Grief & Loss Therapy in Chicago
At Tides Mental Health, grief and loss therapy in Chicago is for the death of someone you loved, a relationship or marriage that ended, a health change that took something from you, or any loss that's reshaped your life in ways that are hard to name.
There's no correct pace for grief, and no point where you should already be over it. We meet you exactly where you are.
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Grief Isn't a Straight Line
You might feel steady for weeks and then be knocked flat by something small, a song, a smell, an anniversary you forgot was coming. That's not a setback or a sign you're grieving wrong. Grief moves in its own shape, not a tidy sequence of stages you check off in order.
Therapy doesn't rush you past that. It gives you a place to feel what's actually there, at whatever pace that takes.
Types of Loss We Sit With
Death of a Loved One
A spouse, parent, child, sibling, friend, or pet, whether the loss was sudden or anticipated for a long time.
Divorce & Relationship Loss
Mourning the end of a marriage or relationship, and the future you had pictured alongside it.
Health & Identity Changes
Chronic illness, disability, or a diagnosis that changes how you see your body, your future, or who you are.
Job Loss & Career Transitions
Losing a job, retiring, or leaving a career that was tied closely to your sense of identity and daily structure.
Anticipatory Grief
Grieving a loss that hasn't happened yet, like preparing for the death of someone with a terminal illness.
Other Significant Losses
Empty nest, financial disruption, a lost sense of safety, or any major change that reshaped your sense of self.
When It Might Be Time to Reach Out
Grief that stays overwhelming months after a loss, sleep or appetite that hasn't settled, pulling away from people you'd normally lean on, or leaning on substances to get through the day are all reasonable signals that support could help. So is simply feeling like grief is running your life more than you want it to.
You don't need to wait for a crisis point. Reaching out earlier rather than later is not overreacting, it's taking your own experience seriously.
How We Support You Through Grief
CBT & ACT
Practical coping skills for difficult emotions, alongside space to hold grief with mindfulness rather than fighting it.
Narrative Therapy
Explores how this loss has shaped your story, and helps you write the next chapter in a way that honors what mattered.
Trauma-Informed Care
For losses that were sudden or traumatic, we address both the grief and the trauma response together, safely and gradually.
Couples & Family Support
Grief affects everyone around you too. We offer sessions for partners and families navigating loss together, not just individuals.
Getting Started
Free 15-Minute Consultation
Share as much as feels right about your loss. There's no version of grief that's too small to bring in.
Get Matched with a Therapist
Our intake team connects you with someone experienced in grief and loss specifically.
Your First Session
Your therapist takes time to understand your loss, your support system, and what healing looks like for you.
Why Choose Tides for Grief Therapy
Culturally Responsive Care
Grief looks and gets expressed differently across cultures and families. Our therapists honor your specific background and traditions.
No Timeline Pressure
We don't measure your grief against a calendar. Sessions continue for as long as they're actually useful to you.
In-Person or Virtual
Come to our Chicago office, convenient for River North and the North Side, or our Wilmette office, or join from anywhere in Illinois.
Flexible Scheduling
Weekly or biweekly sessions, adjusted as your needs change, booked easily through our online portal.
What to Expect
Your therapist gently gathers the story of your loss, your current coping, and your support system, at whatever pace feels manageable to share.
Treatment is collaborative, shaped around your specific loss, your goals, and the cultural or personal context that matters to you.
Grief work isn't linear, so sessions adapt as things shift, some weeks harder than others, without judgment either way.
Your therapist regularly checks in on how you're actually doing day to day, and adjusts the pace and approach as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
There's no set timeline. Grief isn't linear, so therapy adapts to wherever you are, whether that's a few months after a recent loss or years into grief that still feels stuck.
Yes. There's no expiration date on grief, and needing support long after a loss doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. Complicated or prolonged grief is a real, treatable experience.
No. We also support grief tied to divorce, job loss, health changes, and other major transitions that involve real loss, even when there wasn't a death involved.
Yes. Loss affects the people around you too, and we offer couples and family sessions alongside individual therapy when that fits your situation.
We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Medicare, along with private pay options. Our intake team confirms your specific benefits before your first session.
About Tides Mental Health
Tides Mental Health is a Chicago-based practice providing inclusive, evidence-based mental health care for individuals, couples, and families. From our Chicago and Wilmette offices, our licensed clinical therapists offer both in-person and secure telehealth options. New clients start with a free 15-minute consultation before committing to a full intake appointment.
Ready to Be Less Alone With This?
Start with a free 15-minute consultation. Whatever you've lost and whenever you lost it, that's a fine place to begin.
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