grief counseling for an entire family

Posted on: 18 February 2016

If you have recently broken up with someone with whom you had an intense, lasting, or loving relationship, then you may feel a variety of emotions. While it is normal and healthy to spend time grieving after a relationship ends, there are some cases when you may need professional assistance to help get you through your grief and to continue productively with your life. Below are a few signs that individual counseling will benefit you after a bad breakup. 

You Were In an Abusive Relationship 

Abuse can take many forms and can leave a lasting mark on your personality. If you were in a physically or emotionally abusive relationship, then you may need help dealing with stress and trauma caused by the abuse. You may also need help to sort out what actually happened and be able to forgive yourself and learn to trust yourself in relationships again. 

If you see a counselor after you leave an emotionally or physically abusive relationship, they will likely help you find resources to help you be able to stay away from the person who was abusive towards you. You may also complete cognitive behavioral therapy to help you process your emotions and group therapy to help you build your self-esteem and connect with other survivors of abuse. 

The Breakup Interferes With Your Professional Life 

It is not unusual for a breakup to affect every area of your life. For example, you may have difficulty hanging out with friends for awhile and you may miss some work. However, if you find that the breakup is jeopardizing your career because you are unable to complete your duties while you are dealing with your breakup, a professional can help you get through the more difficult aspects your breakup more quickly.

Depending on your counselor's level of training, they may be able to write a note if you need to provide confirmation of a psychological problem in order to utilize your paid sick days during your breakup. Often, a psychiatrist needs to issue such as note, but your work may accept one from a psychologist as well. 

It Is Taking You a Long Time to Heal 

While there has been some evidence that the worst part of a significant breakup will last around 90 days, experts agree that there are many factors that affect how long it will take each individual and it is impossible to predict how long it will be before you experience feelings of closure. Depending on the length of your relationship, your investment, and your plans for the future, you may get over a breakup in a few weeks or it may take years to feel fully healed. 

The best sign that your healing is taking an extended amount of time and you might need a professional's help is that you feel ready to put the relationship behind you but are unable to do so on your own. If you are experiencing feelings of extreme frustration over your inability to move on, as opposed to about the breakup directly, or if you start to use unhealthy coping mechanisms such as excessive drinking or drug use, then you should talk to a professional counselor. 

While a counselor can help you process your breakup more quickly, they may also help you deal with the frustrations you feel at your inability to let go of the relationship and help prevent secondary stress, anxiety, and depression by helping you recognize the intricacies of the grieving process after a bad breakup. 

While not all breakups require professional counseling, if you were in a serious relationship and you find yourself unable to move on, a counselor may be able to assist you. Contact a company like Park Center Inc for more information.