banner image

Understanding Grief and Loss

Grief isn't just about death. It's about any significant loss that changes your life—the end of a relationship, a miscarriage, losing a job, the death of a pet, or saying goodbye to someone you love. And here's the thing: grief doesn't follow a timeline. 📅

Statistics show that 1 in 5 children experience the death of someone close before age 18, and countless adults navigate profound losses throughout their lives. Whether your loss happened yesterday or years ago, if you're still struggling, that's okay. Healing is a process, not a destination.

How Grief Shows Up

Emotional Symptoms

  • Overwhelming sadness
  • Anger or irritability
  • Guilt and blame
  • Numbness or feeling disconnected
  • Anxiety about the future

Physical Symptoms

  • Exhaustion and fatigue
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Changes in appetite
  • Physical aches and pains
  • Weakened immune system

Mental Symptoms

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Confusion or forgetfulness
  • Intrusive thoughts
  • Feeling stuck or hopeless
  • Loss of meaning or purpose

Social Symptoms

  • Isolation from loved ones
  • Withdrawing from activities
  • Feeling misunderstood
  • Relationship strain
  • Difficulty asking for help

Maybe You're Feeling...

"I feel like I'm drowning and no one understands." Everyone keeps telling you to be strong, to move on, to focus on the positive. But you're not ready. You're still in the thick of it, and the pain feels unbearable.

"I should be over this by now." It's been months—maybe even years—and you're frustrated with yourself for not "getting better." The guilt about still grieving is almost worse than the grief itself.

"I'm angry, sad, numb, and guilty all at once." Your emotions are all over the place. One minute you're crying, the next you feel nothing. You don't know which feeling to deal with first or if you're even allowed to feel this way.

"Everyone's moved on but I'm still stuck here." Life continues around you, but you feel frozen in time. How is everyone else okay when your world has completely shattered?

If any of this resonates, you're not alone. And more importantly—you don't have to stay stuck here.

Your Path to Healing: How Grief Therapy Works

Grief counseling isn't about "getting over it" or forgetting. It's about learning to carry your loss in a way that doesn't break you. Here's how we help: 

1

Schedule Your First Session

We start with a free 15-minute consultation to understand what you're going through. Then, in your first full session, we create a safe, judgment-free space where you can express exactly what you're feeling—without pressure to "be okay."

2

Process Your Emotions

Through evidence-based psychotherapy techniques, you'll explore your grief at your own pace. We help you reduce feelings of guilt and blame, understand your emotions, and develop healthy coping strategies that actually work for your life. 

3

Rebuild Your Life

As you heal, we'll help you reconnect with joy, find meaning again, and move forward—without feeling like you're leaving your loved one or your past behind. You'll learn to honor your grief while still choosing to live fully. 

What Becomes Possible After Grief Therapy

When you work with our licensed grief therapists in Long Beach, here's what becomes possible:

  • You wake up and the heaviness isn't the first thing you feel anymore
  • You can talk about your loved one (or your loss) without falling apart
  • You've learned to honor your grief while still choosing joy
  • Your relationships are stronger because you've learned to communicate what you need
  • You have actual coping tools that help you navigate hard days
  • You feel connected to yourself and others again
  • You've found meaning and purpose after loss
  • You're not just surviving—you're living again

Grief and Loss Therapy Serving Long Beach and Surrounding Communities

Rose Hanna Counseling Services provides compassionate bereavement counseling to individuals, couples, and families throughout Long Beach, Signal Hill, Seal Beach, Lakewood, Bellflower, Downey, and surrounding Southern California communities.

Our team of licensed therapists (LMFT, LCSW) specializes in helping Long Beach residents navigate grief from death, relationship loss, pregnancy loss, pet loss, and other life transitions. We offer both in-person and telehealth appointments to fit your needs.

Types of loss we help with:

  • Death of a loved one (sudden death, anticipated loss, suicide loss)
  • Divorce, separation, or breakup
  • Miscarriage, stillbirth, or pregnancy loss
  • Loss of a pet
  • Job loss or career changes
  • Loss of health or physical abilities
  • Loss of identity or life transitions

What Happens If You Don't Get Support?

We know reaching out for help isn't easy. But here's what we see happen when grief goes unaddressed:

  • The grief intensifies instead of easing, potentially leading to chronic depression or anxiety
  • Relationships suffer as isolation, irritability, and emotional numbness take over
  • Physical health declines—sleep problems, weakened immune system, chronic pain
  • You lose yourself in the pain and forget who you were before the loss
  • Years pass and you realize you've been surviving, not living
  • Unresolved grief spills into every area of life—work, parenting, friendships, self-worth

You deserve better than just surviving. You deserve to heal.