Therapy for Grief and Loss
Available for Michigan clients (in person or virtual) and Hawaii clients (virtual only)
You’re not defined by what you’ve lost. With the right support, you can begin to understand your grief, stay connected to what mattered, and find a way to move forward that still feels true to you.
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You’re not defined by what you’ve lost. With the right support, you can begin to understand your grief, stay connected to what mattered, and find a way to move forward that still feels true to you. 〰️
WHEN SOMETHING IMPORTANT HAS BEEN LOST, AND NOTHING FEELS THE SAME
Grief can change how everything feels. Even simple moments can feel heavier, slower, or harder to move through. You might find yourself thinking about what was, what could have been, or what feels unfinished.
Sometimes the loss is recent. Other times, it’s something that happened a long time ago but still shows up in ways you didn’t expect. Grief doesn’t always move in a straight line, and it doesn’t always look the way people assume it should.
Therapy creates space to slow this down and understand what you’re experiencing. Not to fix it or move past it quickly, but to make sense of how the loss is affecting you and how you’re carrying it day to day.
WHEN GRIEF SHOWS UP IN WAYS YOU DIDN’T EXPECT
Grief doesn’t only look like sadness. It can show up in your thoughts, your body, your relationships, and your ability to focus or feel present. You might feel fine one moment and completely overwhelmed the next.
For some people, grief feels constant. For others, it shows up in waves or at unexpected times. There is no single way it’s supposed to look.
Grief therapy helps you understand these experiences so they feel less confusing and less isolating over time.
Some common experiences couples bring into therapy include:
Feeling waves of sadness, anger, or numbness
Thinking about the loss more than you expected
Difficulty focusing or feeling present
Changes in sleep, energy, or motivation
Feeling disconnected from others
Not recognizing yourself in how you’re reacting
When grief isn’t processed, it can start to shape how you move through daily life. Therapy offers a space to understand what you’re experiencing and begin finding ways to move forward with it.
WHAT WE FOCUS ON IN GRIEF AND LOSS THERAPY
At Adaptations Therapy Institute, grief therapy is grounded in understanding that loss impacts both emotional and physical experiences. We focus on helping you process what has happened while also supporting how you carry it moving forward.
Our work together often includes:
Regulating the Emotional Impact of Loss
Grief can feel overwhelming or unpredictable. Therapy helps you build awareness and ways to stay more grounded when emotions intensify.
Understanding Your Grief Experience
Grief looks different for everyone. We work to understand how it’s showing up for you specifically, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Staying Connected While Moving Forward
Grief doesn’t mean letting go of what mattered. We focus on helping you move forward in a way that still honors the relationship or experience you’ve lost.
Making Meaning of the Loss
Loss can shift how you see yourself, others, and your future. We help you process these changes and make sense of what feels different.
GRIEF AND LOSS THERAPY HELPS WITH
People seek grief therapy for many different reasons. Loss can take many forms, and the impact is not always immediate or easy to identify.
Grief therapy may be helpful if you are navigating:
Loss of a loved one
Breakups or the end of a relationship
Major life transitions or changes
Unresolved or complicated grief
Feeling stuck in sadness, anger, or numbness
Difficulty adjusting to life after loss
Loss of identity, roles, or expectations
Therapy is not about rushing through grief. It’s about having a space to understand it and move through it in a way that feels more manageable.
OUR APPROACH
Adaptations Therapy Institute approaches grief therapy with the understanding that loss cannot be rushed or resolved in a fixed way. Sessions are guided by trauma-informed and relational approaches that support both emotional processing and nervous system regulation.
Our work focuses on helping you understand your reactions to loss, process emotions as they come up, and develop ways to stay grounded through difficult moments.
Therapy is collaborative and paced based on your needs. Some sessions may focus on processing specific memories or experiences, while others focus on how grief is showing up in your daily life.
We also recognize that grief can impact relationships, identity, and your sense of direction. Therapy creates space to explore these changes in a way that feels steady and supportive.
If you’re moving through grief and it feels difficult to carry on your own, therapy can help you make sense of what you’re experiencing and find a way forward.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Starting grief therapy can feel like a big step, especially if you’re not sure what to expect. Our work begins with understanding your experience, not rushing you toward a specific outcome.
At Adaptations Therapy Institute, therapy is thoughtful, steady, and focused on helping you process loss in a way that feels supportive and manageable over time.
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We begin with a brief consultation to understand what brings you in and determine whether our practice is the right fit for your needs. You are welcome to ask questions and share what feels most important — there is no pressure and no obligation.
From the very first interaction, our goal is for you to feel:
• respected
• understood
• never rushed
• never judgedMany clients tell us they feel a sense of relief even before the first full session begins.
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Your early sessions focus on gaining clarity about your experiences, history, patterns, and goals.
For couples, we look closely at interaction cycles — the moments where partners feel stuck, unheard, or disconnected.
For individuals, we explore the relationship you have with yourself and how it shapes the way you move through the world.
You can expect depth, curiosity, and care — not surface-level advice.
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Our clinicians are trained in attachment-based and trauma-informed models that support emotional safety while encouraging meaningful growth.
Therapy with us is:
• Insight-oriented
• Relational
• Practical
• Compassionate
• Change-focusedWe will move at a pace that is respectful of your nervous system while still helping you move forward.
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Most clients begin with 45-60 minute weekly sessions, as consistency allows therapy to be effective and momentum to build. As progress occurs, session frequency can be adjusted collaboratively.
Sessions are available:
• In person in downtown Ann Arbor
• Virtually across Michigan
• Virtually in Hawaii -
You may already recognize what this feels like:
The heaviness that doesn’t lift.
The moments that hit unexpectedly.
The sense that something has shifted and won’t go back.Grief therapy helps slow these experiences down so they can be understood, not avoided.
Our approach is present and engaged. We don’t try to fix grief, but we help you process it and find ways to carry it that feel more manageable.
Many people seek therapy not because they are doing grief “wrong,” but because they don’t want to move through it alone.
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Therapy is not about assigning blame or deciding who is right.
It is a space to better understand yourself, strengthen your relationships, and develop new ways of responding when old patterns no longer serve you.
You do not have to arrive with everything figured out — that is what the work is for.
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The relationship between client and therapist matters deeply. If for any reason it does not feel like the right match, we will help guide you toward other trusted resources.
Your care is always the priority.
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Grief and loss therapy is offered on a private pay basis, which allows sessions to stay focused on yourself rather than insurance limitations; we also provide superbills that you can submit to your insurance provider for possible out-of-network reimbursement, giving you more flexibility while still accessing specialized care.
Let’s Connect
For medical emergencies, contact your healthcare provider or call 911. For mental health crises, call or text 988.
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