Grief and Loss Counseling in Live Oak, CA.

Life is full of endings and losses of all kinds - some natural and expected, others tragic and unexpected. Many times, your friends and family are not able to offer the depth of support needed to help with the pain and anguish you are feeling, as much as they love you and do their very best. Having a safe, nurturing place to grieve and heal can help you integrate and adjust to losses and endings in your life. Every ending is also a new beginning. You deserve as much time as you need to experience your grief. Finding meaning and hope after loss is the next step after grieving. Let's work on both!

When you lose something or someone important or close to you, it may be difficult to make sense of life or to feel that others can relate to or understand what you are going through. If you need someone to talk to about what happened, I am here for you. I understand that sadness is often something that shouldn't be fixed, but embraced. I also specialize in helping people who were hurt or abused by the deceased. Grief and Loss is a painful time of life, one that every human being goes through. You are not alone. I will come alongside you through the anger, loneliness, fear, shock, and panic. In the middle of the grief, the way forward can bring hope, strength, peace and freedom from guilt.

When we lose someone we love, it feels like we have lost a part of ourselves. Something within us has been torn out, leaving a hole that we easily imagine will never heal. The pain can be profound, the feelings of helplessness, or regret, or guilt overwhelming. Having a partnership where you can talk through these feelings can make a huge difference not only in how quickly and how well you are able to move through the process of grieving, but also how you ultimately are able to frame the experience and your memories of the person lost into the narrative of your own self and life as you move forward. What you carry with you afterward is just as important as surviving the hurt of the loss.

Grief and loss comes in all forms, from the death of a pet, to moving, to the loss of a dream, to the death of a child or spouse, and more. My clients discover grief and loss are a process (which includes: shock/disbelief, anger, blaming, depression/sadness, bargaining, and denial), and how to move through that process to an increased state of acceptance. As their state of acceptance increases, my clients experience an increase in forgiveness, healing, freedom and hope for the present and future. My clients see how they can begin to feel good about their life and future again.

Grief can be a difficulty beast to manage, a beast which can surface at any moment without warning and often comes in waves. When I’ve been grieving I’ve felt like I was in an emotional pong ball. With the aid of tools like EMDR CBT and guided visualizations I can help you to heal and leave the pain, loss, and grief in the past while holding on to the happy memories. Additionally, I can provide tools, coping skills, and other resources to help you manage this particular issue.

Grief is a normal part of loving and losing the person you loved. For many, however, it can become overwhelming and even lead to symptoms of depression. Or maybe you think you should be over it by now, and can't understand why you're not. For five years, I volunteered with Hospice, helping people with complicated bereavement issues to come to terms with the loss of the one who had been so important in their lives. You don't have to carry this alone. Get the support and relief you need as you say good-bye to your loved one so that you can move forward again in your life.

Grief is hard. Grief is natural. Animals grieve. Grief is something we feel deep in our bodies and can be disorienting and destabilizing. Grief brings up questions about who we are, the world, the existence or goodness of God, and purpose and futility of life. Dealing with grief, especially when the loss is traumatic and unexpected, requires a slow and tender space to allow the grief to move through our body and to settle in our hearts with warmth and memory. I am here to help you grieve the loss of your loved one, experience, health , future or even your beloved pet. .

Have you lost a person that is dear to you? Do you feel that your whole world has come to an end, although the outside world still keeps moving on in the same old way, indifferent to your pain? Do you feel that friends do not really understand what you are going through, and can't fathom your pain. I offer a warm, welcoming and safe place where I can help you work through your grief. I would be honored to listen to your story. Know that my door is open, and that I have a space waiting for you: I am here to help.

Feeling alone in your sorrow? Grief and loss are incredibly lonely feelings. I have found that my clients find relief and comfort when they can talk to someone that has no judgement about how they "should" be feeling. There are also tools to help one who is experiencing loss and grief. I, too, have had losses and know firsthand what it feels like to suffer with so many painful feelings. Give me a call.