Counseling available for grief-stricken 'Game of Thrones' fans

LOS ANGELES - For the past eight years, “Game of Thrones” has captivated millions while simultaneously inducing anxiety as viewers watched with baited breath to see who would eventually sit on the Iron Throne. 

Now that the show is over, an online local service marketplace, Bark.com, is offering “qualified” guidance counselors who are “familiar with the series,” to help deprived fans who feel their lives are now dark and full of terrors.

It’s not an unreasonable at all to say that “Game of Thrones” had an impact on fans. The show's eighth season averaged 43 million views per episode, which is more people than the entire population of Saudi Arabia. A recent poll found that 27.2 million people had planned to call out sick for work the day after the series finale.

Bark.com says their counselors will listen to grief-stricken fans vent about anything from plot twists to writing decisions. “The professionals will help them digest their feelings and interpretation of the show, which could range from anger and confusion to sadness and grief.”

People can book 30-minute and 60-minute sessions for $25-$50. “Most importantly the counsellors will be on hand to guide fans on how to move on after almost a decade of fandom,” says the company on their website. 

Fans shouldn’t have to worry about a “Thrones” drought for very long, however. A prequel series is currently being filmed, and the man who made this all possible, George R.R. Martin, has promised two more books to complete the epic saga, “A song of Ice and Fire.”