ISSUES
Understanding Grief: Navigating Life After Loss
What is Grief?
Grief is a natural emotional response to loss. While often associated with the death of a loved one, grief extends far beyond bereavement. It can arise from the loss of a relationship, a job, a home, a dream, or even a sense of identity. Loss can take many forms—some named and acknowledged, others more subtle and harder to articulate.
If you’re struggling with grief, Amanda Neves Therapy is here to help. We offer in-person therapy at our Toronto office and online therapy across Ontario to support you through life’s losses, no matter how big or small.
How Do You Know If You're Experiencing Grief?
Grief is complex and can manifest in many ways, including:
Emotional symptoms: Sadness, numbness, guilt, anger, anxiety, relief, or even moments of joy.
Physical symptoms: Fatigue, changes in sleep or appetite, body aches, headaches, or tightness in the chest.
Cognitive symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, feeling in a fog, replaying memories, or questioning past decisions.
Behavioral symptoms: Withdrawing from others, avoiding reminders, seeking constant distraction, or engaging in rituals to stay connected to what was lost.
Recognizing your grief and its impact is the first step toward healing. Reach out today to start your journey through grief in a supportive, therapeutic space.
Why Do We Experience Grief?
Grief is a natural response to loss and serves a vital function in helping us process change. Some key causes of grief include:
Death of a loved one: The most recognized form of grief, but each loss is unique.
Divorce or relationship breakup: The loss of connection, routine, and shared dreams.
Job loss or career changes: Loss of identity, stability, or a sense of purpose.
Moving or immigration: Leaving behind familiar people, places, and routines.
Health challenges: Facing chronic illness, disability, or a shift in physical abilities.
Unrealized dreams or expectations: Grieving the future you envisioned but did not unfold as planned.
Understanding grief’s many forms allows us to validate and support the emotional pain that comes with it. Therapy can help you navigate these losses with compassion and care.
Who Does Grief Affect and How?
Grief touches everyone, but different losses affect people in unique ways. In Canada, some groups experience grief in particularly profound or complex ways:
Those facing the death of a loved one: This can happen at any age and stage in life, and can be further complicated by the state of the relationship before the time of death, as well as the cause of death.
Individuals facing disenfranchised grief: Losses like estranged relationships, miscarriage, pet loss, or career changes may not be widely recognized but still carry deep emotional weight. This experience is also widely shared with folks of the Global Majority (BIPOCs), who do to structural inequities and barriers, experience grief and loss, among other feelings.
Indigenous communities: Experience grief through both personal loss and intergenerational trauma stemming from colonialism, residential schools, and systemic inequities.
Newcomers to Canada: Often face grief related to migration, losing a sense of home, cultural displacement, or being separated from loved ones.
LGBTQ2S+ individuals: May grieve losses related to family rejection, identity struggles, or lack of societal acceptance.
Caregivers and healthcare workers: Often experience anticipatory grief, burnout, or cumulative loss due to repeated exposure to suffering.
No matter the source of your grief, Amanda Neves Therapy provides a safe and compassionate space to process your loss.
How We Address Grief in Therapy
At Amanda Neves Therapy, we tailor our approach to your unique experience of grief. Our evidence-based therapy methods include:
Attachment-Focused Therapy: Exploring how relationships shape the grieving process.
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP): Helping process emotions safely and build resilience.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Parts Work: Acknowledging and working with different emotional parts affected by grief.
Somatic Approaches: Addressing how grief is stored in the body through movement, breathwork, and grounding techniques.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Identifying unhelpful thought patterns that may be complicating your grief.
Healing from grief doesn’t mean forgetting—it means learning to live with loss in a way that honors what you’ve lost while allowing you to move forward. Book a session today to begin your healing process.
What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session for Grief
Your first session is a space to begin unpacking your experience of loss. Your therapist will:
Create a safe, supportive environment for you to share your grief story.
Identify the unique aspects of your loss and how it’s impacting your life.
Introduce personalized coping strategies for navigating grief.
Discuss the therapy approaches that may be most helpful for you.
Grief is a journey, not a straight path. You don’t have to walk it alone. Start therapy today to find the support you deserve.
Finding the Right Therapist for You
Choosing the right therapist can make all the difference in your healing journey. At Amanda Neves Therapy, we offer a Meet Your Match process to help you find the best therapist for your needs. By filling out a simple form, you’ll be matched with a therapist whose expertise aligns with your experience of grief.
Not sure where to start? Try our Meet Your Match process today and take the first step toward support.
Seeking Support
If grief is making it difficult to move forward, therapy can help you process loss, honor your emotions, and find a way to live with grief in a meaningful way. At Amanda Neves Therapy, we provide in-person therapy at our Toronto office and virtual therapy across Ontario to support you wherever you are.
If you're ready to start, book a consult directly here, call us at 647-490-7985, or complete our Meet Your Match form. Our clinic coordinator will be in touch to connect you with a therapist who’s the right fit based on your specific needs.