New Life Grief Therapy Program
The support you need for every stage of the grieving process
Grief can change everything—the way you think, feel, and move through the world. Whether you’re coping with the loss of a loved one or adjusting to a major life change, it’s okay to need support.
At New Life, our grief therapy programs in New Jersey help you process loss in a way that feels genuine and sustainable. Our clinicians provide space to understand your emotions, rebuild structure, and find meaning again. Healing doesn’t mean letting go—it means learning to move forward with love, memory, and purpose.
You don’t have to face this alone.
KEY POINTS
- Grief is a natural response to loss, but healing is possible with time, understanding, and the right kind of support.
- New Life offers evidence-based grief therapy that helps you process emotions, rebuild stability, and rediscover meaning after loss.
- Our licensed clinicians provide a safe, supportive environment where you can move at your own pace—never rushed, always respected.
- Treatment focuses on whole-person healing, combining therapy, mindfulness, and lifestyle balance to restore calm and resilience.
- We offer multiple levels of in-person care in New Jersey, so you can receive the right support at every stage of your recovery.
- Our mission is to help you move forward with compassion, strength, and hope—one step at a time.
What Is Grief?
Grief is your mind and body’s natural response to loss.[1] While it often follows the death of someone close, it can also arise after divorce, illness, job loss, or any major life change that disrupts your sense of stability and identity.
Everyone experiences grief differently. You may feel sadness, anger, guilt, confusion, or even numbness—and sometimes all at once. There’s no “right” way to grieve and no set timeline for healing.
The Stages of Grief
The five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—introduced by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, offer a framework for how we learn to live with loss.[2] You may not experience each one, and they don’t always come in order. Some days you might move forward, only to feel pulled back again. That’s part of the process.
At New Life, we help you make sense of your emotions, regain balance, and begin to rebuild a life that honors what you’ve lost while making space for what comes next.
Signs and Symptoms of Grief
Grief affects every part of who you are: emotionally, mentally, and physically. Recognizing how it shows up is often the first step toward understanding what you need to heal.[3]
Common signs include:
- Emotional: Sadness, guilt, anger, fear, numbness, or sudden mood changes
- Cognitive: Trouble concentrating, intrusive thoughts, or feeling disoriented
- Physical: Fatigue, headaches, stomach discomfort, or changes in sleep or appetite
- Behavioral: Withdrawing from others, crying spells, or restlessness
For some, grief comes in waves that rise and fall. For others, it feels constant and heavy. However your grief appears, it’s valid, and you don’t have to carry it alone.
Grief vs. Depression vs. Trauma
Grief, depression, and trauma can feel similar, but they’re not the same. And understanding the difference helps you recognize what kind of support you may need.
- Grief is a natural response to loss. It often includes sorrow, longing, and reflection, but also moments of connection and meaning. Even in pain, grief can hold space for hope.
- Depression brings persistent sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in daily life. It may or may not be tied to a specific event and often requires professional treatment.
- Trauma stems from deeply distressing or shocking experiences that can leave lasting emotional or physical effects. It may involve flashbacks, fear, or feeling detached from yourself or others.
Sometimes, grief can evolve into traumatic grief or depression, especially after a sudden or violent loss.[4] When that happens, therapy can help you process emotions safely, rebuild a sense of security, and begin moving toward healing.
When to Seek Help
Grief is a natural part of healing, but when it starts to interfere with your ability to function or connect with others, it may be time to ask for help.
You, a family member, or loved one may benefit from grief therapy if:
- Sadness or hopelessness continues for several weeks or months
- You feel detached from others or unable to cope with daily life
- Guilt or self-blame related to the loss feels overwhelming
- Concentration is difficult, or intrusive thoughts won’t stop
- You’ve had thoughts of self-harm or not wanting to live
Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s an act of strength. At New Life, we provide professional, compassionate care to help you process loss, rebuild stability, and move forward with hope and purpose.
Grief Therapy at New Life
Healing from loss takes time, understanding, and the right kind of support. At New Life, we help you process grief in a way that feels natural. Our approach combines evidence-based therapy with genuine compassion, guiding you through pain toward peace and a renewed purpose.[5]
What to Expect from Group Therapy
Grief therapy at New Life is designed to meet you where you are. Whether your loss is recent or something you’ve carried for years, we create a safe and grounded environment for healing. You’ll work with licensed grief counselors who help you understand your emotions, strengthen coping skills, and find stable ground once more.
Therapy may include learning to manage intense emotions, developing mindfulness practices, and finding meaning through connection, reflection, and growth. Over time, you’ll gain tools to navigate your loss and begin to rebuild a life that honors what you’ve lost while creating space for what’s next.
Why Choose New Life for Grief Therapy
At New Life, we approach grief therapy with warmth, respect, and clinical expertise. Our licensed grief counselors help you process emotions, honor your loss, and build a sense of peace and purpose for the future.
What makes our approach unique:
- Whole-Person Healing: We care for your emotional, mental, and physical well-being through therapy, mindfulness, and lifestyle support that encourages long-term balance.
- Evidence-Based Therapies: Our methods include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based approaches proven to ease grief-related distress.
- Flexibility: Choose from individual therapy for one-on-one guidance or group sessions that offer connection, comfort, and shared understanding.
- Long-Term Support: Grief doesn’t follow a timeline and neither does your healing. We provide ongoing care and follow-up support to help you continue healing at your own pace.
When you’re ready, we’ll meet you with compassion and practical tools to help you move forward.
Take the first step towards recovery
Our admissions office is standing by to help you start recovering.
How to Get Started
Taking the first steps toward grief therapy is a courageous act. Here at New Life, we strive to provide that first step in the most straightforward manner possible.
Begin with a free consultation with one of our licensed therapists, who will give you a chance to discuss your story, ask questions, and discuss therapy treatment options without any pressure or obligation.
At that point, your therapist will help you decide what kind of care feels right for you and put together a plan that suits your individual needs, life, schedule, and pace. Most major insurance providers are accepted. For those without health insurance, we offer sliding-scale rates and flexible payment plans, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder access to help.
Our financial team will verify your coverage, explain your options clearly, and handle the details so you can focus on recovery.
CONTINUE READING
Levels of Care Offered at New Life
Grief is different for everyone, and healing is not a straight path. This is why there are a variety of levels of care at New Life, to meet you where you are in your recovery. Each program has some structure, compassion, and the right level of support to help you move forward with strength and stability.
Regardless of where you are in your healing journey, New Life’s Grief Counseling Programs in New Jersey can provide you with the understanding, structure, and care you need to find peace and hope again.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grief Therapy
What is grief therapy and how does it work?
Grief therapy is a method of treatment where one talks about loss in a healthy, caring environment. At New Life, we utilize methods of treatment involving different evidence-based therapies, such as CBT, ACT, and mindfulness techniques, to help you express emotion, find meaning, and rebuild emotional stability at your own pace.
How long does the grieving process last?
There is no set time period for grief, as healing varies from person to person. Some are more resilient and come to terms with grief in a matter of months, while others will require a longer period of time to return to stability. What is most important is that they go through this process at their own time for each individual, with the expertise of knowing the emotional burden of loss.
How is grief different from depression?
While both of these conditions may produce deep levels of sadness, grief usually has rapid moments where feelings of connection, love, and reflections about what is lost take place. Depression as such provides a much more constant feeling of emptiness and despondency that doesn’t necessarily depart upon the loss of the loved individual. When this feeling is heavy or constant, grief therapy can help identify whether additional support may be needed.
Can therapy really help me heal from losing someone?
Yes. Grief Therapy facilitates the ability to even out emotions in a safe manner, plus it provides coping strategies and recreative daily routines after a loss. It can’t erase this grief, but it does provide techniques to help you carry on with strength, peace, and improved well-being.
What happens during a grief therapy session?
Each person is different in terms of where they are in the grieving process. Each therapist will listen, provide direction, and tools to facilitate the ability to work through emotional pain and to show you healthy ways of expressing emotion and working through grief and its resultant pain. Forms of mindfulness and relaxation techniques can also help to ease anxiety and restore calm.
Is group grief counseling effective?
Studies show group therapy to be effective.[6] And for many individual clients, group therapy is wonderfully healing, because sharing experiences with others who understand loss creates connection, comfort, and perspective. New Life offers group as well as individual therapy, so you can choose what is right for you.
When should I seek professional help for grief?
When feelings of grief make it difficult to connect with others or find meaning in life, it is time to seek professional help. Professional therapy is especially important if you’re feeling hopeless, detached, or struggling to cope after several months.. Early support can prevent grief from developing into depression or trauma-related distress.
Does insurance cover grief counseling in New Jersey?
Yes, generally. New Life accepts major providers, such as Aetna, Horizon BCBS, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, etc. We also offer sliding-scale rates and payment plans for individuals without coverage. We also offer sliding scale rates and payment plans for clients without coverage — because access to care should never depend on finances.
Choose Healing — One Step at a Time
Grief sometimes feels as though there is no end, yet hope is possible. At New Life’s Grief Therapy Program in New Jersey, we will help you find peace in the pain and meaning in the future.
You’ve already made it through the hardest part—the loss itself. Now let us help you take the next step toward renewal.
Sources
- Casarett, D., Kutner, J. S., & Abrahm, J. (2001). Life after death: A practical approach to grief and bereavement. Annals of Internal Medicine, 134(3), 208–215. https://www.acponline.org/sites/default/files/documents/clinical_information/resources/end_of_life_care/lifeafterdeath.pdf
- Maciejewski, P. K., Zhang, B., Block, S. D., & Prigerson, H. G. (2007). An empirical examination of the stage theory of grief. JAMA, 297(7), 716–723. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.297.7.716
- Seiler, A., & von Känel, R., & Slavich, G. M. (2020). The psychobiology of bereavement and health: A conceptual review from the perspective of social signal transduction theory of depression. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.565239
- Lenferink, L. I. M., & Boelen, P. A. (2019). Traumatic loss: Mental health consequences and implications for intervention. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10(1), Article 1591331. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1591331
- Srivastava, T., Lee, K., Ehrenkranz, R., Cozzolino, P. J., Wise, F. A., Burns, M., McCormick, T., Yaden, D., Agrawal, M., & Penberthy, J. K. (2025). The efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions for prolonged grief disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 380, 561–575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.173
McDaid, C., Park, A.-L., Mandalia, D., & Pell, J. (2020). Effects of bereavement groups – a systematic review and meta-analysis. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2020.1772410


