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You may be doing reasonably well and suddenly become overwhelmed.
You may notice:
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Walk into an empty room
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Come home from work
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See their food bowl or favorite sleeping spot
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Find a toy underneath a piece of furniture
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Look at a photograph
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Wake during the night
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Reach toward the place where they used to sleep
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Notice the house becoming quiet at the end of the day
Sometimes those reminders bring tears. Sometimes they bring wonderful memories. Sometimes they do both.
You Don't Have to Remove Every Reminder
People sometimes wonder whether they should put away photographs, remove a pet's belongings, or avoid places that bring back memories.
There isn't one correct answer.
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From an ACT perspective, we are interested in what those behaviors are doing for you.
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A photograph that brings warmth, a moment of sadness, and the thought "I miss you, buddy" before you continue with your day may be helping you remain connected to something deeply important.
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The same photograph could function differently if looking at it repeatedly pulls you into hours of rumination, guilt, or withdrawal from your life.
The goal isn't to avoid grief.
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It is to learn when you are making room for grief and when you are becoming entangled with it.
When Counseling May Help
Our clinicians use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and other contextual behavioral approaches to help people navigate grief while remaining connected to the relationships, activities, and values that make life meaningful.
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The goal isn't forgetting.
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It isn't replacing the animal you loved.
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It isn't forcing yourself to "move on."
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It is learning how to move forward while carrying something important with you.
What therapy looks like
This is structured, skill-based therapy.
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We work to:
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understand the pattern clearly
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build practical skills
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apply those skills in real situations
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track what is actually improving
This is not just talking about problems.
It is learning how to respond differently to them.
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We use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as the foundation for this work. → Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Serving Rhode Island and Massachusetts
We provide therapy across Providence and all of Rhode Island, with telehealth available across Rhode Island and Massachusetts.