Dealing with the death of a friend or family member can be difficult, but the university has resources for students and faculty to deal with their grief. The Counseling and Human Development Center and the University Psychological Services offer several options for counseling.

Each person deals with grief in his or her own way, said Sue Maxymiv, human development and family studies professor.

“Grief is a very personal process,” said Maxymiv, who teaches a course in bereavement. “Grief is like snowflakes — we all have our own ways of dealing with it.”

When a loved one dies unexpectedly, dealing with the grief can be even more difficult to handle, Maxymiv said.

“If someone dies violently or unexpectedly, our grief might be more traumatic because we’re thinking about what they were thinking and feeling when that terrible event happened,” she said.

Talking to a friend or spiritual adviser can be helpful to some people, but others need professional help, said Jason Miller, director of the Counseling and Human Development Center.

“People who cannot function in their daily lives or are very angry or very depressed need to seek out the help of counseling services,” Miller said.

The university’s counseling services are equipped to handle the needs of grieving people, he said.

“We are about finding people and meeting them where they are,” Miller said. “We can help people get going in their lives again.”

The Counseling and Human Development Center in Room 325 White Hall has 35 counselors who are available for free to students and faculty. The center is open Mondays through Saturdays.

University Psychological Services at the DeWeese Health Center offers therapy sessions with four counselors who each have a doctorate in psychology. The clinic is open Mondays through Fridays. The first appointment is free, but all following appointments are $24 a session.

Contact news correspondent Amanda Garrett at [email protected].