What therapies can help relieve grief?

Psychotherapy might help by identifying incompletely mourned losses of the past and drawing connections to the present loss. Another promising treatment, called traumatic grief therapy, uses cognitive behavioral methods for traumatic symptoms and stress relief. In traumatic grief therapy, a person tells the story of the death repeatedly and learns to confront worrisome thoughts and situations. Combined with this are interpersonal therapy techniques that gently prod the person to re-engage with the world by thinking of ways to enjoy activities rather than dwelling on the loss. One study found traumatic grief therapy especially effective for those mourning a violent death. Among people in this situation, more than half improved, compared with 13% of those treated only with standard interpersonal therapy, which focuses on new social relationships and activities.