New Orleans grief counselor offers tips on dealing with grief during the holiday season

A New Orleans Grief Center counselor says the holiday season can be especially difficult for people grieving a loved one.

Author: Kenny Kuhn / WWL Louisiana

Published: 8:25 AM CST December 28, 2025

Updated: 8:37 AM CST December 28, 2025

NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans counselor says the holiday season can be especially difficult for people grieving a loved one.

The holiday season can be especially challenging for people grieving the loss, as WWLTV’s Meg Farris discovered when she spoke with Allison Durant, a counselor and the owner of the New Orleans Grief Center, about ways people can cope during this time of year.

Durant shared guidance aimed at helping those experiencing grief navigate the holiday season.

“Around the holiday season, there are a number of triggers. And number one is that we have a lot of memories associated with holidays,” Durant explains.

“You know, if you had a memory from, you know, April 22nd, and it's just a random date, you might have some trigger, but it isn't as intensified when you think about how we can have an experience that happened. Around Thanksgiving or around this time of year.”

“And so, we're activated through our senses. And when you think about the places we go, the commercials that we see, the music that we hear, the smells of the stores, you know, there are a lot of things that are activating those memories around this time of year. And they aren't always. Positive. In order to heal, we have to feel,” she said.

“And our society is very grief-avoidant, and we're all actually pretty avoidant of a lot of uncomfortable emotions. And so, a lot of work that we do in the grief center is helping people identify their feelings and giving them a safe space to feel.”

For more information on the grief center and a look at their services, visit the New Orleans Grief Center website but clicking here.

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