Grief can show up in many different ways. For some, it feels like a wave of sadness that comes and goes. For others, it feels like a heavy fog that never really lifts. Whether you’ve lost a loved one, a relationship, a home or even a version of yourself, grief is a deeply personal experience. It’s not the same for everyone, and it doesn’t have a strict timeline. 

If your grief doesn’t get better with time, and it continues to disrupt your life after over a year of grieving, you might be experiencing prolonged grief disorder. Prolonged grief disorder is a fairly common experience. A cross-national analysis found that around 13% of people experience prolonged grief disorder.

If you’re experiencing intense grief and you’re not sure how to move forward, grief-focused virtual counseling or psychotherapy can be helpful. A licensed clinical therapist can help you process your feelings and reach a place of healing. If you’re not sure whether professional mental health treatment is right for you, learning more about the symptoms that might require intervention can provide some insights.

6 signs you should consider virtual grief counseling services

• You feel stuck — It’s normal to feel a deep sense of sadness after a loss. If weeks or months have passed and you still feel the same way, though, it may be time to talk to someone. If you feel stuck, you may have trouble feeling any way but sad. You may feel like crying at any given moment. You may lose interest in things that used to matter to you. You may struggle to move forward with your life. Professional support can help you gently explore your feelings, understand your grief more clearly and begin the healing process.
• You feel alone — Grief can feel incredibly isolating, especially when the people around you don’t know what to say or how to help. You may even feel like others have “moved on,” while you’re still deep in pain. Maybe you’ve thought, “No one gets what I’m going through” or “I don’t want to burden anyone with this, so I’ll deal with it alone.” The truth is you don’t have to be alone as you navigate your grief. Virtual Services for mental health can provide a safe, private space where you can share honestly without fear of judgment.
• You’re having trouble eating and sleeping — Grief doesn’t just affect your emotions. It can also affect your body. Some people feel like they can’t sleep. Others sleep all the time. Some lose their appetite, while others turn to food for comfort. If your sleep, eating, or energy levels have changed in a big way since your loss, it may be your body’s way of telling you it needs help. When you feel too tired or exhausted to leave your home for help, virtual mental health treatment can meet you where you are.
• You feel angry or numb — Grief is more than sadness. It can also show up in anger, irritability and numbness. You might find yourself snapping at people and feeling guilty for things you did or didn’t say. You might feel nothing at all. This doesn’t mean you’re grieving “wrong.” It means you may need some extra support. If you’ve been waking up angry or feeling disconnected from yourself, you’re not alone. Grief-focused mental health support can help you process these hard emotions, find healthy ways to express them and reconnect with yourself.
• You can’t focus — After a loss, even simple tasks can feel impossible. You may struggle to concentrate, forget things, or lose track of time. You may feel unmotivated to work, clean or care for yourself. Grief can make your brain feel foggy and slow. If it’s starting to interfere with daily life, that’s a sign that it may be time to seek support. A licensed clinical therapist can help you make sense of your thoughts and take small, manageable steps forward.
• You think something’s wrong with you — Have you recently thought, “I should be over this by now,” or “Why can’t I move on?” These thoughts may be signs that you’re being too hard on yourself. Grief isn’t something to get over. It’s something to move through. For many people, doing that with professional support makes a profound difference.

Lightfully offers virtual psychotherapy services for prolonged grief

Grief doesn’t wait for a convenient moment. With virtual mental health treatment programs, your healing doesn’t have to wait for a convenient moment either. You can get compassionate, structured virtual support to meet you right where you are with Lightfully. Our Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program (vPHP) includes one-on-one psychotherapy sessions, group support, psychiatric care and more. It’s all based on our Precision Care Model (PCM) and tailored to help you manage overwhelming emotions while moving forward.

Change is possible. If you think you might need professional support in processing your grief, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.