Grief and Loss: Understanding Your Journey

There is no loss too small to grieve. And there is no grief that looks the same from person to person, or loss to loss. Whether you're mourning a person, a relationship, a home, a dream, or a version of yourself — your grief is valid, and it deserves space.

What Grief Actually Looks Like

We often imagine grief as crying, as sadness. But grief is far wider than that. Grief can look like:

• Numbness and disconnection from the world
• Anger — at the person who died, at God, at yourself, at nothing and everything
• Guilt and "what ifs"
• Physical exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix
• Forgetting — and then remembering — and feeling the loss all over again
• Moments of unexpected laughter, and then guilt for laughing
• The strange persistence of ordinary life when everything feels broken

About the "Stages of Grief"

You've probably heard of the "five stages of grief" — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. These were developed by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in 1969, and while they've become cultural shorthand, it's important to know: they are not a prescription.

Grief is not linear. You may cycle through these feelings many times, in any order, skipping some entirely. There is no correct way to grieve, and no timeline that applies to everyone.

When Grief Becomes Something More

For most people, grief naturally softens over time — not disappearing, but becoming integrated into life. However, some people experience what clinicians call complicated grief or prolonged grief disorder, where grief remains intensely debilitating long after the loss.

Signs that grief may need professional support:

• Grief that feels as intense after six months as it did on the first day
• Difficulty accepting the reality of the loss
• Inability to engage in daily activities or relationships
• Persistent feelings of meaninglessness or hopelessness
• Thoughts of wanting to die or be with the person who died

How Grief Therapy Helps

Grief therapy provides what grief most needs: a safe witness. A therapist doesn't try to rush or fix your grief. Instead, they:

• Create space to fully feel and express what you're carrying
• Help you find meaning and continue a loving connection with what you've lost
• Address complicated grief with specific, evidence-based interventions
• Support you in rebuilding a life that honors both the loss and your ongoing future

Grief in the Latino and Immigrant Community

For many in our community, grief carries additional cultural dimensions — deaths that couldn't be mourned in person due to immigration status, loss of homeland and family connection, or pressure to be "strong" for the family. These forms of grief are real, and they deserve the same care and attention as any other loss.