When you enter therapy, you don't think about the possibility that your therapist might die suddenly, or contract a terminal illness.  And hopefully this will not happen while you are seeing the therapist.  

Unfortunately, it does happen.

If it has happened to you, you are likely to feel lost:

• no one can really understand what this loss means to you
• there is no ritual like there would be if a family member died
• if you go to the funeral, you realize that the therapist had a family, and they are higher on the "bereavement hierarchy" than you are
• the very person to whom you'd usually turn in such situations is gone
• you still have the issues you were going to therapy for in the first place, but now nowhere to turn for help
• should you go back to therapy right away?  And if you decide to do that, how will you find a good therapist, since no one can replace the one you lost?
• you may have anger at your therapist if they did not make arrangements for this possibility as they are ethically supposed to

All these are very complicated and difficult feelings.  I know.  I've been there, it happened to me.  See this article from the New York Times that reported on my experience and the experience of others, and the issues it raises about therapy.

Through my Coaching Practice, I am offering a support group for people who have lost their therapist.  You'd be meeting with a select group of people who will uniquely know what you are going through.  I have a separate group for people who themselves are therapists.  If you are interested, please join my mailing list or use the Contact Form (click "Contact Jeffrey" above, right) to get in touch, and we can discuss your situation and see if my group is a good fit for you.