For those who may be mourning the loss of a celebrity, Kaplan offers these tips and reminders:

There’s no wrong way to grieve.

Just because you’re mourning a celebrity doesn’t make your grief any less important, Kaplan said. Some people can feel a greater connection to one person than they do another — whether it’s your parents, a friend, a pet or a public figure.

“Grief is very different for different people,” he explained. “We have a tendency to compartmentalize grief and say that we should grieve a certain way depending on the person. But grief is grief and people act in very individual ways.”

Seek help when it becomes too much.

Kaplan stresses the importance of seeking professional help if your grief becomes too overwhelming. “Grief is a normal, natural function,” he said. “But if it starts to interfere with your life, that’s when it needs to be addressed.”

Take advantage of certain avenues to express your loss.

Connecting with others, whether it’s through people or you know or through social media, makes a huge difference in the healing process, Kaplan explained. However, there’s also no harm in taking advantage of professional services. Counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists and even professional hotline numbers and websites are all available if you need to talk through your grief, Kaplan said.

But be mindful of your words.

The benchmark of depression, Kaplan said, is a lack of energy and will to do everyday functions like work or just be happy. And while everyone mourns differently, it’s important to notice the difference — it could help the healing process.

“People throw around the word ‘depressed’ a lot,” he said. “Depression is a clinical term — and a lot of times when people say they’re depressed, they really mean sad. The words that we use are very powerful and it’s important to make that distinction.”

A previous version of this article appeared in August 2014.

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story referred to David Kaplan as a psychologist. He is a former professor of counseling.