Grief and Loss Counseling in Fort Lauderdale

Grief counseling at Challenges Conquered Counseling is for people carrying a loss they cannot simply get over: a death, a divorce, a pregnancy that ended, a move, or a life that stopped matching the one you planned. Sessions are in Fort Lauderdale or by secure video, and nobody will tell you how long you are allowed to take.

Grief is not only about death

A death is the loss people recognize. But grief also follows a divorce, a miscarriage or fertility loss, the end of a friendship, a diagnosis, a job you built your identity on, a parent who no longer remembers you, or the loss of a life you were sure was coming.

Some of these losses get little acknowledgment from the people around you, which makes them harder to carry. Counseling is a place where all of them count.

What grief can look like

It rarely looks like the sadness people expect. You may notice:

  • exhaustion that sleep does not fix
  • anger, at the person, at doctors, at yourself, at people whose lives did not change
  • numbness, or sudden waves that arrive at a grocery store
  • guilt over things said or unsaid
  • trouble concentrating, deciding, or caring about things that used to matter
  • a pull to stay busy, or to avoid anything that reminds you

None of these is a failure to grieve correctly. There is no correct way.

When it may be time to ask for help

Plenty of people grieve for a long time and slowly find their footing. It may be worth talking to someone when the pain is not easing at all months later, when you cannot do your work or care for the people who depend on you, when you are using alcohol or other substances to get through the day, or when the loss was sudden or traumatic and the memories keep intruding.

If you are having thoughts of ending your life, call or text 988 or call 911. You do not need to wait for an appointment.

How sessions work

The first sessions are mostly listening. Your counselor wants to know who or what you lost, what the days have been like, and what has and has not helped. There is no script and no deadline for feeling better.

From there, the work follows you. Some people want to tell the story of the loss repeatedly, until it feels less sharp. Some want help with the practical weight of it: the estate, the empty house, the holidays. Some need permission to feel relief alongside the sorrow, or to laugh without guilt. Anniversaries and milestones can be planned for in advance.

The aim is not to move on. It is to carry the loss in a way that leaves room for the rest of your life.

When grief overlaps with other things

Loss often brings depression, anxiety, or sleeplessness along with it, and a loss that was violent or sudden can leave trauma symptoms. Your counselor will tell you what they are noticing, and you can decide together whether to add focused work. Our pages on depression therapy and trauma therapy explain those options. For a loss tied to pregnancy or fertility, see women's issues and fertility counseling.

Children and teens

Children grieve differently from adults, in bursts, through play, or through behavior that seems unrelated. If a young person in your family is struggling, our child and behavioral therapy and teen and adolescent therapy pages describe how we work with them.

Where to meet, and what it costs

We see clients at 800 E Cypress Creek Rd, Suite 431, Fort Lauderdale, and by secure video across Florida. We accept many major insurance plans, and we check your specific plan before you commit. Call (954) 600-9403 or request an appointment.

Frequently asked questions

How long does grief last?

There is no normal length. For many people the sharpest pain softens over months, though waves can return on anniversaries and holidays for years. If the pain is not easing, or it is getting in the way of daily life, counseling can help.

Is it normal to feel angry or relieved?

Yes. Anger, guilt and relief are all common, and they often appear together. A long illness can bring relief alongside sorrow, and a difficult relationship can leave a tangle of feelings that are hard to name. Your counselor will not judge any of them, and none of them means you loved someone less.

Do I have to talk about the person I lost?

Only as much as you want to. Some people need to talk about the loss a great deal at first, while others come to sessions to talk about everything else before they get near it. Both are fine. Your counselor follows your pace and will not push you toward a story you are not ready to tell.

Can grief counseling help with a loss that is not a death?

Yes. Divorce, estrangement, a miscarriage, a lost career, and a changed diagnosis can all be grieved, even when other people do not treat them as losses. If something that ended or never happened is shaping how you feel, it belongs in the room, and your counselor will treat it that way.

Can I do grief counseling online?

Yes. Secure video is available across Florida, and some people prefer it for the privacy of their own home, where it can feel easier to cry or to be quiet. You can also mix office visits and video visits when that suits your schedule or your energy that week.

Sources

Related services