Coping with Grief and Loss: Navigating the Journey of Healing

Grief is one of the most complex emotional experiences we face as human beings. Whether it follows the death of a loved one, the pain of separation, or the loss of one’s home or sense of belonging due to immigration, grief changes not only how we feel — but also how our brains function.

Grief impacts individuals and families on emotional, relational, and biological levels. Healing from loss is not a linear process; it’s a gradual reorganization of how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world after something meaningful has changed or disappeared.

This blog discusses what happens in the brain during grief, how therapy supports the healing process, and practical ways you can begin to navigate your own journey through loss.

The Neuroscience of Grief: How Loss Changes the Brain

Modern research shows that grief is not only a psychological experience but also a neurological one. The same brain regions activated during attachment and love — such as the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, and insula — remain active when we experience loss.

Studies using fMRI scans have found that when people view photos of loved ones who have passed away, the brain lights up in areas associated with pain and reward. The brain continues to “seek” the person we have lost, much like it would seek a reward or connection, which explains why grief can feel so disorienting. Our brains are wired for attachment, and losing that bond triggers powerful withdrawal-like symptoms.

In prolonged or complicated grief, neural pathways can remain stuck in a cycle of longing and distress. The prefrontal cortex, which helps with emotional regulation and meaning-making, may become less active under chronic stress, making it harder to think clearly or plan for the future. At the same time, the amygdala, our emotional alarm system, can stay hyperactive, keeping the body in a state of vigilance or anxiety.

Understanding this neurobiological component of grief can normalize the intensity of what you’re feeling and remind you that healing requires both emotional and physiological recovery.

Types of Grief: Beyond the Obvious

Grief is not limited to death. It can stem from any significant loss that alters one’s sense of identity, connection, or security.

1. Grief from Losing a Loved One:
   This is the most recognized form of grief. It often brings an acute sense of emptiness and longing. Over time, the pain tends to soften, but reminders or anniversaries may reactivate memories and emotions.

2. Immigration and Grieving Security:
   Moving to a new country can bring hope and opportunity but also loss. Immigrants often grieve their sense of safety, familiarity, and cultural identity. This “hidden grief” can be compounded by guilt, isolation, or the pressure to adapt quickly.

3. Ambiguous Loss:
   Coined by researcher Pauline Boss, ambiguous loss refers to situations where there is no clear closure. Some are regarding a missing person, a loved one with dementia, or an estranged family member. The lack of certainty keeps the brain caught between hope and despair, making this form of grief particularly difficult to process.
   

In all these forms, the mind and body crave resolution, yet grief demands patience and acceptance rather than immediate answers.

How Therapy Helps You Navigate Grief

Therapy offers a space for grief to be witnessed, understood, and integrated. In bereavement counseling, clients are encouraged to explore not only their sadness but also the meanings and emotions tied to their loss.

For some, therapy becomes the first place they can express guilt, anger, or relief — emotions that often feel “forbidden” after a loss. Therapists often help individuals and families identify how grief affects their relational patterns. Loss can strain communication, create emotional distance, or trigger old wounds within family systems. Addressing these dynamics fosters healing not only for the individual but also for the relationships that surround them.

Therapy also helps the brain heal. Research suggests that talk therapy and mindfulness-based approaches can increase activity in the prefrontal cortex, strengthening emotional regulation and promoting new neural connections. Over time, clients often report feeling more grounded and less reactive.

In therapy, grief is not something to be “fixed.” Instead, it’s an experience to be integrated — helping people move from “Why did this happen?” to “How can I live meaningfully while carrying this loss?”

Four Ways to Cope with Grief at Home

While therapy can provide essential support, there are also ways to care for yourself between sessions or if you are beginning your journey toward healing.

1. Allow the Full Range of Emotions

Grief is not just sadness; It’s a mix of anger, guilt, confusion, relief, and even moments of joy. Suppressing these emotions can prolong suffering. Instead, give yourself permission to feel. Journaling, crying, or expressing emotions through art can help release emotional tension and promote healing.

2. Create Rituals of Connection

Our brains find comfort in rituals. Light a candle for your loved one, write them a letter, cook their favorite meal, or visit a meaningful place. These small acts can help you maintain a continued bond, which neuroscience suggests supports healthy adaptation by integrating memory with present awareness.

3. Practice Grounding and Mindfulness

When grief overwhelms the body, grounding techniques can calm the nervous system. Try deep breathing, body scans, or mindfulness walks. Focusing on physical sensations such as the feel of your feet on the ground, your breath moving in and out. This helps signal to the brain that you are safe in the present moment. This counteracts the overactivity of the amygdala and re-engages the rational parts of the brain.

4. Reach Out for Connection

Grief can make you want to withdraw, but isolation often intensifies pain. Whether it’s through support groups, family, friends, or faith communities, staying connected provides the emotional co-regulation your brain needs to heal. Talking about your loss activates social reward systems in the brain, which can reduce stress and promote resilience.

Integrating Healing and Meaning

Healing from loss doesn’t mean forgetting or “getting over it.” It means learning to carry your grief with compassion and awareness. As time passes, the sharp edges of pain often give way to a quieter connection, one that honors what was lost while allowing new growth to emerge.

In therapy, clients often discover that grief is not just about endings but about transformation. The process can deepen empathy, shift priorities, and inspire new ways of relating to others. For immigrants or those facing ambiguous loss, therapy can also help redefine identity and belonging in the face of uncertainty.

Neuroscience teaches us that the brain is plastic — capable of change and healing even after trauma. Just as neural circuits once shaped by love and attachment can ache after loss, new circuits can form through safety, connection, and meaning-making.

Final Thoughts

Grief is not a problem to be solved; it’s a journey to be lived. It changes the brain, the heart, and the landscape of our lives, but with support, reflection, and time, healing is possible.

If you’re navigating grief — whether through bereavement, immigration, or ambiguous loss — know that your emotions are valid. Therapy can help you find language for your pain, tools for regulation, and pathways toward meaning and connection.

You are not alone in this journey. Healing from loss takes time, but the human heart and brain are resilient. They are capable of rebuilding, remembering, and finding peace again.

“Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It's all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.” 

- Jamie Anderson

If you are grieving, you don’t have to go at it alone! Reach out to Solid Foundations Therapy and schedule your first session.