Grief and Loss Therapy Toronto - Addiction Rehab Toronto

Our Programs

Therapeutic Grief and Loss Counselling in Toronto

Grief and Loss Therapy in Toronto, ON

Grief and Loss can have a huge impact on the suffering of an individual’s addiction. Grief is a natural response to a loss. A loss can be anything of value to a person, which could include a relationship, a loved one, a job, an event, an experience or even an addiction. Grief incorporates the thoughts, feelings and behaviours connected to the loss of something important. It can lead to changes in the body such as affecting the heart, the brain and the nervous system. It can lead to an experience of pain, relief, anxiety and depression that can be felt and expressed through the mind, body and soul. In addition, grief can be experienced through bereavement, which is the period of mourning after the loss.

Symptoms of Grief and Loss

There are many different symptoms of grief and loss because there are many different ways to experience it. Everyone is different and it is all validated emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. Some examples of symptoms include: anger, shock, loneliness, guilt, self-blame, yearning, resentfulness, numbness, and emptiness.

For Your Information

Three Types of Grief

Acute: Intense symptoms of shock, distress, sadness, poor appetite, sleep trouble and poor concentration.
Complicated: Symptoms never seem go go away; loss seems unreal and unmanageable. Might constantly yearn for the deceased or experience guilt about the idea of “moving on” and accepting the loss.
Integrated: Lifelong; accept the reality of the loss, and resumed daily life activities. Learned to cope.

Stop and Think
Do you relate to any or all three of the types of grief?

Grief and Loss Therapy at Addiction Rehab Toronto

We ask individuals: how does grief and loss affect you as a whole-person?

Addiction Rehab Toronto strives to treat Addiction from a holistic and client-centred perspective that encompasses biopsychosocial components of Grief and Loss. The clinical team focuses on the underlying Grief and Loss concerns of how the client can best address their cognitive functioning. Our team of addiction therapy specialists, psychotherapists, and clinical staff collaborate each day on how to meet and treat the unique Grief and Loss needs of every client. Techniques for coping with mental illness vary widely and can include strategies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, and psychoeducation. Addiction Rehab Toronto looks at each client on an individual basis to best develop a personalized treatment plan.

Grief and Loss wellness means taking care of your mind, and soul. It’s about focusing on Grief and Loss, Mindfulness, and Counselling. Through active addiction, the brain becomes impaired. A Specialized Addiction Treatment Plan utilizes an array of programming, methods, and activities to help rewire the brain to focus on individuals mental well-being and sobriety.

Mental, Physical and Spiritual support services offered include:

One on One counselling
Psychotherapy
Mindfulness through Yoga, Reiki, Walks, Breathing Techniques, Independent Reflections, and Journaling
Meditation
Anger Management Programming
Stress Management Programming
Music Therapy
Art Therapy
Nutrition
Fitness through our gym, outdoor walks, recreational activities, and fitness boot camps
And more.

For so long, individuals have been burdened with the idea that being emotional and being vulnerable means being weak, but it’s important to embrace emotions as a key part of the addiction recovery process. Our addiction treatment programming provides individuals with programming, methods, and activities that promote emotions as valid and wanted.

Emotional support services offered include:

One on One Counselling
Psychotherapy
Group Therapy through weekly Programming on Relapse Prevention, Anger Management, Communications, Self-Esteem, Codependency, Values, Grief and Loss, Stages of Change, Self-Love, Loneliness, and much more
Music Therapy
Art Therapy
Fitness Therapy such as Yoga, Reiki, and Maui Thai
Outdoor campfire
Onsite Therapy Do
Feelings Wheel
Journalling
And more.

Get The Addiction Treatment Now!

Our treatment incorporates individuals’ Grief and Loss well-being even after completing onsite treatment. We offer individuals an Aftercare program. Phase III is a 14-week outpatient program that helps prevent relapse and assist with the further development of problem-solving and coping skills required in day to day recovery. The Aftercare program allows individuals to identify their needs after their stay because the work of addiction recovery is significantly enhanced with participation in an extended follow-up Aftercare program. Within Aftercare, individuals will work with our Addiction Specialized Counsellors to continuously support through any distress on an individual’s mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being.

“ Our grieving is as individual as our lives.” – Ross.

How To Support Yourself Or A Loved One

Acceptance is an important part of coping with grief and loss.

We must accept what has happened, and learn to live a new life around acceptance. Following Alcoholic Anonymous, acceptance can be about accepting that human beings have limits – accepting does not mean you cannot control your life, it means there are some things you cannot control. The only way to fight is to surrender to the acceptance. Admitting it has control over you. Admitting you need support and help.

Acknowledge your pain: Understanding acceptance of the new live as a new norm. Give yourself permission to feel your feelings. Don’t suppress your grief. Understand that your grieving process is unique to you and be patient and gentle to yourself.
Seeking support: Seek out support from people who care about you or from mental health professionals. Let people in when they reach out.
Express your feelings: To others (friends, family, church, therapist, grief support group, and/or mental health professional.) Sharing your loss may ease the burden that carries. Don’t pressure yourself, the overall key is to not isolate.
Plan ahead for grief “triggers:” Anniversaries, holidays, and milestones can reawaken memories and feelings. Be prepared for potential triggers that are reactive from a memory, a place, a feeling, a thought or an experience. For example: talk to loved ones about boundaries and expectations at the next Holiday get together.
Gratitude journal: Write about your loss in a journal. If you’ve lost a loved one, write a letter saying the things you never got to say; make a scrapbook or social media collage celebrating the life of your loss. Find ways to celebrate and commemorate.

Grief and loss can mean different things to all of us. It’s a different feeling, emotion, experience and behaviour – but it is yours. There is no right or wrong way of living with grief and loss, and it would be redundant to pretend that there is a perfect-step-to-step process. Because grief and loss is not a scientific theory, there is no right or wrong way to react. Moving through grief and loss is a process – rather than denying the process, we can engage with it in a healthy way and work to bring effective closure to our recovery. But we hope that this session will at least provide some healing, comfort and peace to your journey.

Call us for Therapeutic Grief And Loss Counselling

At Addiction Rehab Toronto, we advocate a mental health stigma-free environment. We are actively involved in the conversations about Addiction, Addiction stigma and how they work together to stigmatize Mental Health. We pride ourselves in being an inclusive, safe, and non-judgmental space. We understand we only scratched the surface with Mental Health. Our Clinical Team is aware of how Mental Health can take control of our lives, as even though we may not always be able to wish it away, we will be by your side, supporting each step of Addiction Recovery and Mental Health. You are not alone and we are ready, and wanting to listen.

For information on our Grief And Loss treatment, please give us a call at 1-855-787-2424, or email us at info@addictionrehabtoronto.ca. We’ll be happy to help you.

Get The Addiction Treatment Now!