Services

Grief Counselling

Bereavement

The death of someone important to you is a major life change that can be hard to cope with on your own. The pain of acute grief often is overwhelming and debilitating. Although everyone will experience bereavement at some time in his or her life, each person’s grief is unique. Even with family and friends, it can be difficult to share your grief because you may worry about making them feel worse or that they would not understand. Sometimes, it may be more helpful to talk to a professional with whom you feel comfortable and trust. I can help you understand the grief process and find grief’s rightful place in your life going forward.
Sometimes, the pain of grief makes life seems empty and without hope of happiness. There is a feeling of being “stuck”. Something is getting in the way of the natural progression of grief, of adapting to the loss, and rebuilding one’s life. I can help you recognize and deal with these complications in grief and assist you in restoring hope, a sense of purpose and connection.

I can facilitate the grief process by:

• Providing a safe, confidential, non-judgmental place where individuals (children and adults) can share their feelings, thoughts and experiences
• Helping adults understand what they are experiencing, cope with grief reactions and rebuild their lives
• Helping children understand death and cope with their thoughts, feelings and reactions
• Helping parents understand how children grieve and how you can help them cope with their feelings
• Assist you in determining how to move forward in your life

Terminal Illness

A serious illness can be overwhelming for individuals and families to cope with. Research has indicated that this time can be even more stressful than bereavement. Parents are frequently unsure about what to share with children or how to talk to them. Whether you or someone in your family is dealing with a life-threatening illness, I can offer specialized support and guidance that focuses on:

• Coping with the life changes the illness brings

• Helping your children understand and cope with the illness
• Caregiver stress

My Approach

I believe grief is a natural response to losing someone important to you. I believe that grief is the continued expression of love for someone who is now gone. I also believe that each person has what he or she needs to get through a significant loss. I use a companioning model for grief support that focuses on the importance of expressing grief (mourning) as well as rebuilding a new life.

When grief becomes stuck or complicated, my approach to therapy is based on the Complicated Grief Treatment developed at the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia University. complicatedgrief.columbia.edu