Coping with Loss and
Moving Forward with Grief

The hummingbird shows us how to revisit the past for the purpose of releasing it instead of being caught in a permanently backward flight pattern. It also helps us to see that if we step aside we may see our life differently

Constance Barrett Sohodski

What are some emotional reactions to a terminal or invisible illness?

Common concerns…

  •  Are you shocked by or unable to believe a new diagnosis(es) or change in prognosis? Does the appearance of being healthy at the moment influence your reaction and make you struggle to accept the diagnosis? 

  • Do you feel angry at the world, guilty or sad about the existence of the complex need, scared about the difficult medical procedures required and/or nostalgic about life before you learned about the medical diagnosis or complex need?

  • Do you have anxiety about your expectations for the future because treatments that were meant to improve the medical condition or complex need have failed, created challenging side effects, and/or led to a reduction in quality of life?

  • Does it “hit you harder than expected” or does the sadness linger longer after you’ve learned that another person with a similar medical condition or complex need has experienced unexpected complications or has passed away?

  • Are you struggling with the loss of typical expectations, focusing on death or dying even before facing any kind of loss, and/or having difficulty facing the unique challenges of a medical condition or complex need?

How can therapy help me?

Therapy can help…

  • provide emotional support while you process difficult feelings that can develop when a chronic illness or complex need changes your expectations for the future

  • improve your understanding of common reactions to life-threatening medical conditions or complex treatments, such as anticipatory grief, that occur in advance of expected lifestyle changes or losses

  • identify coping strategies for developing resilience and the ability to manage unexpected or unclear future losses

It can be tempting to keep difficult grief and loss related feelings to yourself if you are uncertain whether anyone will truly understand your point of view.

One aim of therapy is to reduce the sense of isolation connected to experiencing strong, valid and overwhelming emotions in response to a medical condition or complex need. Another focus is to help you feel more empowered to cope with difficult feelings over time. 

Please reach out to set up a free 15 minute consultation if you find yourself in need of empathic support.  

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