Grief Therapy
therapy for grief in Bozeman
Therapy for grief and loss
Grief can feel heavy, disorienting, and hard to carry on your own. Whether you are grieving the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a miscarriage, a health change, or another major loss, counseling can help you make sense of what you are feeling and find steadier ground.
We provide grief counseling in Bozeman and online across Montana for adults who feel overwhelmed, emotionally raw, physically worn down, or unsure how to move forward after a loss. Our therapists help you process grief at your own pace, with support that honors both the emotional and physical impact of what you are carrying.
Why Seek Grief Counseling?
Grief affects everyone differently. For some, it’s an expected process that may naturally subside over time. For others, the emotional pain can feel like a constant weight, making it hard to function. People seek grief counseling for a variety of reasons, including:
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Feeling Overwhelmed by Emotions
Grief can bring a tidal wave of emotions like sadness, anger, guilt, or confusion. You may feel like you can’t manage your feelings, or that they’re too much to bear.
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Difficulty Accepting the Loss
Sometimes, the shock of loss leaves you in disbelief or denial. You may struggle with accepting the reality of the situation, finding it hard to move forward.
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Physical Symptoms
Grief can also manifest physically—such as difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite, or even pain. These physical symptoms are real and can make it harder to heal emotionally.
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Strained Relationships
Sometimes grief leads to tension or disconnect with family members or friends. You may feel isolated in your sorrow or unsure how to communicate what you’re going through.
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Complicated Grief
In some cases, grief doesn’t subside over time. The pain of loss may feel unrelenting, or you may find it difficult to move forward with your life, which is known as complicated grief.
Loss We Experience
Loss can take many forms - death, divorce, miscarriage, estrangement, identify shifts, or the quiet grieving of something hoped for that never came to be. Grief is deeply personal, and even if others don’t recognize your loss, your experience is real and worthy of care.
Death of a Loved One
Loss of a Child
Miscarriage
Divorce or Separation
Loss of Health, Physical Ability or Chronic Illness
Loss of a Job or Career
Loss of a Community or Sense of Belonging
Estrangement from Family or a Community
Loss of identity
How We Work with Grief
Grief counseling is not one-size-fits-all. Depending on your needs, our work may draw from somatic therapy, mindfulness, ACT, and other trauma-informed approaches that support both emotional and physical healing.
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Somatic Experiencing
Grief is a full-body experience of emotions and nervous system reactivity. Somatic focuses on the regulation of the nervous system to help release the emotional and physical tension held in the body. Somatic encourages awareness of how grief manifests physically.
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Mindfulness
Grief often brings a flood of thoughts, memories, and emotions. Mindfulness helps you stay present and notice what you are feeling without judgment or resistance. Instead of fighting painful experiences, you learn to meet them with greater compassion and grounding.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps you stop struggling against grief and begin making room for it while still staying connected to what matters. This approach can help you hold grief and meaning at the same time, rather than feeling like life has to stay paused forever.
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Complicated Grief Therapy
For some people, grief becomes so intense or prolonged that it interferes with daily functioning and the ability to move forward. Complicated Grief Therapy supports people in processing that loss more directly, reducing the intensity of stuck grief, and gradually re-engaging with life.
Our Bozeman Grief Therapists
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Tori Kenyon McKay, LCSW
I have a naturally playful and professional approach. My clinical past has allowed me to develop confidence and skills working with all genders ages 16 to 35. I feel at my most skilled when I’m working with life transitions, trauma, anxiety, and depression.
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Lauren Boland, LCSW
In our work together, I’ll call into action the knowledge and strategies from somatic, mindfulness, attachment, and developmental theories for your work in anxiety, transitions, neurodivergence, and trauma.
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Sarah Webb, LCSW
I work with burnout, anxiety, rage, postpartum, birth trauma, attachment, and healthy coping in women. With expert training in Somatic, Mindfulness, and Attachment, I get to the core quickly so therapy has big impact.
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Ellie Jorgensen, LCPC
I work with adults and children to navigate life’s twists and turns. I specialize in synergetic play therapy, CBT, and ERP, focusing on challenges like childhood behavioral concerns, attachment, postpartum depression, trauma, anxiety, and OCD.
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Becky Johnston, LCSW
I create a relaxed and casual space for adult women navigating anxiety, depression, OCD, burnout, or big life changes. If you're feeling stuck, I’m here to help you feel more like you and create the path to a future that looks inviting.
Our therapists are “Neurodiverse Informed”, which is to say that we all have training and skills to work with a range of folks on the neurodiverse spectrum from ADD/ADHD, gifted, and high functioning autism. We fully celebrate the Neuro-Spicey and the Bright and Quirky!
“safety and security…”
“I have such a feeling of safety and security I receive each session. I know that I can bring my whole self to that room.”
— ILLUMINATE COUNSELING
Grief Therapy FAQs
What kind of therapy is best for grief?
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There is not one single best type of therapy for grief. The right approach depends on the kind of loss you have experienced, how grief is affecting your daily life, and what feels supportive to you. Grief counseling may draw from somatic work, mindfulness, acceptance-based therapy, or other approaches that help you process loss without rushing or minimizing it.
Can grief counseling help if the loss happened a long time ago?
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Yes. Grief does not always move on a predictable timeline. Sometimes a loss from years ago still affects your relationships, identity, body, or sense of safety. Counseling can help you process grief that still feels unresolved, even if a lot of time has passed.
How long does grief counseling usually take?
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There is no set timeline. Some people come to therapy for support during a specific season of grief, while others need longer-term space to process a more complex or layered loss. The pace depends on your needs, your goals, and the kind of support that feels most helpful.
Curious about grief counseling?
Whether you are grieving a death, miscarriage, divorce, estrangement, identity shift, or another major loss, our team is here to support you.