Grief Counseling at Dayspring
Our Dayspring counselors provide support to individuals and families during times of sudden life changes. Grief is a natural part of life, as common as birth and death. If you live long enough, you’re bound to experience it. Dayspring Center for Christian Counseling has been assisting clients through these challenging times since 2002.
Grief can manifest in various forms, not just for death. It can also encompass the loss of a marriage due to divorce or separation. Sometimes, we may begin grieving even before the actual event occurs, such as when someone we love is gravely ill. Even the thought of a marriage falling apart can trigger grief.
While everyone grieves differently, some individuals may experience more profound devastation, leading to complicated grief or chronic grief that persists for over six months. Symptoms of these emotional challenges include intense sadness, anxiety, anger, guilt, and other complex feelings, significantly hindering an individual’s ability to transition into a new phase of life.
Counselors at Dayspring will guide you through your grieving process by helping you confront the loss you’ve suffered, restructuring your thoughts, and promoting emotional healing to help you find joy again. We assist you in adapting to this loss and understanding your new reality.
During your counseling sessions, our counselors employ various therapies to help you cope with grief. One such therapy is Acceptance and Commitment (ACT), which encourages you to accept negative emotions and circumstances while developing more constructive patterns that align with your goals. Another therapy is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), which involves identifying and modifying thought patterns that may negatively impact your behavior.
Techniques your Dayspring counselor may employ to enhance your treatment could include evocative language, such as “Your wife passed away” or “You lost your wife.” While this direct approach may seem harsh, it aids individuals in confronting the reality of their loss. For others, a gentler approach is necessary, and the counselor uses softer language with metaphors.
Your counselor may also ask you to bring in reminders of what or who you are grieving to your sessions. Photographs, letters, jewelry, awards, and memorabilia are used by the counselor to facilitate discussions and even introduce humor about things the deceased used to say or do.
Sometimes, a client may be unable to find the words. Art Therapy (AT) can facilitate emotional expression, enhance awareness of the loss, and assist in identifying the individual’s emotional state during the grieving process. You and your counselor may perform an exercise such as drawing while using AT.
While there are common stages to grief, it’s important to remember that you are an individual. Dayspring will tailor your treatment to fit your needs and preferences.
You may be wondering what to expect from Dayspring Center for Christian Counseling. Founded in February 2002, we are a community mental health provider that began as a nonprofit group of local counselors. Our mission has remained the same throughout our history.
Unlike some popular online counseling companies that employ an “industrialized” approach, Dayspring remains a local organization prioritizing the well-being of our clients over profit. While our reach has expanded from Marshall County to throughout Alabama, we continue to provide affordable, personalized counseling services that have a hometown feel.
