Individuals experiencing distress and depression over traumatic life issues often feel lost and without hope. They find it difficult to know how to cope with hurt and pain of loss. Grief counseling is a form of compassionate therapy that endeavors to help patients cope with a traumatic loss or major life changing event.
Professional Grief Counselors
The American Academy of Grief Counseling offers comprehensive, quality, Certification and Fellowship programs for qualified professionals including, physicians, nurses, counselors, social workers, funeral directors, clergy and other professional providers practicing the specialty of Grief Counseling.
The Amelia Center located in Birmingham specializes in family grief counseling. Their staff of certified grief counselors works with families coping with loss of a parent, sibling or the trauma children may experience during a divorce. The Amelia Center offers hope and understanding for grieving people by providing incident stress management support for churches or schools affected by loss or trauma.
Support Groups
Support groups discuss feelings of anger, loneliness and sadness openly in a caring and compassionate setting. Alabama Grief Support Services located in Birmingham, Alabama, is a caring network of professionals and over 80 trained volunteers that offer support, hope, guidance and understanding in times of trauma and crisis. The majority of the volunteers have experienced the loss of a loved one, have previously found support and healing within the group and are graduates of the program.
Religious Support Groups
Many churches, synagogues and mosques have support groups to help the bereaved resolve the hurt and pain of the loss of a loved one. With sensitivity and caring they help bring acceptance and closure to a difficult time.
Personal Empowerment & Anger Management
The Eddings Counseling Center in Mobile, Alabama, offers compassion, direction and motivation, stating, "Our focus of interest is to help and support those families and individuals who are struggling with the intra-personal difficulties in life. We are in the process of helping those who are struggling with indecision, depression, uncontrolled anger, and disappointment."
Pet Loss Counseling
For many people, their pets are an integral part of their lives. Jeanne Vinson of Child and Family Counseling of North Alabama is Alabama's only current pet loss therapist. She offers therapy and understanding to pet owners that have lost beloved companions. Support groups for both adults and children meet weekly at the clinic in Madison, Alabama.
