Loss and Grief Therapy In Person and Online
Foster Counseling and Therapy provides individual therapy to help support you through the many experiences of loss and grief. In-person services are accessible to the communities of Lake in the Hills, Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Huntley, and McHenry County and online services are provided throughout Illinois.
Loss and grief are profound emotional responses to the absence of someone or something significant in one's life. This experience can vary widely from person to person but commonly involves a range of emotions, including sadness, anger, confusion, and disbelief.
Grief Experiences
Uncomplicated Grief
This type of grief encompasses the wide range of emotions and behaviors that are common following a loss. People experiencing uncomplicated grief go through a series of emotional stages such as sadness, anger, denial, acceptance, longing and sometimes injustice. It is important to know that these stages and process are not linear, and the different pieces of grief are experienced in different intensities in waves over time. As anyone who has experienced a significant loss would attest to, the grief is never over, we just learn to integrate the grief into our new season of life.
Complicated Grief (Prolonged)
Complicated grief is more severe and prolonged, and it can significantly impair a person’s ability to function. The grieving process is stalled and usually feels like there is no movement forward within it; individuals remain stuck in the intense mourning phase with persistent longing and preoccupation with the loss that occurred and find it very difficult to reintegrate post-loss.
Anticipatory Grief
This occurs before the actual loss happens, often in situations where a loved one is terminally ill but it can also show up when we know something is about to end or change. Awareness of anticipatory grief can feel like a double-edge sword, both allowing us to act intentionally around the future loss, but also pulling us into the waves of grief before the loss has even occurred.
Disenfranchised Grief
This type of grief is hallmarked by its feelings of isolation and loneliness within the experience as this type of grief— by definition— is not recognized by others. It may occur with the loss of an ex-partner, a pet, an abortion or miscarriage, or a loss that does not involve death, such as the loss of a home, job, or a dream or goal you were working toward. Additionally, this an additional layer of grief many experience once the initial support wears off from a significant loss that was initially recognized by others—the cards, phone calls, and check ins are no longer happening but the feelings are all still just as present for the one impacted by the loss.
Cumulative Grief
This occurs when multiple losses are experienced in a short period of time, overwhelming the mourner’s ability to process their grief or fully hold space for it. This can lead to numbness, existential questioning, and pre-loss beliefs about self, others and the world.
Chronic Grief
This is the same as complicated grief where the emotional symptoms are prolonged and the integration part of grief is difficult to engage in. The grieving individual continues to experience intense symptoms that do not improve, hindering their ability to connect with their present life and others.
“When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure”
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Our Loss and Grief Specialists Are Here For You
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Katie Higgins, LCPC, PMH-C
Katie Higgins has vast experience helping people navigate their experiences with loss and grief, knowing fully well it is not a linear process and the grief can often involve many layers. Looking at themes of ritual, meaning, and memory honoring, Katie will hold warm and compassionate space for you to recognize and prioritize your grieving process.
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Sarah Pottle, LPC, ADHD-CCSP
Sarah Pottle has significant experience in holding space for those going through loss and grief. Helping to recognize the impact, and the many ways in which the loss is influencing you, Sarah will help you to unpack it, make sense of what can be made sense of, and honor it all in ways that are specifically meaningful to you.
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Krupa Desai, LCPC
Krupa Desai has many years of experience supporting those navigating loss of many kinds and holding space to honor its meaning and impact. By providing a nurturing approach where you feel seen and understood, Krupa will help you to identify and process the layers of your grief and determine how to continue you journey forward with intention and self-compassion.