Grief Counseling in Austin, TX

If you’re asking, something about your grief has probably surprised you, and that’s very common. Grief can bring sadness, numbness, anger, guilt, even relief. It can show up as exhaustion, poor sleep or an ache in your body, and a song or a date can bring it all back. Most of what people worry is “wrong” with their grief is simply what loss feels like. You don’t need it figured out to talk with someone.

Grief isn’t a problem to fix, and many people move through it with family, friends and community. You also don’t have to wait until things feel unbearable. People often reach out when they feel alone with the loss, when others seem to have moved on, or when daily life is hard to manage. Wanting company in your grief is reason enough. Meet our therapists whenever you’re ready.

Grief has no timeline, and you aren’t behind. The sharpest pain often softens over months and years, but grief changes shape more than it ends, and an anniversary can bring it back strongly. That isn’t a setback. If, long after your loss, it still feels as intense as the first weeks, that’s worth talking through with a counselor, not because you’re grieving wrong, but because you deserve more support.

They can look alike and overlap, so it’s natural to wonder. Grief usually comes in waves tied to who or what you lost, with moments of warmth in between. Depression tends to feel more constant and to color how you see yourself. A counselor can help you sort out what you’re carrying without rushing to label it. If grief ever brings thoughts of not wanting to live, call or text 988, or call 911 if you’re in immediate danger.

You get a place where the loss can take up as much room as it needs. You might talk about the person, how they died, or how your life feels different now, at your own pace. Your counselor may offer ways to steady yourself when waves hit, or help with guilt and “what ifs.” Some of our therapists bring in mindfulness or Somatic Experiencing. The aim isn’t to stop missing them, but to carry the loss with more ease.

Yes. Grief follows many kinds of loss: a divorce or breakup, a pet, a job, your health, a pregnancy, an estrangement, or the life you expected. You may even grieve before a loss, while caring for someone who is very ill. Others sometimes overlook these losses, which can make them lonelier. They’re real, and they’re welcome here, whether in counseling for adults, teens or children.

Both help, and many people use both. A support group offers the comfort of others who understand, often at little or no cost. Individual counseling is time that’s entirely yours, with help for what feels most tangled, like guilt, family strain, or a sudden or traumatic loss. It’s okay to try one and see. A therapist can also help you find a group that fits.

Guilt is one of the most common parts of grief, and one of the hardest to say out loud. You might replay final conversations or decisions about care. Often guilt is love looking for somewhere to go. A counselor can help you separate what you knew then from what you know now, and make peace with what’s unfinished. Some people write a letter or create a small ritual to say what didn’t get said.

Yes. Many people find it easier to talk about a loss from somewhere familiar, and video can fit around everything that follows a death. We offer secure online therapy anywhere in Texas, and about half our clients meet online. You can also meet in person in North Austin or South Austin, or mix the two.

Money can feel like one more weight right now, so here are your options. We accept several plans for individual counseling, including Aetna, BCBS-TX, Cigna and Optum (Oscar, Oxford, UnitedHealthcare); see every plan we take. Medicaid and Medicare aren’t accepted, and insurance doesn’t cover couples or family sessions. Self-pay rates run $75 to $200 a session. Call or text (512) 578-8070, or find your fit in about a minute with our therapist finder.