Grief Counseling in Chicago, by Secure Video

It has been eight months. The casseroles stopped coming in the spring, your coworkers have stopped asking, and you are back on the Blue Line every morning as if nothing happened. Then a song comes on at the grocery store on Clark Street and you have to leave your cart in the aisle. Everyone else seems to think you should be further along by now. Some days, so do you. (This is an illustration drawn from what grieving clients commonly describe, not a real client.)

To start, contact us or check your insurance. Grief counseling in Chicago is with Jaime Doss, LCPC, by secure video anywhere in Illinois. It sits alongside our grief and loss, individual therapy, family therapy, couples therapy and trauma and EMDR therapy services. We offer grief counseling in Illinois, Colorado, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, plus five more states (full list below).

Grief Counseling by Secure Video Across Illinois

We see Illinois clients by secure video, which many grieving people prefer: there is no commute to brace for, and no walk back through a crowded lobby after a session that left you raw. Clients come from the Loop, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Hyde Park, Evanston, Oak Park, Naperville and across the state. For video sessions you need to be in Illinois at the time of the appointment.

Your Grief Counselor: Jaime Doss, LCPC

Jaime Doss, MS, LCPC, sees our Illinois grief clients by secure video. She has more than 15 years of experience in mental health and counseling, is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and draws on cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma-informed care. Because she also works with teens, couples and families in Illinois, a family grieving together can stay with one clinician who knows the whole picture rather than being split across several.

Losses People Bring to Grief Therapy

• The death of a parent, partner, child, sibling or close friend
• A sudden or traumatic death, including suicide, overdose, an accident or violence
• A long illness that ended in death, and the exhaustion of caregiving that came before it
• Pregnancy loss and fertility struggles
• Divorce, estrangement or the end of a long relationship
• Anticipatory grief, while someone you love is still alive but declining
• The death of a pet that mattered more than other people seem to understand

Grief does not need to be the “right” size to deserve attention. If it is taking up most of your days, it is worth talking about.

When Grief Gets Stuck

Most grief softens with time, even if it never disappears. Sometimes it does not soften. People describe being unable to accept that the death happened, avoiding everything connected to the person, or feeling that a part of themselves died too. Others find that guilt has taken over: what they should have said, the call they missed, the decision about treatment. When grief stays this intense month after month and keeps you from functioning, a therapist can help you find a way through it rather than around it.

When the death itself was traumatic, the images can replay like a scene you cannot leave. In Illinois, Lisa Abrotsky, LMFT, offers EMDR by secure video for memories like these. She is trained in EMDR, not certified. Our EMDR therapy in Chicago page explains how it works.

What Grief Counseling Sessions Involve

The first session is an intake, 45 to 50 minutes long like every session after it. It is mostly about the person you lost and how life looks now: sleep, work, who is around you, and what the hardest moments are. You do not have to tell the whole story at once, and crying through most of the hour is completely normal.

Later sessions vary. Some are about carrying the loss through ordinary days, anniversaries and holidays. Some are about the relationship itself, including the complicated parts, because grief for someone you had a hard relationship with is often the most confusing kind. Some are practical, like going back to work or deciding what to do with a room full of belongings. There is no set number of sessions and no timetable for how you should feel. Evening appointments are offered upon availability.

Not sure whether you need grief counseling or just more time? Call (312) 820-6525 or send us a message. You do not need a referral or a diagnosis.

Grief in Families and Couples

A death changes a whole family system. Siblings grieve a parent in different ways and clash over the estate or the care decisions that came before. Partners grieving a pregnancy loss or a child often grieve on different timelines and can end up feeling alone together. Family and couples sessions can sit alongside individual grief work so each person has room for their own loss. Family therapy in Illinois is also with Jaime, and she sees grieving teens as well.

If You Need Help Now

If you are thinking about suicide, or about joining the person you lost, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, at any hour. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

Insurance and Fees in Illinois

Illinois plans we are in network with: Aetna, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare (including UMR plans). Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois is out of network, but you can use out-of-network benefits, and we will give you a superbill to submit. Medicare and Medicaid are not accepted. Send your details through our insurance verification form and we will email you what your coverage looks like within a couple of hours.

Self-pay is $125 per individual session and $175 for couples, family or EMDR sessions, each 45 to 50 minutes, and $200–$250 for an extended 90-minute individual, couples or EMDR session. You can pay with an HSA or FSA card. Self-pay clients can also ask for a Good Faith Estimate before starting. Most new clients are seen within a week.

Common Questions

Is there grief counseling near me in Chicago?

Yes. Jaime Doss, LCPC, sees grief clients by secure video anywhere in Illinois, including the suburbs and downstate.

How do I know if I need a grief counselor?

If grief is making it hard to sleep, work, eat or be around people, or if you feel stuck in the same place months later, it is reasonable to ask for help. You do not need to wait until it feels unbearable.

Is grief counseling covered by insurance?

Often, when grief is affecting your health and daily functioning. Plans differ, so use our verification form and we will tell you what to expect.

Do you offer grief support after a pregnancy loss?

Yes. Pregnancy loss and fertility counseling is offered in Illinois by secure video.

Can I start before the person has died?

Yes. Anticipatory grief, while someone is seriously ill or declining, is a common reason people reach out. Our article on anticipatory grief describes what it can feel like.

Where We Work

We see clients in person in Wellington, Florida, and Cary, North Carolina (Cary’s in-person times are currently full). We are licensed in twelve states: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Tennessee. You can read about the clinicians who work here.

More on This

• Anticipatory grief
• Grief counseling and therapy
• Depression counseling in Chicago
• EMDR therapy in Chicago
• Trauma therapy in Chicago
• Anxiety therapy in Chicago