Ways to Heal and Move Forward After a Big Loss

What Loss Really Feels Like

Losing someone or something you love isn’t just hard. It’s life-changing. Everything shifts. Sleep is off. Appetite? All over the place. One moment you’re numb, the next you’re crying at a red light.

That kind of pain shakes you at your core. It’s not something you “get over” with time. It takes work. Real, hard, inside-out work. And often, the first step to moving forward is letting yourself stop pretending you’re okay.

I’ve supported women through this for over a decade. Many of them were professionals, high-achievers. Still, they felt completely undone. “If you’ve ever asked yourself, ‘What’s keeping me stuck?“ you’re not alone. You don’t have to power through on your own. Sometimes what you need is grief counseling in Belmont—something built for where you are, not where others think you should be.

Why You Might Feel Stuck

You might think grief is only about death. But it’s not.

It’s the heartbreak of a relationship you poured yourself into. It’s also the part of you that had to fade with it.” It’s a dream you didn’t get to live.

Here’s the part people miss—grief can be silent. It doesn’t always show up as sobbing. It might look like burnout, chronic anxiety, panic attacks, or just not giving a damn about anything anymore.

You might still be going to work, doing the errands, keeping up with texts. But deep down? You feel numb. Heavy. Drained.

Grief sneaks in and takes up space. If you don’t stop and face it, it finds ways to control you. That stuck feeling? It’s a sign. Not of weakness, but of hurt that needs care.

Things That Block Healing

There’s no fast track. But some things really do get in the way of healing.

Here are a few I often see:

• You keep minimizing your pain.
• You’re scared of being a burden to others.
• You push through instead of pausing.
• You try to fix everything instead of feeling it.
• You don’t want to let go of what the loss meant.

Sometimes it’s not just grief—it’s the fear of feeling. Or it’s guilt. Or shame.
And often, it’s old wounds reopening.

I had a client who didn’t cry when she lost her partner. Instead, she spiraled into anxiety. Months later, we traced it back—not just to the loss, but to what it reminded her of: being unseen and unheard as a child.

That’s the kind of thing that surfaces when you slow down and really look at your pain.

How to Start Moving Forward

There is no one path. But healing happens when you do a few key things:

Speak what hurts. Pain kept silent grows deeper. Say it aloud. Journal it. Cry it. Whisper it in the dark if you have to.

Let yourself feel without fixing. You don’t need to figure it out all at once. It’s okay to sit in the messy middle.

Find safe people. Not everyone gets it. That’s okay. Find the ones who do—or someone trained to. Sometimes grief counseling in Brisbane is exactly what helps make sense of the chaos.

Watch your self-talk. Are you telling yourself to “suck it up”? Would you talk to a friend that way? Shift the voice inside. Make it softer.

Create space. Take breaks. Set boundaries. Turn off your phone. No one else gets to decide your timeline for healing.

The Role of Therapy in the Process

Therapy isn’t about talking in circles. At least, not with me.
It’s about getting real with what you feel.

If your grief has made you feel small, lost, or invisible—we dig into that. We find where your power went. We bring it back.

I’ll help you find your voice again. The one you may have lost long before the grief started.

We also work on skills. Real ones. How to speak up. How to say no without guilt. How to spot toxic patterns and walk away from them.

You don’t just sit and vent. You learn how to live again—on your terms.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to carry it all forever. You’re allowed to let go of the pain, even if the love stays.

You’re allowed to heal, even if others don’t.

You’re allowed to move forward, even if you still feel broken.

And if your grief feels too heavy to carry alone, know that there’s help. As someone who’s worked with women healing from anxiety and deep emotional pain for over 12 years, I see what’s possible. I’ve seen women shift from barely surviving to finally breathing again.

At Liberty Through Therapy, I offer space to untangle the grief, face the hard truths, and find new ways to be you again.

FAQs

1. Is it normal to feel numb months after the loss?
   Yes. Numbness is your mind’s way of protecting you. But staying there too long can make things worse. It’s a sign your grief may need more support.
2. Why do I feel angry instead of sad?
   Anger is common in grief. You might be mad at the person, yourself, or what the loss took from you. We unpack where that anger is really coming from and what it’s trying to say.
3. What if people around me expect me to move on?
   Their timelines don’t apply to you. Healing isn’t a straight road. You’re allowed to take your time. Therapy helps you set boundaries around those pressures.
4. Can grief look like anxiety?
   Absolutely. I see this all the time in high-performing women. Anxiety can be grief that got buried. It shows up in racing thoughts, overworking, or perfectionism.
5. How can I tell if therapy is helping?
   You’ll start to notice shifts. You’ll cry and feel lighter. You’ll stop blaming yourself. You’ll set a boundary without guilt. Those are signs your healing is real and happening.

If you’re ready to stop feeling stuck and finally start healing, I’m here for you. Let’s find your strength again—together.