Understanding Grief and Loss: Exploring the Many Faces of Grief
Grief is one of the most profound emotional experiences we face as human beings. It represents our love, our attachment, and our capacity to feel deeply. Whether it follows the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a significant life change, grief reminds us of what matters most.
The Weight of Grief (1997) by Celeste Roberge depicts a life-sized human figure made of wire mesh filled with stones, crouched in a fetal-like position. The sculpture visually conveys the heaviness of sorrow and the emotional burden of loss, symbolizing how grief can feel both contained and overwhelming.
At AGP Psychotherapy Services, we understand that grief is not a single emotion but a complex, evolving process. Every person’s experience is unique — and every loss deserves compassion and care (National Center for Biotechnology Information [NCBI], 2023).
What Is Grief?
Grief is a natural reaction to loss — emotional, physical, and spiritual. It may appear as sadness, anger, guilt, confusion, or even relief (Verywell Health, 2024).
While many are familiar with the five stages of grief proposed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance), research now shows that grief is rarely linear. People move through these emotions in waves, revisiting them at different times (Mayo Clinic, 2024).
Healthy grieving helps individuals integrate their loss into life over time. But sometimes, grief becomes prolonged or complicated, leading to persistent pain and difficulty functioning day to day (Cleveland Clinic, 2024).
Ten Types of Grief: Recognizing Your Experience
Understanding the types of grief can validate your experience and guide healing. The Distress Centre (2024) identifies ten main types:
Normal grief – A healthy, adaptive response to loss.
Anticipatory grief – Grieving before the loss occurs (e.g., during terminal illness).
Complicated grief – Intense, long-lasting grief that disrupts daily life.
Chronic grief – Persistent pain that doesn’t ease with time.
Delayed grief – Emotional reactions surface long after the loss.
Cumulative grief – Multiple losses that compound emotional distress.
Masked grief – Grief expressed through physical symptoms or behaviors.
Collective grief – Shared loss within a community or society.
Disenfranchised grief – Loss not socially recognized (e.g., miscarriage, pet loss).
Secondary loss – Consequences of loss, such as identity or financial changes.
Recognizing your type of grief can help you find the right support and language for your pain. There’s no “wrong” way to grieve — but there are healthier, more supported paths to healing.
Complicated and Prolonged Grief: When Healing Feels Stuck
Sometimes, grief becomes complicated — also known as Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) — when intense sadness, yearning, or disbelief continues beyond a year (Mayo Clinic, 2024). This form of grief is different from depression or post-traumatic stress disorder but may overlap in symptoms (Psychology Today, 2023).
People experiencing complicated grief may:
Struggle to accept the loss
Avoid reminders of their loved one
Feel life has lost its meaning
Experience intense guilt or anger
Support through psychotherapy can help individuals process unresolved emotions, rebuild identity, and re-engage with life (Shear, 2013).
At AGP Psychotherapy Services, our trauma-informed therapy approach integrates evidence-based methods such as CBT, DBT, and mindfulness to help clients navigate complicated grief with compassion.
Healing Through Grief: Finding Meaning and Support
Healing does not mean forgetting; it means learning to live with loss differently. Verywell Health (2024) notes that recovery involves accepting reality, experiencing emotions safely, adjusting to life’s changes, and maintaining continuing bonds with the lost person or dream.
Therapeutic support — especially through online psychotherapy in Ontario — can help create a safe space to explore emotions, build coping tools, and move toward healing at your own pace.
You may find comfort in:
Writing or creative expression
Joining grief support groups
Practicing mindfulness or rituals of remembrance
Talking with a licensed psychotherapist
Through therapy, you can begin to reconnect with hope and meaning — even amid sorrow.
Moving Forward with Compassion
Grief changes us, but it also reveals our capacity for love and resilience. There is no timeline for healing — only the ongoing process of honouring both the loss and the life that continues.
If you’re struggling with grief or loss, you don’t have to face it alone. AGP Psychotherapy Services offers virtual grief therapy for adults across Ontario, helping you process emotions, find peace, and rebuild a sense of balance.
Begin your healing journey today. Book a free 15-minute consultation to connect with a trauma-informed psychotherapist who understands.
References
American Psychological Association. (2022). Creating an APA Style reference list guide. https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/creating-reference-list.pdf
Cleveland Clinic. (2024). Complicated grief: Symptoms, causes, and treatment. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24951-complicated-grief
Distress Centre. (2024, February 28). 10 types of grief explained. https://distresscentre.com/2024/02/28/10-types-of-grief-explained/
Mayo Clinic. (2024). Complicated grief: Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/complicated-grief/symptoms-causes/syc-20360374
National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2023). Grief and bereavement in adults: Clinical overview (StatPearls). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK591827/
Neil Bardal Funeral Home. (2024). What is complicated grief? https://www.neilbardalfuneralhome.com/what-is-complicated-grief
Psychology Today. (2023, November). Complicated grief can be complicated. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/good-mourning/202311/complicated-grief-can-be-complicated
Psychology Today. (2022, May). Prolonged grief vs. normal grief. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/in-it-together/202205/prolonged-grief-vs-normal-grief
Roberge, C. (1997). The weight of grief [Sculpture]. Celeste Roberge Studio.
Shear, M. K. (2013). Grief and mourning gone awry: Pathway and course of complicated grief. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 15(2), 119–128. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3855369/
Verywell Health. (2024). The grief and mourning process. https://www.verywellhealth.com/grief-and-mourning-process-1132545