Grief and Loss Counselling in Balzac, AB.

When we experience a significant loss, it can often feel like the world we've come to know is falling apart. The healing process takes time, and while there is no quick fix, my role is to help people process the loss in a personally meaningful way that allows them to regain a sense of control, and understanding of their emotions. Toward that end, our first step, will be to help you understand that the way you feel, whether overwhelmed, enraged, numb etc. is a very personal, extremely normal, and completely valid response to a highly abnormal, often world shattering situation. If you think you are ready for that first step, it would be an honour to take it with you.

Losing someone you care about can be a very challenging experience filled with a range of emotions such as: sadness, guilt, anger, and regret. Although grieving is a natural process and is often resolved over time, on occasion people find that their feelings of loss are debilitating and are not diminishing over time. Others struggle to accept the loss and are inhibited from resuming their life without the presence of their loved one. In these circumstances, grief and loss counselling can be beneficial. If you are struggling, I will strive to accompany you as you work to integrate your loss so that you are able to reach a place of acceptance and reclaim a sense of peace and well-being.

Grief is often misunderstood. It is a powerful and natural emotion. When loss occurs, we are hit with a confusing myriad of emotions. Our minds and hearts are battered by an onslaught of scary, strange, unpredictable emotions that do not abate on their own. In the midst of loss, each person’s experience is profoundly unique and often very isolating. Today we are in a grief epidemic. Grief springs not only from death but also from life-altering events (such a brush with cancer). Grief counselling provides many valuable insights including: a) the increased ability to feel and understand the pain of loss experience; b) better ways to manage the challenges that accompany supporting ourselves and....

I have a certification in Death and Grief Studies which is based on Dr. Alan Wolfelt's companioning model for grief. This approach normalizes, validates, and honours the unique experience of those that are grieving a death or loss. Counselling will provide the bereaved a safe place to share their experience and honour their loss through the grieving process. The goal of counselling is to companion the client to be empowered by their innate strengths in coping and adapting to their significant life-changing loss in a way that is meaningful.

No matter what your loss, you may experience difficult, overwhelming and surprising emotions. As a counsellor and registered nurse, I have been a companion on many people’s journey through grief. I have been there through the final hours of life, with loved ones when death is traumatic and sudden, when death is through suicide and when parents have lost their precious child. I also understand what it is like to lose one’s health. If you have difficulty facing your grief or coping with the pain of loss, are blaming yourself for the loss, have unresolved issues or are depressed, I can help you.

If you have lost someone close to you through death, relocation or the end of a relationship, and feel isolated and lonely, it takes time and support to gently move forward in life. If you are shy or feel anxiety in social situations it can be hard to reach out for help and create the supportive relationships you need. I can help you move forward, gain a new sense of self worth, and begin to create meaningful nurturing social connections.

It is impossible to live without experiencing the loss of someone or something that really matters to us. Grieving is a normal human experience but the emotional pain can often be unbearable. Although grieving does not necessarily have an end point, therapy can assist you to cope more effectively with the loss and return sooner to a meaningful and satisfying life.

Coming to terms with a loss of something or someone takes time. A gentle approach to hearing the pain and suffering due to a loss of a material object such the family farm, a relational loss of a good friend friend moving away or a parent/child dying, a loss of a dream (bankruptcy), a functional loss such as the use of parts of the body, a role loss (retirement) or a systemic loss (when a child moves out of the home). A process or mourning with some gentle guidance towards healing, relief and daily functioning at the clients pace. Offering a place of listening presence, empathy and compassion while hearing the pains of fatigue, shock, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, anger & sadness.

Have you experienced a loss and are worried about how your children are coping? Are they refusing to talk about it? Or maybe they are asking too many questions and you are worried about how to answer them? Children grieve differently to adults and are often not able to fully express their fears or emotions. Often, these feelings are internalized and result in disruptive behaviors as they get older. In my custom designed play therapy room, they are given a safe space to explore their feelings and process their experience. I can help you guide them through this experience and set them up for future success and happiness.

Feeling lost and alone? Wish others understood, or knew what to say? I journey with people touched by loss in their life, big or small (in fact, in my mind, no loss is really 'small,' because it's significant to YOU). What we do with our disappointments and losses will define who we are (Dan Allender). Whether you're stuck with grief from the past, or coping with life changes today, having friends along the journey who can be with you in your pain are what you need. Together you and I can help you move through this difficult phase of your journey, resulting in renewed hope and yes, joy, that comes from a healed heart.

Grief is not limited to feelings of sadness. It can also involve guilt, yearning, anger, and regret. Some may find themselves grieving a painful relationship, while others may be faced with the loss of a loved one. In grief counselling, I support clients through their own unique grieving process to discover a path of healing and growth in their journey with grief and loss.

Grief and loss are frequently a root cause of substance abuse, addiction and disorders. The grief process tends to deplete a person's resources, taking up a great deal of their physical, mental, and emotional energy. The absence is not the only thing they are mourning. Their plans, dreams and wishes have changed, and they are being required to let go of the future they anticipated. The phases of mourning include a desire to reverse the loss, feelings of pain and chaos, and the reordering of one's life. At Valiant Recovery, clients receive personalized grief counseling tailored to their needs, as well as specialized sessions on grief and loss.

Losses are often the most difficult of life transitions. One can feel like the sadness will never lift or that life no longer has meaning. Grief is a soul journey that will change you physically, emotionally, cognitively, socially, and spiritually. The word "bereavement" literally means to be torn apart. No wonder you feel so tired! Let me companion you as you journey through this dark time in your life. You won't "get over" grief any more than you "get over" love, but you can reconcile this loss in your life and experience a life of hope and joy once more. Learn more about the Companioning Model at centerforloss.com

Loss, death, and dying bring up a lot of difficult emotions, thoughts, and sensations that sometimes need to be shared in a safe, compassionate space where there is no judgment or pressure to let go or move on. I can help you better understand your internal experience of grief and find ways of mourning that help you heal. I am here to listen and honor your story and reality; I will act as a companion on your grief journey as you find the meaning to continue living a new normal.

Death creates many unanswered questions and emotions. As such, Grief & Loss therapy can be a useful tool to navigate the ups and downs of grief whether it be a recent or prior loss. When we experience a loss, we cycle through different stages. At inspire wellness therapy, we can identify these stages, allow space for you to grieve, and provide you with helpful strategies.

Gerard has diverse experience as a psychologist and leader in social services, schools, university, workplaces, and his private practice. Using a theoretical foundation of social learning and cognitive-behavioural training, he is well-versed in various kinds of formal and informal assessment and solution-focussed approaches. He listens carefully to understand your needs and relies on his extensive experience to help you find solutions.

Grief and loss counseling is provided for all members of the family. Grief and loss can complicate all areas of family life and make parenting difficult during this season. Keystone offers support to parents who are grieving and to parents who are trying to understand and support their grieving child. It is also sometimes difficult understanding how to help a grieving child. Keystone provides a developmentally appropriate perspective on grief and provides counseling to those going through this journey.

Losses can be very difficult to cope with. They often disrupt our routines including positive and rejuvenating activities and connecting with others who are supportive. My approach involved helping clients discuss, process, and grieve their loss in a supportive, safe, and caring place; helping clients re-connect with supportive friends and family and re-initiate positive activities as well as developing new activities and finding new support. Also, cognitive therapy can be a helpful addition which can be used to help clients develop acceptance and realistic thinking and emotions related to their recent loss.

When death occurs, family and friends are left behind to deal with the impact of the loss. Loss and grief are an integral part of our everyday existence, but an experience that is often misunderstood. However, as a death denying society, there is little understanding of the grief process and as a result people who grieve the loss of a loved one often do not receive the support and understanding that is conducive to a healthy grieving process. Consequently, some bereaved individuals often experience a sense of isolation and a feeling that “there is something wrong with me.” Loss and grief impact people of all ages and gender both in similar and unique ways. While grief is considered a normal response to the loss of a loved one, it can manifest itself as...(view profile to read more)

Here's what clients have said: "When I came to see you, I felt that I was talking to a friend who understood and was in no way judgmental. ....I always felt better after leaving your office...You seemed to know when to talk and when to let me talk - which was most of the time." "Thank you Kathryn for creating a safe place where I could be free to be in the very depths of my grief and yet always knew I wasnt alone. ...Unlike other people who wanted me to stop crying and "just get over it" you seem to understand how grief overrides reason and problem solving. Most people want me to move on so they wont feel uncomfortable Im sad. You always made it about me, my process and my needs."

Feelings of grief and loss can emerge from the loss of a loved one, a pet, a relationship, a job, a house, a community, and just about anything else. This journey can often feel too heavy to carry on one's own, and they need a safe space to let down the veil of "I'm fine", and truly feel the sadness in order to move through it and towards the other side of healing.

At some point in our lives we have, or will be, confronted with a loss. Our responses to loss varies, but when the impacts of a loss persist and change the way in which we interact with our environment, it may be time to seek therapeutic support. Loss often results in grief and can occur by death of a loved one (person or pet), separation and divorce, loss of a job, illness and associated loss of ability, or a significant change in circumstances. Loss may result in a loss or change to our identity as a friend, partner, parent, pet parent, home owner, job role, and our faith. I assist clients in navigating their journey from loss to a redefined sense of wholeness and peace.

If one is going to love they are going to experience loss. Loss, suffering and grief are part of living. Research clearly shows that the grieving process entails emotional reflection and redefining one's way of being in the world. By engaging in grief counselling with me you will rewrite the story of your life so that the one you have lost lives on in you via your memories and in your life via the stories you tell others about them. As the saying goes, "after great pain a new life emerges" by deeply engaging in the grief process with me you will open yourself up to the emergence of a rich and full life.

Grief and Loss is a process, while unique to the person there are milestones and supports that can make the process more natural and healthy. Loss and grief is part of the human experience however, we can become challenged in the process by specific events or circumstances while in the vulnerable state of adjustment and grief. Grief and Loss benefits from supports and compassion.

Losing a loved one is life’s most intense pain, and can leave us with so many questions. Does coping with a loss this big seem overwhelming and impossible? Do you feel the sense that others just want you to just “get over it”? Are you wondering how life will ever be good again, after it’s been shattered so profoundly? I’m Tim, and I help others navigate the biggest losses of their lives. In our work, I provide a warm and safe space to pass through the darkness and pain that comes with loss, and step back into life. There is no “getting over” your person, only a graceful weaving of their memory and their love, into the fabric of your life. If you're ready for the journey, give me a call.