We all experience loss in this life in some form or another, from unfulfilled expectations to loss of health to the death of a loved one. Grieving is a natural part of healing but is not easy to go through by yourself. It can feel like you are isolated or trapped.

The counselors at Frisco Christian Counseling in Frisco, Texas offer compassionate, professional, faith-based therapy for those who have experienced loss and are struggling through the grief process. We want to help you find healing and peace.

Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
(469) 333-6163

What are some grief-related behaviors?

Behaviors related to grief can be many and varied. Here are a few examples of behaviors that you might exhibit when you are grieving:

  • Questioning life.
  • Sessions of crying and laughing.
  • Blaming yourself.
  • Honoring a loved one’s memory.
  • Inability to concentrate.
  • Sharing feelings with others even when not solicited.
  • Survivor’s guilt.
  • Anger with God.
  • Using work or chores to take one’s mind off of grief.
  • Spending time with other loved ones.
  • Self-imposed isolation.

Notice that some of these behaviors are unhealthy – survivor’s guilt, for example. However, others can be helpful, such as honoring your loved one’s memory and throwing oneself into work to keep from ruminating on your grief.

If you find yourself engaging in unhealthy responses to grief, the counselors at Frisco Christian Counseling can help. They are skilled at helping you sort out your feelings, identifying unhealthy patterns of behavior, and working through your grief to bring about change.

In the 1960s, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross developed what has come to be known as the “five stages” of grief during her work with terminally ill patients. These stages include:

Denial: Refusal to accept that the loss has happened.

Anger: This is often directed at the person who has died, or in some cases, against God.

Bargaining: Emotions that imply some sort of deal with oneself, the deceased, or even God to mitigate the circumstances of the loss.

Depression: This happens upon the realization that one is helpless in the face of the loss.

Acceptance: This final stage is where a person comes to terms with their grief and can move on with their life.

It is commonplace to discuss the so-called “stages of grief” as if everyone grieves in the same way. However, it is somewhat of a misnomer to use the word “stage.” While there is sometimes a general pattern to one’s emotions during the grieving process, enough people show no pattern in their grief, skip stages, or even return to previous stages over time.

In addition, the use of the term “stage” implies that a person who does not follow the pattern in their own grief is somehow doing it wrong.

The grieving process is varied and may or may not look like the five stages of grief outlined above. The fact of the matter is that, as Todd Stryd has pointed out, Kübler-Ross’s template completely ignores the spiritual dimension of grief.

God is always involved in our grief and therefore, in our grief we must always seek to honor and glorify Him. If you are struggling to find God in your grief, the professional counselors at Frisco Christian Counseling can help. They offer compassionate Christian grief counseling that will direct you to the God who made all things, and who will ultimately be your comfort and your rest.

Christian counseling for grief can help when you feel overwhelmed by the grief. If you are having negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that you are struggling to overcome, the counselors at Frisco Christian Counseling are there for you.

You can participate in grief therapy as an individual or as part of a group. Family counseling is helpful for family members who may be wrestling with grief, and trauma counseling is suitable for those losses brought on by traumatic events.

Regardless of where you are in the grieving process, if you are struggling with coming to terms with it, contact Frisco Christian Counseling today at (469) 333-6163 or visit us online at Frisco Christian Counseling and view our counselor directory to help find a counselor who is a good fit for you.

We look forward to hearing from you and helping you on your journey of healing and hope.

Resources:

“Am I Doing This Right? What Lamentations Teaches Us about Grieving,” Todd Stryd, JBC 37:3 (2023): 26–35

Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
(469) 333-6163