Grief Myths
As a Psychotherapist and Certified Grief Counselor GC-C, it has been my experience in my own practice and through my grief counseling training that I have come across numerous grief myths that often are not helpful to people who are grieving. Often, it becomes a barrier that keeps the individual from transitioning to a place of healing. I have listed a few below that are common and hopefully will be helpful to you and others who you are serving in your practice. This is not a complete list….just a few I came across…I’m sure there any many more myths out there…please feel free to leave a comment below this blog and share any that you have heard or come across…I would love to hear them!
Time heals all wounds.
People have to grief in their own way…at their own pace. It is a journey that we all will take at some point in our lives. The grieving process is individualized to each person who experiences it and it must be respected.
It’s too painful for people to talk about it.
Some people find it comforting to talk about their loss in order to process it in a safe and nurturing space.
Men don’t talk want to talk about grief.
Not True, I have seen plenty of patients who feel the desire to express grief….and they were males
Friends and family will always be the best support.
Friends and family can be supportive, however they should not be the “only” support. Reaching out to a professional is helpful and can provide insight.
The end result of grieving should be to move on.
The grieving process is a healing process. Learning to incorporate the loss into the individual’s emotional life is an important part of healing. Helping the individual to do rituals to honor their loved one on holidays, birthdays and other important events are important. Often times I have heard patients say that that “moving on” means forgetting about their loss, which is a common underlying fear. Learning to connect to the individual in healthy ways by incorporating grief or healing rituals are a healthy adaptive coping skill that can support the healing process.
Crying means the person is not doing well in the grieving process.
In our society, tears are seen as a weakness, however tears are a normal expression of the grieving process and a healthy one. Encourage those that experience loss to express their emotions.