Grief and Loss Counselling in Victoria, BC.

I will listen to the client's accounts of their loss. identifying the critical issues that are involved and validating their loss. The I will contextualize the loss(es) in terms of the meaning it has upon their life, and the general issues that are involved. Usually, I outline the stages of the grieving process and prepare the client for this, including some assignments that will assist them inexperiencing their losses and letting go eventually. This is avery delicate and intimate sharing process which I try to remain sensitive to as we proceed.

Our natural response to any loss is to grieve. Maybe there is grief for a loved one, for a broken promise or betrayed trust, for lost opportunities, for the suffering of another, for the end of a relationship, or the loss of a job. It can be a complicated process involving a complex (and often confusing) array of painful feelings that often affect us on all levels - mind, body and spirit. In my practice, I help people to work through the mourning process, exploring ways to honor their loss, and begin to adapt to changes and new realities. Maybe together, we can find a way through.

The death of a loved one, or the loss of a relationship, identity, role, possession, or job can be extremely difficult to live with. How do you endure and make sense of the unfathomable? Although grieving in relation to loss is a normal response, sometimes we become immobilized by it, and need help and support in order to deal with it effectively. Dr Sloat can support you by helping you to, 1) Process and work through your grief, 2) Find new meaning and purpose in the face of tragedy, and 3) Find the courage to eventually move on.

I am honoured that you are interested in my services and I would like to tell you a little bit about myself. I have been described as slightly non-conventional in the counselling world, which suits me perfectly, and also tends to suit youth who are trying to stand up to the force of the problems in their life. I am very comfortable working with this population, and I feel fortunate that I can connect with teens the way I do, conventionally or in a way that makes sense to them.

Grief is a multilayered emotion that can come in waves, it can wax and wane, or it can completely throw you off your feet at different times in your life. I am here to help you gain footing by providing a compassionate and safe space to explore the difficult and complex terrain of grief. I will meet you wherever you are in your grieving experience and provide you with a safe and compassionate space to move within it in meaningful ways. I will offer information about the grieving process to help you understand some of the confusing, distressing and overwhelming feelings you may be experiencing and to help promote confidence in your ability to navigate through this challenging time.

When someone to whom you are attached dies or abandons you, you may be devastated, lonely, angry, sleepless, miserable. You may believe that never again will you be happy. Maybe you feel guilt. Your grieving may be delayed or denied for many years because it is squeezed out by other concerns. Unfinished grieving has the power to disturb your life long afterward and you may not realize what the reason is. I will ask you the story of your loss. Dr. Janice is an expert in general grief work, child death, child loss and post abortion grieving. Grief counseling will help you to find peace and acceptance and to go on with your life. Other losses include loss of health, employment or relationship.

Grief and loss are both universal and unique experiences. We all experience them from time to time and the experience can be overwhelming and debilitating. I will help you understand that experiences inform us but do not define us - we can choose our path through grief and loss and leave it behind, changed but not broken or damaged. There is life in front of us to be lived and every experience we have is important and informative to who we become.

When losing someone or something important to us, it can take lots time to adjust and learn to live our life without that person, thing or way of life. Either it is the death of a loved one, loss of a relationship, loss of a pet, loss of a job or important possessions, change to your way of life, grieving is a normal response to a life event and bottling it up can create damage or even harm to a person. It can take time to adjust and accept to learn to live life without that person, thing or way of life. When it gets too challenging or overwhelming, or if it gets in a way of living a healthy life, sometimes turning to professional support can help getting through this challenging event.

The grief process is different for everyone yet also flows through some universal patterns. Grief largely relates to themes such as acceptance of the loss, the processing of emotions, and learning to live life in the light of the loss. Rituals and ceremonies often support grief and loss work, as well as making peace with the past. Other approaches include journaling, connecting through visualization, going to meaningful spaces, and continuing your connection in practical or spiritual ways. Together we can work to support the often times painful transitions related to grief and loss.

Loss can break, alienate, initiate, and open. It can lead to oceans of feelings looming over us, a sense of being distanced from oneself and others—far away adrift at sea, rage at the injustice of loss, and even shame at experiencing rage. I can't predict what the waves may be like for you, but I can help you respond to them. Whether your instinct is to hold, brace, jump, dive, run, scream, float, or let the waves wash over you, together we can feel out what to do and what to make of it all.

Major loss and grief effects many of us to some extent in our lives. I believe in the value of the grieving process and the importance of not rushing through it or cutting it off. Grief can be unpredictable and needs to be honored as we move through life’s most difficult challenge. I can work with you through the full range of feelings—anger, fear, gratitude, love, despair – whatever is coming up for you on a given day.

Grief is a natural response to loss. One of the most important things we can do for grief is to honour it's presence. I will help you process the emotions around your grief, help you to put words to things you are feeling and hold space for you to feel all your feelings. Contrary to popular belief, grief involves any kind of loss, not just the loss of life, this could mean transitions, moves etc.

I can offer you a compassionate and healing presence, where you can begin to sort out your feelings and needs. You are unique in your healing process, and I will be there to listen and offer support and understanding. Only when we are deeply heard is it possible to move forward and change. It is possible to move beyond grief and loss with the right support, and you are never meant to do this alone.