things you’re afraid to tell your therapist

feeling relief when your parent dies

there is a version of grief that we talk about that includes feelings of sadness, longing, heartbreak… and there is a version of grief that is often quieter, a little scarier to admit:

relief.

feeling a sense of relief when a parent dies is a complex. perhaps you’re relieved that they’re no longer in the pain that kept them from living the life you wanted for them. perhaps you’re relieved because you no longer have to live with reminders of the pain that they caused you as a child, a teen, an adult.

therapy can help you unpack these complex emotions and remind you that your sense of relief doesn’t cancel out love, it doesn’t mean you didn’t care, it doesn’t mean you’re glad your parent is gone.

if you’re navigating complex grief and want support, i offer trauma-informed virtual therapy for women in illinois and michigan. you can learn more at the ‘start here’ portion of this blog.