Grief Counseling and Loss Support in NYC

In my work with individuals navigating loss, the intensity of grief is shaped not only by the event itself but by its impact on a person’s sense of self and emotional world. Grief can be complicated by unresolved past experiences or unmet emotional needs. Grief therapy focuses on helping you process these emotions, restore meaning, and integrate the experience into your inner (emotional) and outer (daily life) worlds.

Others are often not attuned to our grief:

Many people seek therapy for transitions that are not always socially recognized. These can include:

• The end of a relationship or divorce.
• The loss of a career or professional identity.
• The death of a pet.
• The loss of youth (aging).
• The effects of a disabling injury or chronic illness.

If you have lost something that mattered deeply, the resulting grief can be debilitating. Sometimes, this pain is accompanied by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), making the coping process even more difficult.

Common Symptoms of Grief and Bereavement

There is no single "right" way to grieve. It is a misconception that grief follows a linear timeline. You may experience a wide range of emotional and physical symptoms:

• Feelings of depression and frequent crying.
• Numbness, shock, or a feeling of dissociation (feeling "unreal").
• Loneliness and social withdrawal.
• Extreme fatigue and loss of interest in life.
• Increased use of substances to manage emotional pain.
• Guilt, fear, or anxiety.

Types of Grief: Complicated, Traumatic, and Disenfranchised

Grief does not follow a single pattern. Understanding the specific type of loss you are experiencing is a vital step in therapy:

• Anticipatory Grief: Occurs when a loved one is facing a terminal illness.
• Complicated Grief: Intense longing and emotional pain that persists and interferes with daily life.
• Disenfranchised Grief: When a loss is not socially validated (e.g., loss of an ex-partner or a secret relationship).
• Traumatic Grief: When the loss occurs suddenly, violently, or under shocking circumstances.

Grief and Trauma: Understanding the Connection

Grief and trauma often overlap, but they require different therapeutic focuses. Grief centers on the loss, while trauma involves a sense of threat and helplessness in a situation. When trauma accompanies grief, you may experience intrusive memories, heightened anxiety, or emotional numbing. As a trauma-informed therapist in Manhattan, I help individuals navigate this overlap to allow the natural healing process to resume.

How Therapy Helps with the Healing Process

From a psychoanalytic perspective, grief disrupts your sense of self. My practice in Greenwich Village provides a safe, empathic space to restore your internal balance. Therapy helps you:

1. Process "Unfinished Business"

Explore complicated feelings like guilt or regret that often accompany the death of a partner or family member.

2. Rebuild Self-Cohesion

Address how the loss has fractured your identity and sense of the future.

3. Find Enduring Meaning

Work toward a place where memories evoke warmth and connection rather than only pain.

A Reflection on Enduring Love and Loss

"Jane died of leukemia at forty-seven... Now it is April 22, 2016, and Jane has been dead for more than two decades... Last January I grieved again, this time that she would not sit beside me as I died."
— Donald Hall, on the death of his wife, Jane Kenyon.

Contact a Grief Specialist in NYC

Seeking therapy is an act of strength. If your grief feels unrelenting or is interfering with your daily functioning, I can help you restore a sense of stability.

For information on the impact of trauma, please see: Information on Trauma & PTSD Therapy