“Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.”— Psalm 34:18 (World English Bible)
Whatever you have lost — a person, a relationship, a future you had imagined — your grief is real, and it deserves to be honored.
Grief is not a problem to be solved. It is love with nowhere to go. The American Psychological Association recognizes grief as one of the most profound human experiences, and one that does not follow a predictable timeline or a tidy set of stages. You may feel waves of sadness, anger, numbness, guilt, relief, or all of these within a single hour. None of that is wrong. Grief is not a sign of weakness — it is the measure of how deeply you loved or how much something mattered. You are allowed to take as long as you need.
Gentle Tools That May Help
These approaches are drawn from widely recognized therapeutic frameworks. They are offered as starting points, not prescriptions. Please seek a licensed counselor or mental health professional for personalized support.
Allow Grief to Move Through You
Research in grief therapy emphasizes that suppressing grief — pushing it down to "stay strong" — often prolongs and intensifies it. Allowing yourself to cry, to sit with the sadness, or to speak the name of what you have lost is not wallowing — it is healthy processing. Set aside intentional time to grieve, even if only for a few minutes each day, rather than waiting for it to ambush you.
Find a Witness for Your Story
Narrative therapy research shows that telling the story of your loss — to a trusted friend, a grief group, a counselor, or even a journal — helps the mind begin to integrate the experience. You do not need to make sense of it. You simply need to say it out loud to someone who will listen without trying to fix it. Hope in the Wall Ministries is one such place.
Tend to Your Body
Grief is physically exhausting. The APA notes that bereaved individuals often experience disrupted sleep, appetite changes, and lowered immune function. Simple, consistent acts of physical care — drinking water, eating something nourishing, stepping outside for a few minutes of daylight — are not trivial. They are acts of survival and self-compassion during one of life's hardest seasons.
Consider a Grief Support Group or Counselor
Grief counseling and support groups offer something uniquely powerful: the presence of others who truly understand. Organizations like GriefShare (griefshare.org) offer faith-based group support nationwide. For individual counseling, the APA's locator at locator.apa.org can connect you with a licensed therapist who specializes in bereavement.
You will not always feel this way. The weight does not disappear, but it does become something you can carry — and eventually, something that shapes you into a person of deeper compassion. You are not alone in this.
If you are in immediate danger or crisis, please call 911 or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) — available 24/7 at no charge. We are not a substitute for emergency or clinical care.