Navigating the territory of bereavement and grief can be overwhelming amid daily life demands. For those in the throes of mourning and lingering sadness, a support group may help ease the pain and provide some comfort.
And those who have made grief their life’s work say finding the right group makes all the difference.
“It’s important to look for grief support that will not necessarily make you feel better, but makes you feel understood,” says Mary Lamia, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Marin County, California. “It’s not about getting over it, but continuing to live with it. Then it’s a good support group.”
Understanding grief
Grief is defined as an individual’s emotional response to loss. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines it as “the anguish experienced after significant loss, usually the death of a beloved person.” The APA refers to bereavement as “the condition of having lost a loved one to death.”…