Author: In Balance Counseling

what is grief counseling

What Is Grief Counseling and How Does It Help?

Loss or anticipating future loss is extremely difficult for people of all ages to endure. Whether it is losing a job, pet, or loved one, grief is a natural response that kids, teens, and adults may face. A common recommendation for those struggling with such loss is grief counseling, but many wonder, “What is grief counseling?”

Learn more about some key grief counseling techniques, the benefits of seeking the services, and who grief counseling can help. After reading, reach out to In Balance Counseling, a compassionate counseling center in Tucson, AZ. We offer intensive outpatient and individual counseling services.

What Is Grief Counseling?

Professional counselors can help people understand grief, process a traumatic event or situation, and share their thoughts and feelings. They can experience life after loss in a healthy way and accept the situation while making space for emotions and changes. 

You might consider seeking help for your mental health if you’re in the grieving process and experiencing major depression. Grief counseling is a safe and healthy outlet for people of all ages to manage and work through their grief symptoms. It’s especially vital if someone doesn’t have social support while grieving a loss, as counseling can offer compassion and a listening ear.

Common Techniques in Grief Counseling

Grief counselors may take different approaches based on their patients and the type of loss they’ve experienced. During grief counseling, a counselor might encourage talk therapy (discussing the loss) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to change unhealthy or negative thought patterns into positive ones. Some other techniques are acceptance and commitment therapy and complicated grief treatment.

Counselors could also use mindfulness, ritual-focused counseling, or narrative therapy to help their patients grieve a loss.

How Grief Counseling Helps People

Everyone can take something different away from their grief counseling sessions. Grief counseling often helps people to:

  • Live their lives with meaning
  • Honor the memories of their loved ones
  • Deal with reminders of their loss
  • Talk about how they feel
  • Understand death and loss
  • Maintain and improve their current relationships
  • Decrease feelings of pain, anxiety, sadness, and more
  • Navigate fears and anxieties from their grief
  • Work through painful feelings

Who Can Benefit From Grief Counseling?

Grief affects people in different ways, but families and individuals can benefit from grief counseling.

  • Children. Kids process grief differently and may have a harder time processing a major loss. Grief counseling gives them an outlet and place to understand loss and move forward.
  • Teenagers. Many teenagers struggle to cope in a healthy way while grieving, but counseling can help.
  • Adults. Some adults may have a difficult time accepting life after loss and processing emotions in a healthy manner.
  • Families. Family members can disconnect after a loss or gravitate toward one another — grief counseling can address challenges.

Schedule Individual Counseling Services with Tucson’s Caring Counseling Group

Now that we’ve covered “What is grief counseling?” you might be considering seeking therapy or counseling services. You can contact In Balance Counseling in Tucson, AZ, to learn more about our individual counseling services and IOPs for substance abuse. Call us at (520) 722-9631.

coping skills for eating disorders

Nine Effective Coping Skills for Eating Disorders

If you’re living with bulimia or anorexia, you might look for coping skills for eating disorders. Below, we explain nine strategies to help you cope with eating disorders.

As a compassionate provider of counseling in Tucson, our team at In Balance Counseling helps patients manage their eating disorders and live healthier and happier lives. To see what our mental health professionals can do for you, call 520-722-9631.

1. Find a Support System

No one should deal with a mental illness alone, and having a strong support system is a major factor in successful treatment. Seek help both from a mental health professional and from your friends and family. If the people in your life remain unsupportive, ask your therapist for help finding a new social circle or support group.

2. Start Journaling

Journaling helps identify latent or subconscious emotions and offers a cathartic release. For the greatest effect, write about everything ranging from your failings and complaints about your day to positive affirmations and goals for your life.

3. Prioritize Relaxation

Stress and a perceived lack of control are significant triggering factors for eating disorders. Find time each day to do something you enjoy and relax. It can be a hot bath, spending time with a coloring book, or hanging in a hammock by a lake.

4. Practice Mediation

Emotion-oriented coping refers to the process of changing the way you feel about a situation. Practicing meditation and mindfulness allows you some control over how you react to stressful situations and better mitigates the compulsions and obsessions associated with eating disorders.

5. Try Yoga

One of the best coping skills for eating disorders is practicing regular yoga. The breathing techniques and concentration on bodily movement allow your body time to process and release endorphins and other neurotransmitters that increase your feeling of well-being.

Early research suggests that regular yoga decreases depression, body dysmorphia, and anxiety.

6. Find a New Hobby

Learning a new skill or hobby can bring greater joy to your life and distract you from those urges that tempt you to relapse. Eating disorders thrive on a lack of impulse control, so occupying your mind with consistent activity reduces the frequency of those impulses.

7. Increase Socialization

Much like finding a system for support is necessary, frequently engaging in social events can help you feel more control over your life, distract you from the disorder’s impulses, and increase the encouragement and accountability available to you.

8. Avoid Diet Culture

Avoidance-oriented coping refers to removing yourself from triggering situations. Avoid places and conversations that deal with diet culture, which is a toxic mindset for anyone dealing with an eating disorder.

9. Stay Mindful of Your Habits

Task-oriented coping strategies help you solve a problem or alter a situation. Work with your support system to identify harmful habits and routines around food and change them to support your new lifestyle.

In Balance Counseling Can Help You Cope With Eating Disorders

When you need help developing coping skills for eating disorders, seeking therapy with In Balance Counseling can help. For effective and compassionate support, book an appointment by calling 520-722-9631.

seeking therapy

How To Seek Help for Mental Illness

Are you experiencing some challenges with your mental health? Seeking therapy is an effective and safe way to help keep your mind healthy. 

If you need counseling in Tucson, Arizona, why not reach out to In Balance Counseling? We’re standing by to help with highly trained and compassionate mental health professionals.

Keep reading to discover what to consider when you want to prioritize your mental health.

The Types of Mental Illness Treatment Providers From Which You Could Receive Help

If you want all the benefits of counseling, you need to understand who you can turn to. So, when finding a therapist or another type of mental illness treatment provider, consider the following:

  • Primary care doctors: General practitioners are what many people first think of when they hear the word ‘doctor.’ They’re capable of treating a wide variety of illnesses and can prescribe medicine for anxiety and depression.
  • Physician assistants: While some PAs hold doctoral degrees, many do not. However, they’re still qualified to treat physical and mental illnesses under a doctor’s supervision.
  • Nurse practitioners: These registered nurses obtain extra training. If they specialize in mental health, they can provide help to patients experiencing a mental health crisis.
  • Psychiatrists: As full medical doctors, psychiatrists specialize in mental health. Not only can they provide prescriptions for treatment, but they’re also qualified in talking therapy to help patients discover the emotional roots of their problems.
  • Psychologists: Because they’re not medical doctors, psychologists cannot prescribe medication. However, they still often obtain doctoral degrees in psychology and specialize in multiple forms of therapy.
  • Social workers: Do you need therapy in the context of social services? Social workers handle family trauma, parental abuse, the death of a parent, and more.
  • Psychiatric nurse specialists: These registered nurses don’t obtain the same level of training as a nurse practitioner. However, they specialize in mental illness and can provide better treatment than a generalized nurse.

What to Consider Before Seeking Treatment for Mental Health

If you’re seeking therapy, consider the following aspects before settling on someone to help you:

  • Your needs. Do you want a therapist with a specific specialty or beliefs? It’s okay to require a certain gender, culture, or religion that you identify with.
  • Accessibility. If you can’t or won’t visit a therapist in person, look for virtual options via phone or video conferencing. Many providers offer these alternatives.
  • Insurance. Does your insurance provide coverage for therapy? If so, which providers do they cover?
  • Affordability. If you don’t have adequate insurance, look for options you can afford. Look into providers with sliding scales based on income.
  • Reputation. Look at potential providers’ reviews to ascertain their effectiveness or style.

Once you know what you want, you can also reach out to friends and family, insurance providers, or general practitioners to find the treatment provider you need.

Reach Out to In Balance Counseling for Help

When you’re seeking therapy, you deserve compassionate and effective treatment that keeps your needs and daily life at the forefront. Whether you need therapy for anxiety, depression, or PTSD, In Balance Counseling can help. To book an appointment, call 520-722-9631.

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