Simply put, grief counseling consists of a confidential, guided conversation about your loss experience with a trained counseling professional. It is different from a social conversation in both its structure and purpose.

The process involves telling your story and describing the problems or dilemmas associated with your loss. Your counselor will likely ask questions that will help them get a better understanding of your situation, concerns and goals. The purpose of grief counseling is to help you gain a better understanding of your loss-related experience, while working toward resolving or learning to cope better with loss-related challenges.

You and your counselor will work together to develop a plan to address your particular situation. Based on your counselor’s knowledge, training and understanding of your particular concerns, they may make specific recommendations, suggest alternatives, or provide possible solutions. As part of your plan, you may be assigned mutually agreed upon “homework assignments,” which are out-of-session activities designed to help you achieve your counseling goals.