A clinical psychologist offers research-backed ways to work through grief and support grieving friends and family members during the holidays.

The holiday season, often considered a time of joy and togetherness, can also be one of the most challenging periods for those who are grieving a loss.

Nearly 95% of people who have experienced loss report dealing with at least one symptom of physical or mental distress. Approximately 10% of them develop prolonged grief disorder, a persistent and debilitating form of grief that does not ease with time. Often, this grief is due to the death of a loved one, but it may also be caused by the loss of a friendship, a divorce or even a job loss.

Grief affects not only mental health but also physical well-being, and it can increase the risk of heart disease, immune dysfunction and even death.

Holidays and special occasions, which often include family gatherings, traditions and reminders of what's missing, can amplify this pain, leaving those grieving feeling isolated and overwhelmed.

As a clinical psychologist and professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences working with cancer patients and their families, I see the profound toll grief takes on people. I've also experienced grief personally, both when my mother died suddenly at the age of 66...