Andrea Golden, LCSW
P S Y C H O T H E R A P Y & C O U N S E L I N G
Grief & Loss
Grief has no timeline, and there is no single right way to move through it.
Loss can change your world in ways that are difficult to put into words. You may feel sadness, anger, guilt, loneliness, numbness, or even relief—and sometimes several of these at once. Grief can affect your sleep, concentration, relationships, motivation, and your sense of who you are.
Grief may follow the death of someone you love, but loss can take many forms. The end of a relationship, changes in health, caregiving, retirement, or other significant life changes can also bring feelings of grief. Whatever your loss looks like, you don’t have to minimize it or move through it according to someone else’s timeline.
Grief Doesn't Follow a Timeline
Grief is a natural response to losing someone or something that matters deeply to you. While grief is often associated with the death of someone we love, loss can take many forms—the end of a relationship, changes in health or independence, infertility, retirement, the loss of a role or identity, or a life that didn't unfold the way you expected.
There is no single “right” way to grieve. You may feel intense sadness one day and relatively okay the next. You might experience anger, guilt, relief, numbness, confusion, or even moments of happiness—and then wonder whether you're grieving the way you're supposed to.
Grief can also change over time. Anniversaries, holidays, family events, familiar places, or unexpected reminders can bring feelings back long after you thought you were doing better. That doesn't mean you're moving backward.
You don't have to “get over” a meaningful loss. Therapy can provide a place to make room for what you've lost while gradually discovering how to continue living, connecting, and finding meaning alongside your grief.
Common Experiences With Grief & Loss
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Sadness or waves of intense emotion
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Longing or missing what was lost
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Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
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Changes in sleep or appetite
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Fatigue or feeling physically depleted
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Unexpected reminders or emotional triggers
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Anger, guilt, regret, or relief
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Feeling numb or disconnected
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Withdrawing from other people
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Feeling misunderstood or alone in your grief
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Questioning your identity, beliefs, or sense of purpose
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Difficulty imagining what life looks like moving forward
My Approach to Grief & Loss
Grief isn't something I expect you to complete on a schedule or work through according to a prescribed set of stages. Your relationship with what—or whom—you've lost is uniquely yours, and therapy should make room for that.
Our work may involve talking about the loss itself, making sense of complicated or conflicting emotions, addressing guilt or unanswered questions, navigating changes in relationships and identity, or simply having a place where you don't have to protect other people from how you're really feeling.
I draw from supportive, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness-based, and trauma-informed approaches, depending on your needs and the circumstances surrounding your loss. When a loss has been sudden, traumatic, or particularly complicated, we can also work with the ways those experiences may continue to affect your thoughts, emotions, and sense of safety.
The goal isn't to forget, “move on,” or return to exactly who you were before the loss. It's to help you carry what matters to you while gradually making room for life, connection, meaning, and hope again.
Your Questions About Grief & Loss, Answered
How long is grief supposed to last?
There isn't a universal timetable for grief. Its intensity often changes over time, but meaningful losses can continue to affect us for years in different ways. Grief may become more manageable and less consuming while still resurfacing around anniversaries, holidays, milestones, or unexpected reminders. The goal isn't to meet a deadline for being “over it.”
How do I know if I need therapy for grief?
You don't have to be grieving in a particular way or reach a certain level of distress before seeking support. Therapy may be especially helpful if you feel overwhelmed, isolated, stuck in guilt or regret, are having difficulty functioning, or simply want a private place to talk openly about your loss without worrying about burdening the people around you.
Will therapy help me move on from someone I've lost?
I wouldn't view the goal of grief therapy as “moving on” from someone important to you. Instead, therapy can help you find ways to live with the reality of the loss while maintaining a meaningful connection to what that person or relationship means to you. Over time, grief can coexist with connection, purpose, joy, and a life that continues to grow.
