Understanding grief
The stages of grief
The stages of grief can be difficult to move through, and it is possible to feel stuck at any point in the process.
I approach this work with humility and grace, and I am honored to support others through their darkest days. If friends or family members have encouraged you to seek help, know that support is available.
These stages are not a checklist and they do not arrive in order. Most people move back and forth between them, sometimes several times in a single day. That is not a sign that anything is going wrong.
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Denial
The mind protects itself from what it cannot yet absorb.
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Anger
Often the first feeling that breaks through the numbness.
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Bargaining
The endless what-ifs and if-onlys that replay at three in the morning.
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Depression
The weight of the loss settling in as the world moves on around you.
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Acceptance
Not being at peace with the loss, but learning to live alongside it.
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Meaning
Dr. Kessler's sixth stage: finding a way to carry the love forward.
A timeline of grief
While there is no timeline in grief, some people find a rough sense of the shape of it helpful when deciding whether to reach out for support.