal and unique to each person. The grieving process can be unpredictable, with emotional ups and downs along the way. One moment, you might feel like you’re moving forward, and the next, it’s as if you’ve been pulled right back to the beginning.
Unfortunately, many people feel pressured to “move on” or hide their pain. In fact, research shows that more than half of grieving individuals feel that others’ sympathy has an expiration date—usually between 3 months to a year.
Rather than setting a deadline for your bereavement, your therapist will be there to support you as you come to terms with loss and help you move forward in a way that feels right for you.
Does everyone go through the 5 stages of grief?
Not necessary. While the Five Stages of Grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—are often used to describe the grieving process, they can be misleading.
The idea of stages, almost like steps on a ladder, can make it seem like grief follows a straightforward path—and that once you reach the final stage, you find closure. But grief isn’t linear. It’s an ever-changing process that ebbs and flows over time.
A grief therapist can help you understand your unique experience, provide support, and guide you toward healing in a way that honors both your loss and your journey.
I’m afraid seeking grief support will make it hard for me to be strong.
It’s natural to worry that once you take off your emotional armor and get vulnerable, you will collapse. But the truth is, expressing your emotions is a powerful form of strength. It shows your capacity for love, connection, and healing.
Opening up also gives you the chance to model healthy emotional expression for those around you. Letting go of the need to appear strong for others allows you to fully embrace the healing process and move forward.
Does moving on with my life mean I’m forgetting my loved one?
Losing someone changes us in profound ways, but moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting them. Avoiding or suppressing our feelings only postpones healing and can lead to long-term emotional struggles.
With the support of a grief therapist, you can learn to carry the love and memories of your loved one with you while finding a healthier and more positive way to move forward.
