Grief Therapy: Options That Help With Prolonged and Complicated Grief
Grief therapy helps when loss feels unbearable or stuck. Learn the types of grief therapy, prolonged grief treatment, what to expect and how to find a grief therapist.
Grief therapy is specialized psychotherapy for people whose grief is intense, prolonged or complicated by trauma, guilt, depression or anxiety. The best-studied approach, prolonged grief disorder therapy, typically takes about 16 sessions. Other helpful approaches include CBT for grief, meaning-centered therapy and trauma-focused therapy after sudden or violent losses.
Key takeaways
- Grief therapy goes beyond general support for people who feel stuck.
- Prolonged grief disorder is a recognized diagnosis that responds to targeted therapy.
- Sudden, violent or traumatic losses often benefit from trauma-informed care.
- Grief can trigger depression, PTSD or substance use, which are treatable.
- Online grief therapy is effective and widely available.
Grief does not follow a schedule, and there is no correct timeline. But for some people, months or years after a loss, the pain is as raw as the first day. Life feels on hold, reminders are unbearable or avoided entirely, and it feels impossible to imagine a future. That is when grief therapy can help.
This guide explains how grief therapy differs from counseling, the types of therapy that work, signs you may need it and how to find a grief therapist. For general support see our guide to grief counseling.
What is grief therapy?
Grief therapy is delivered by licensed mental health professionals and focuses on grief that has become complicated: when it is prolonged, intensely disabling, or tangled with trauma, guilt or other mental health conditions. It helps people accept the reality of the loss, process painful emotions, reduce avoidance and rebuild a meaningful life while staying connected to the person who died.
Types of grief therapy
| Approach | Focus |
|---|---|
| Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy (PGDT) | About 16 sessions combining revisiting the loss, reducing avoidance, and restoring goals and relationships |
| CBT for grief | Addresses guilt, self-blame, avoidance and unhelpful beliefs |
| Meaning-centered grief therapy | Helps rebuild purpose and identity after loss |
| Trauma-focused therapy (CPT, PE, EMDR) | For sudden, violent or traumatic deaths with PTSD symptoms |
| Family and couples therapy | Supports families grieving together, including after child loss |
Signs you may need grief therapy
- Intense yearning or preoccupation with the person for 12 months or more
- Feeling that part of you died, or life is meaningless
- Inability to accept the death
- Avoiding all reminders, or being unable to stop focusing on them
- Intense guilt, anger or bitterness
- Difficulty re-engaging with friends, work or plans
- Persistent depression, panic or trauma symptoms
- Increased alcohol or drug use
- Thoughts of wanting to die to be with the person
Prolonged grief disorder
Added to the DSM-5-TR in 2022, prolonged grief disorder is diagnosed when, at least 12 months after a death, a person has intense yearning or preoccupation nearly every day plus other symptoms such as identity disruption, disbelief, avoidance, intense emotional pain, numbness or loneliness, causing significant distress or impairment. It affects an estimated 7% to 10% of bereaved adults, and more after sudden or violent deaths.
What to expect in grief therapy
Telling the story
Sharing the story of the death and your relationship.
Processing emotions
Working with guilt, anger and sadness safely.
Reducing avoidance
Gradually approaching reminders and places you have avoided.
Imagined conversations
Some approaches include speaking to your loved one to address unfinished business.
Rebuilding
Setting goals and reconnecting with people and activities.
How to find grief therapy near me or online
- Search for therapists trained in prolonged grief therapy or complicated grief treatment
- Ask hospices and bereavement centers for referrals
- Check your insurance directory for grief specialists
- Consider telehealth grief therapy
GraceBridge Psychiatry offers online psychiatric care in Texas, Arizona and Washington when grief is accompanied by depression, anxiety, insomnia or trauma, and can coordinate grief therapy.
How GraceBridge Psychiatry can help
GraceBridge Psychiatry provides secure online psychiatric care for adults in Texas, Arizona and Washington. Care starts with a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, followed by a personalized treatment plan that may include therapy referrals, lifestyle strategies and medication management when appropriate. Most new patients are seen within days. See insurance we accept and self-pay pricing.
- Free consultation call: tell us what is going on.
- Book your evaluation: meet a board-certified provider by secure video.
- Get your plan: clear next steps and follow-up until you feel better.
Frequently asked questions
What is grief therapy?
Specialized psychotherapy for intense, prolonged or complicated grief, often involving trauma, guilt, depression or anxiety.
How is grief therapy different from grief counseling?
Grief counseling supports normal grief; grief therapy treats complicated or prolonged grief with structured approaches.
What is prolonged grief disorder?
A diagnosis for intense, disabling grief lasting at least 12 months after a death, with yearning or preoccupation nearly every day.
How long does grief therapy take?
Prolonged grief disorder therapy usually involves about 16 weekly sessions. Other approaches vary.
When should I consider grief therapy?
When grief remains overwhelming for many months, prevents you from functioning or comes with depression, trauma symptoms or substance use.
Can grief cause PTSD?
Yes, especially after sudden, violent or traumatic deaths. Trauma-focused therapy helps.
Does medication help grief?
Medication does not treat grief itself but can help co-occurring depression, anxiety or insomnia.
Is it normal to still grieve years later?
Yes. Grief often continues in some form. It becomes a concern when it is intensely disabling and does not ease.
What happens in grief therapy?
You tell the story of the loss, process emotions, reduce avoidance, address guilt and rebuild meaningful activities and relationships.
Can grief therapy be done online?
Yes. Online grief therapy is effective and convenient.
What is complicated grief?
A term for grief that is prolonged and intensely disabling, now largely described as prolonged grief disorder.
Is grief therapy covered by insurance?
Many plans cover therapy with licensed providers when there is a diagnosable condition.
Can grief therapy help after a suicide loss?
Yes. Suicide loss survivors often benefit from specialized support and therapy.
Can children have grief therapy?
Yes, with therapists trained in child and family bereavement.
What if I want to die after losing someone?
Please seek help immediately. Call or text 988, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room.
Sources
- American Psychiatric Association. Prolonged Grief Disorder
- Shear MK, et al. Optimizing treatment of complicated grief: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016;73(7):685-694.
- Lundorff M, et al. Prevalence of prolonged grief disorder in adult bereavement: a meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2017;212:138-149.