Navigating Grief

Losing someone is never easy. It can affect your emotions, relationships, body, and daily routines (Solomon & Rando, 2007, 2012, 2015).

If you’re working through grief, the right support can make a real difference. Therapists who know grief theories and effective support methods can guide you. They can support you to reduce pain and distress, so you find ways to adapt and move forward.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an effective therapy. Originally used for trauma, EMDR helps process loss, making it easier to accept and integrate the experience into your life (Shapiro, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2018).

Research shows it works. In a study by Meysner and colleagues (2016), EMDR was compared to a form of grief-focused CBT. Both therapies helped people in meaningful ways. Follow-up interviews highlighted that participants in both groups experienced:

• Greater insight into their feelings

• Positive shifts in emotions

• A stronger mental connection with their loved one

• Increased self-confidence

• More energy and activity in daily life

Each therapy offers unique benefits. CBT helps people learn emotional regulation skills, a toolkit for tough moments. EMDR makes distressing memories less vivid and more distant over time. EMDR participants also naturally see positive changes in mood and confidence, even when those weren’t directly targeted. CBT participants often describe moving from grief toward a hopeful future.

Grief can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. Merle at TwoOceans Therapeutic Connections is trained in EMDR and CBT. She can support you to find the approach that fits your needs so that you can work through the pain and move forward at your own pace.