Complicated grief is a deep, persistent sorrow that can feel unrelenting. Unlike acute grief, which often softens over time, complicated grief may linger and intensify, disrupting daily life and making it difficult to engage with the world. Traditional approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be effective tools in helping individuals reframe negative thought patterns and begin to rebuild their lives. But healing doesn’t always begin in the therapy room—it can begin on a forest path, beneath a canopy of amber leaves, or gazing into the falling leaves from the window.
Autumn, the season of change and transition, invites us to pause. As nature begins its slow retreat, letting go of what no longer serves, we’re reminded that grief—especially the complicated kind—also asks us to sit in the in-between. Autumn models for us a path of transformation, one that does not demand we rush, but rather invites us to soften into what is.
Understanding Complicated Grief
Complicated grief, sometimes called persistent complex bereavement disorder, can arise when the natural mourning process becomes prolonged and immobilizing. It’s not just about missing someone deeply—it’s when the pain feels stuck, as though time has stopped. The sense of disorientation, yearning, and even guilt can become overwhelming. While CBT helps address distorted thinking and supports emotional regulation, it can be strengthened by embodied, experiential practices—like time in nature.
Autumn as a Healing Companion
Autumn carries its own kind of wisdom. The air cools, light shifts, and nature prepares for rest. The process is quiet, slow, and reflective—the very pace that grief often demands. There is a sacredness in watching a leaf drift downward, a rhythm that parallels the process of letting go.
For those working through complicated grief, autumn offers:
- Symbolism of Release: Just as trees shed their leaves, we are reminded that letting go is part of the natural cycle—not a sign of forgetting, but of allowing space for something new.
- A Mirror for Grief’s Complexity: Autumn is not all loss—it is also color, abundance, harvest, and beauty. Grief, too, holds multitudes. There can be moments of peace, even joy, amidst the sorrow.
- Grounding in the Present: Nature pulls us out of the spinning thoughts of “what if” or “if only” and returns us to the sensations of now—the crispness of the air, the crunch of leaves, the quiet rustling of trees.
Integrating Nature and Cognitive Healing
Combining cognitive behavioral therapy with nature-based practices can open new paths to healing. A few ways to begin:
- Walk With Intention: Take a mindful walk-in a nearby park or wooded path. Observe the changes around you. Each fallen leaf can become a metaphor for what you might begin to release in your own heart.
- Nature Journaling: Reflect on how the season’s changes mirror your grief. Write freely about what feels heavy and what feels ready to shift.
- Sit with the Trees: Find a place to sit quietly. Allow the stillness to hold your sorrow. Nature does not rush your grief—it simply holds it without judgment.
- Create Rituals of Remembrance: Gather autumn leaves or acorns and create a small altar in memory of your loved one. Ritual can help transform pain into presence.
A Season That Understands
Autumn doesn’t ask you to move on—it asks you to notice. To breathe in the earthy scent of falling leaves, to sit beneath a grey sky and feel its weight, to remember that in the natural world, change is not only expected—it’s essential. Complicated grief, too, needs space to shift and reshape. And in the slow turning of the season, there is hope.
As you walk this path of healing, let autumn be your companion. In its quiet wisdom, there is space for your sorrow. In its fading light, there is still warmth. And in Autumn’s letting go, there may be, one day, room to grow.
Lisa Story, MSCP, LPC, CT
Guest Columnist
Lisa Story, a nature enthusiast, is the founder of Hope Grows, a non-profit organization Cultivating Caregiver Wellness. A Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Thanatologist, Lisa’s professional experience in grief & bereavement and the connection to the natural world has led her to the path of the non-profit. She also holds Certificates in Addictions Counseling and Horticultural therapy.