Therapy for Grief and Loss

“We bereaved are not alone. We belong to the largest company in all the world--the company of those who have known suffering.” - Hellen Keller

A loss can take many shapes, whether it is through death, estrangement, or of an ambiguous nature. In the middle of grief, going back to your usual routine can feel crushing and surreal. Navigating loss is a disorienting, confusing experience. Moreover, we live in a culture that is deeply uncomfortable addressing grief, death, and loss, often leaving the bereaved feeling isolated, lonely, and shut down about how loss has affected them.

There is no “right” or “wrong” way to grieve, nor is there is a time limit to the grieving process.

I will support you to safely explore and honor your specific grief reactions and guide you on the journey of understanding the unique meaning of your important losses. We will explore coping strategies to best care for yourself and develop healing rituals to honor your loss.

Together, we work to help you to better understand the impact of loss in your life, how to heal, and ultimately, how to reconstruct a meaningful life despite the pain of grief.

Signs that grief counseling is needed:

You struggle with daily tasks and basic self-care
You've experienced multiple losses in a short amount of time
You're experiencing bereavement guilt
You're experiencing intrusive thoughts, including reliving the loss/death
You do not have consistent emotional support from family/friends
You avoid reminders of the loss, or, conversely, struggle with ruminating about the loss
You're experiencing ongoing emotional distress (ie. crying spells, panic attacks, insomnia, loss of appetite) that persists consistently after the loss

Types of Grief

Anticipatory Grief - A type of grief for a loss you know is coming. For example, anticipatory grief may begin when a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, or a close friend announces they will be moving far away.

Ambiguous/Disenfranchised Grief - Disenfranchised grief happens after a loss that is not seen as valid by others. It can include unresolved grief, where circumstances lack a clear conclusion or closure. Examples include the gradual loss of a loved one to addiction or mental illness, the death of a pet, the death of an ex-partner or abuser, or witnessing the physical or mental disintegration of someone (ie. dementia). Disenfranchised grief often includes the additional layer of pain of others people invalidating your feelings or having trouble understanding why you are experiencing a grief reaction (ie. "you didn't even like them", "you haven't spoken in ages", or "it was just a pet, you can get another one").

Complicated Grief - Occurs when your grieving process is not able to naturally progress through the steps of grief, typically due to systemic factors (ie. not having resources to take time to grieve, ongoing stressors that require effort and energy such as work or childcare). Reactions to grief can be prolonged and much more intense, increased depression and anxiety are very common. With complicated grief, reactions and behavior can extend for very long time periods, with little to no improvement.

Traumatic Grief - Losing a loved one in a terrifying, typically unexpected way, such as due to violence or war.

Collective Grief - When a tragedy affects an entire community or large group. It’s common during times of war and after major natural disasters that can have long-lasting impacts. Other times we see collective grief can be after the death of a beloved public figure or a terrorist attack, after a mass casualty, or when a national tragedy occurs.

Therapy for Grief and Loss

Signs that grief counseling is needed:

Types of Grief

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