Grief Counseling Archives - Christian Counseling Pasadena

Dealing with Death Anxiety

By Jennifer Kooshian|2024-09-30T12:59:11+00:00February 28th, 2024|Anxiety, Featured, Grief Counseling, Individual Counseling|

Death anxiety is a common fear experienced by up to 10% of people, according to research. It is also known as “thanatophobia” and refers to intense concerns regarding one’s own death, the process of dying, someone else dying, or what happens after death. For Christians, who believe in eternal life, there can be an element of shame in admitting death anxiety. After all, if we are so convinced that our life here is temporary, and that what awaits once Jesus returns is infinitely better than this life, then why would we suffer death anxiety? Christian counseling can help individuals process their fear, getting to an understanding of what exact part of death is causing worry. It is also an opportunity to meditate on Scripture and walk a journey of growing faith together with someone who can provide perspective and pray through the problem together. Symptoms of death anxiety A certain degree of fear about death or dying is normal. It can be a frightening prospect filled with uncertainty, and the possibility of pain, along with trauma and grief for those left behind. Ecclesiastes 3:11 states that “God has set eternity in the human heart”, which means that, in every human soul there is a God-given awareness that there is something more than this transient life and that we know intrinsically that this world is not our forever home. Death anxiety, however, goes beyond this to the point where it prevents a person from enjoying life. While it is not a psychiatric diagnosis, someone with the phobia will feel extremely distressed about death and dying. The symptoms that might show up beyond an expression of this fear include going to great lengths to minimize the risk of dying (not leaving the house, refusing mechanical modes of transport, etc.), avoiding places [...]

Understanding the Different Stages of Grief

“In this world, you will have trouble.” These words of Jesus ring true and line up with our life experiences. In no place do those words resonate more than when we encounter and experience loss and grief in our lives. Those losses occur in different ways, and we feel and deal with them each in our own way. The loss of a loved one is an experience that shakes the foundations of our world. What was once “the way life is” is irrevocably changed either in an instant or through the slow months as our loved one’s illness progresses and their health deteriorates. It is natural in this situation of loss and grief to ask questions, to cry, to be angry, to feel numb, or to feel a jumble of emotions in a flurry of thoughts. Grieving comes to all of us at one time or another on our sojourn in this world. Indeed, in this world, we do have trouble. Though all of us will grieve at some point in our lives, that will look different for everyone. Grief is a complex process in which at times you may not fully understand what you are feeling, or you may struggle trying to make sense of your own thoughts as you try to put the pieces of your life back together again after your loss. The emotional, mental, and spiritual burden that comes with grief can be difficult to bear. While everyone grieves and works through loss in their own way, there are general stages of grief that most people go through, though they won’t all go through them in the same order or in the same way. One way to delineate these stages or phases of grief comes from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Though not rules, they are a way [...]

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