Grief does not wait for a funeral. Some people start grieving months before a death, while caring for a parent or partner through a long illness, and arrive at the end already exhausted. Others are blindsided by a sudden loss and find that the practical work of the weeks afterward leaves no room to feel anything at all. Both are grief, and both are reasons people call us.
Grief counseling at our McKinney office is for adults working through a death, an approaching loss, or a change that has taken something from them and left them unsure how to carry on.
Finding the right counselor
Several clinicians at our McKinney office list grief and loss among the areas they treat, and one also lists end-of-life issues. Their profiles describe work with loss alongside related concerns such as trauma, depression, life transitions and relationship strain, which matters because grief rarely arrives on its own.
When you call or email, tell us a little about the loss and what you are finding hardest, and we will match you with a counselor who does this work and has openings. You can meet the McKinney team before you get in touch.
Grief before and after a death
Anticipatory grief, the grief that begins while someone is still alive, is common among caregivers and rarely talked about. It can come with guilt about wishing it were over, with anger at the illness, and with a strange loneliness when the person is still in the room. Counseling during that period can help you make decisions, say what you want to say, and look after yourself while you look after them.
After a death, the work changes. The early weeks are often about getting through, and the harder stretch tends to come later, when support thins out and everyone else has returned to normal. Counseling gives you a regular place to talk about the person, and about the parts of the loss that are complicated, without anyone hurrying you along.
When to reach out
- You are caring for someone who is seriously ill and feel as though you are coming apart
- The loss was sudden, traumatic or happened in circumstances you cannot stop replaying
- Months have passed and daily life still feels unmanageable
- Guilt, anger or regret is taking up more space than the memories
- You are drinking, working or withdrawing more than usual to cope
Grief can overlap with depression and trauma, and our grief and loss page goes further into what counseling can help with.
If you are in danger right now, call 911. If you are thinking about suicide or are in emotional crisis, call or text 988. We are not a crisis service; our crisis resources page lists where to turn.