Need to connect with therapists on grief counseling in the digital age I’m working on an article for SimplePractice on grief counseling in the digital age—which will cover both the unique challenges of grieving in the digital age and how therapists can effectively provide grief counseling in today’s digital-first culture. I need to connect with therapists for their answers to the following questions: What are some of the ways that today’s digital-centric society can make the grieving process more challenging? As a therapist, what challenges does the digital age create for providing effective grief counseling to clients? As a therapist, how can you help clients navigate digital experiences that trigger their grief—for example, exposure to digital memories from deceased family members, virtual memorials, or continued connection to deceased loved ones’ social media profiles? At what point in grief therapy does it make sense to address digital continuing bonds—and how they may be impacting the client’s grief? As a therapist, how can you support clients in working through their grief—and finding ways to disengage from/minimize exposure to digital triggers? The digital space can make grief more challenging—but it can also provide tools to heal. What are your top tips for therapists on how to facilitate virtual grief groups? What online grief resources work best for clients struggling with grief—and, in particular, grief triggered by digital content (like social media profiles or apps that bring up photos or videos of deceased loves ones)? Any other insights you have on grief in the digital age, I’d love to hear them!

Hi there, I'm Lachlan Brown, a mindfulness-focused psychologist and co-founder of The Considered Man, where I write and work extensively on emotional regulation, loss, and how modern digital environments shape our inner lives. Based o my work sits adjacent to trauma and bereavement, I'd love to share my insights for your upcoming piece: From what I see clinically and through my work with clients and readers, the digital age complicates grief by collapsing boundaries. In earlier eras, grief had natural pauses. Today, algorithms resurface memories without consent. A photo notification, a tagged post, or a "memory" reel can reopen loss instantly, before someone has the emotional capacity to engage with it. That unpredictability can stall integration and keep grief in a constant low-grade activation. For therapists, this creates a new layer of work. Grief isn't just internal anymore; it's embedded in devices, platforms, and social rituals that clients feel pressure to participate in. I've found it helpful to normalize ambivalence toward digital continuing bonds. Staying connected to a loved one's online presence isn't inherently unhealthy, but timing and dosage matter. Early in grief, constant exposure often overwhelms the nervous system rather than supporting meaning-making. In practice, I encourage clients to treat digital contact with grief as something that can be consciously titrated. That might mean muting reminders, creating intentional windows to engage with photos, or deciding which platforms feel supportive versus destabilizing. The goal isn't avoidance, but restoring a sense of agency. I also believe digital spaces can support healing when designed intentionally. Virtual grief groups work best when they emphasize pacing, shared rituals, and psychological safety rather than open-ended sharing. Structure matters more online, not less. I'd be glad to expand on any of these points if needed! Thanks for considering my insights! Cheers, Lachlan Brown Mindfulness-foucsed psychologist | Co-founder, The Considered Man https://theconsideredman.org/

Grief walks into my dermatology office. A sudden loss can flare eczema, trigger acne, and cause telogen effluvium. What feels new is the phone. A photo memory, a birthday alert, a comment thread. It can land like a punch at 2 a.m. I learned to ask one extra question. What digital moments reopen the wound. I coordinate care and refer to a grief therapist when sleep, appetite, or function is sliding. When I build referral relationships, I keep it simple. I email therapists and ask for a 10 minute call. I ask how they handle social media profiles, notification settings, and virtual memorials. I ask when they bring continuing bonds into treatment. Digital tools can help, but a 2025 JMIR randomized trial in 177 adults age 60 and up found an unguided grief program was not better than an info brochure at 4 months, even with high satisfaction.