THERAPY SPECIALTY

Grief Counseling

Supporting Teens and Adults Through Grief and Loss

Guiding You Through Grief With Care and Understanding

Do you or a loved one feel overwhelmed by loss, sadness, or emotional pain that feels hard to move through? Does grief interfere with daily life, relationships, or your sense of stability?

At JCACounseling, we provide compassionate, evidence-based grief therapy for adults and teens. Our licensed therapists support clients in processing loss, understanding their grief experience, and developing healthy ways to cope—so healing can happen at your own pace and with meaningful support.

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What Is Grief? Understanding Loss and Emotional Healing

Grief is the natural response to loss, but it’s much more than just sadness. While many people associate grief with the death of a loved one, it can also occur after other life changes, such as the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, a move, or even a significant shift in life circumstances.

Everyone experiences grief differently, and there is no “right” way to grieve.

Some people feel intense sadness, anger, or guilt, while others may feel numb, disconnected, or overwhelmed. Grief can affect your emotions, behaviors, and even your physical health.

Understanding grief is the first step in healing. Recognizing that your feelings are valid and normal can help you begin to process your loss, regain emotional balance, and take steps toward moving forward.hildren experience anxiety differently than adults, and recognizing the signs is key to helping them cope.

How Therapy Supports Grief

Grief therapy helps individuals process loss, understand their unique grief experience, and develop healthy ways to cope while rebuilding emotional strength and stability.

In grief therapy, you may learn to:

- Understand the grief process and what is normal after loss

- Express emotions related to loss in a safe, supportive space
- Develop coping tools to manage waves of sadness, anger, or numbness
- Navigate life changes and identity shifts after loss
- Build resilience while honoring the relationship and memories
- Identify and understand your anxiety triggers
We may use supportive counseling, mindfulness practices, narrative therapy, cognitive-behavioral approaches, and grief-focused interventions—carefully tailored to your age, needs, and personal healing goals.

The Many Facets of Grief

What is Grief?

We often use the framework of the five stages of grief—Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance—plus the sixth stage of Meaning, added by grief expert David Kessler.

Denial: A protective response that helps you cope with overwhelming loss. Anger: Feelings of frustration or unfairness, often reflecting how deeply you valued what was lost. Bargaining: Trying to make sense of loss with “what if” or “if only” thinking. Depression: A natural response to the reality of your loss. Acceptance: Recognizing the reality of the loss without needing to feel “okay” about it. Meaning: Finding purpose or growth in the aftermath of loss, helping you move forward while honoring what was lost.

Grief is not linear—you may revisit stages multiple times. Therapy helps you navigate these waves, process your emotions safely, and regain control over your life.

Podcast episode video features Rachel Brunelle, MA, NCC, APC, RMHCI.

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How Grief Therapy Can Help

Our licensed therapists provide compassionate, evidence-based grief counseling tailored to your age, needs, and goals.

Therapy may include: - Emotional processing and safe expression of grief - Mindfulness and relaxation strategies to manage overwhelming feelings - Cognitive-behavioral and narrative approaches to reframe painful thoughts - Tools for building resilience and coping with life after loss

Grief therapy empowers you to process loss, restore balance, and find hope for the future.

If you find that grief feels overwhelming, persistent, or hard to navigate, professional support from a licensed grief therapist in Alpharetta or online can help you process your loss and begin to restore emotional balance.

Our goal is to provide a safe, compassionate space where you can work through your grief, build coping strategies, and reclaim a sense of stability—while remaining actively involved in your healing journey every step of the way.

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Loss vs. Trauma: Understanding the Difference

Grief Therapy for Adults and Teens – Support for Loss, Bereavement, and Emotional Healing

Not every loss is experienced as trauma, and not every grief journey follows the same path. While losing a loved one, a relationship, a job, or even a life phase can be deeply painful, traumatic grief occurs when the intensity of the loss overwhelms your ability to cope.

Loss is a natural part of life. It may bring sadness, longing, or temporary disruption, but most people gradually adjust and find ways to continue living fully.

Trauma from loss, on the other hand, can leave you feeling stuck—reliving the loss as if it’s happening all over again. This may include:

- Distressing memories that feel immediate and consuming - Emotional numbness or dissociation - Difficulty resuming daily routines, work, or relationships - Feeling as though grief controls your life long after the event

Not all grief turns into trauma, and the difference often depends on the individual’s personal experience, support system, and coping resources.

Some losses may become prolonged or complicated grief, requiring professional guidance to navigate safely. At Johns Creek & Alpharetta Counseling, we provide individualized grief therapy for teens and adults. Our goal is to help you understand your grief, whether it feels like pain or trauma, and guide you toward healing at your own pace.

ONLINE GRIEF THERAPY

Support Through Loss. Healing Over Time.

Our online grief therapy offers compassionate, professional support in a secure and private virtual setting. You can meet with a licensed therapist from the comfort of your home while receiving guidance tailored to your unique grief experience. Grief can affect emotions, thoughts, and daily functioning. In online grief counseling, we help you process loss, manage overwhelming feelings, and develop healthy coping strategies at a pace that feels right for you. Virtual sessions provide flexibility for busy schedules, caregiving responsibilities, or limited access to in-person services. You don’t have to go through grief alone. Online grief therapy allows you to feel supported, understood, and guided—wherever you are in your healing journey.

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Honoring Life's Meaningful Moments

Life is shaped by moments that deserve to be remembered—birthdays, anniversaries, and times of loss. While some of these milestones are joyful, others can be deeply emotional and difficult to navigate. Remembering a loved one or marking an important date can bring both comfort and grief, and all of those feelings are natural.

At JCAC, we believe there is space to grieve, reflect, and heal while honoring life and legacy. We are here to support individuals and families with care, dignity, and compassion, helping you recognize each moment in a way that feels meaningful to you.