Grief is a natural, deeply human response to loss. While we often associate grief with the passing of a loved one or a beloved pet, it can also arise when a meaningful chapter of life comes to an end — the loss of a relationship or friendship, a job or sense of purpose, or even a major transition that shifts how we see ourselves. Each loss, whether visible or invisible, represents a change in the landscape of our lives — and our hearts and minds need time to adjust.
Grief doesn’t just live in the mind; it lives in the body. It can manifest as heaviness in the chest, fatigue, changes in appetite or sleep, muscle tension, or a sense of emptiness or tightness in the heart and throat. Many people describe grief as feeling like a physical weight they carry. From a holistic perspective, these sensations are your body’s way of processing profound emotional energy — signaling the need for care, compassion, and release.
Healing Through a Cognitive Behavioral Lens
From a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) perspective, grief affects not only your emotions but also the thoughts and beliefs that follow a loss. These thoughts can become overwhelming, confusing, or painful — especially when you’re trying to make sense of what happened or what comes next.
Together, we work to:
- Notice the thoughts that arise after loss, such as self-blame, guilt, “I should have…,” or fears about the future.
- Gently explore these beliefs so you can understand where they come from and why they feel so heavy.
- Challenge painful or unhelpful patterns, especially the ones that keep you stuck or disconnected from yourself.
- Understand the emotions behind the thoughts, so you can respond to yourself with more clarity and compassion.
- Create a sense of structure and steadiness, helping you navigate day-to-day life during a time that may feel uncertain or disorienting.
This approach doesn’t rush or minimize your experience. Instead, it helps you make sense of your inner world, understand your reactions, and build emotional resilience as you move toward healing.
Understanding Grief Through a Holistic Lens
A holistic approach recognizes that grief touches every part of you — mind, body, and spirit — and that healing requires space for each of those layers. Loss often disrupts your nervous system, your routines, your sense of identity, and the way you connect with your body. Holistic support helps bring you back into balance.
Together, we may explore:
- Breathwork and grounding practices to help calm the nervous system during moments of overwhelm.
- Somatic awareness, noticing where grief is held in the body and learning how to gently release tension or heaviness.
- Mindfulness and present-moment awareness, helping you stay grounded when emotions feel unpredictable.
- Creative or symbolic rituals, such as journaling, memory-keeping, or meaning-making practices that honor what or whom you’ve lost.
- Nature-based or sensory-focused techniques, using movement, sound, light, scent, or stillness to support emotional regulation.
- Rebuilding mind-body connection, especially if grief has led to numbness, dissociation, or a sense of disconnection from yourself.
Holistic work weaves together compassion, body awareness, intuitive healing, and gentle nervous-system support — creating space to feel, release, and reconnect.