Grief and Loss Counselling in Calgary, AB.

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.

In each of our lives, there will be times of loss and grieving ... and sadness. That's a normal part of the human experience and, in our own way and in our own time, we each find our way through the grieving process. As we should. Sometimes, though, we can get stuck along the way, or it seems as if this loss and sadness is overwhelming us ... or we forget to do the work of grieving ... or begin to listen to some of those well-meaning but perhaps misguided exhortations to 'just get over it -- it's been xx months/years'. For some, it helps to talk about things and get another perspective. I offer that space for you to talk and to grieve ... a place to share the gift of tears.

At Living Well we journey along side our clients suffering from a loss & offer respect as clients work through their grief. In addition to grief/loss you may be suffering with anxiety or depression, difficult decisions, family concerns & so forth. As such, we attempt to understand all that is going on and then recommend a therapist that's right for 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.

People living in our culture often lack the permission -both from others and themselves - to fully grieve their losses, and yet I have observed that careful attention to grief is so necessary for achieving and maintaining our health and wellness in the long term. I try to support you in approaching grief as a process and a journey. Our work together involves honoring the loss while finding ways to help you manage strong feelings, and re-orient toward the many aspects of your life that your grief touches. Using mindfulness and body awareness helps to both deepen and ground this process, and exploring meaningful personal rituals together (ritual having been a key ingredient in many healthy cultures’ approach to grief) can be very helpful.

Grief is difficult and exhausting to navigate and the end goal is hard to determine – what is it we are trying to do? It is not to forget, but to forgive the death. Our most painful experiences bring out the best and sometimes the worst in ourselves and others as everyone searches for peace. As a therapist, I work to organize your thoughts and feelings and to ultimately help find harmony with the new way in which life will be lived following a loss.

Loss of relationship like any loss has significant emotional consequences and can have impacts across the life spectrum. The fact that relationships are one of our primary coping mechanisms multiplies the potential distress. Processing and Resolving relationship loss can lead to significant better quality of life as well as significantly improved quality of future relationships.

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)

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.

Dealing with grief and loss can be overwhelming and leave you feeling like there is no way forward. My job is to stand beside you with a view to the future and the tools to help you find your way forward with a safe place to resolve the sense of loss and adaptive coping skills. It is humbling and inspiring to witness clients move from fear and uncertainty toward knowing and strength.

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

Standard Grief: Sadness directly related to a loss. Complex Grief: Sadness related to a loss. Includes additional meanings and associated emotions as in: Regret – “I am a horrible person” Anger – “The universe took something too soon” Hopelessness – “ My life has not meaning now” Fear – “I am at risk of losing more” Helpless – “I am incapable- I cannot go on” Complex grief is grieving that get stuck because of the complicating meaning the trauma of loss has triggered. In order to treat complex grief, we remove the LBs associated with the loss, as shown above, and this lets the standard grief progress through the regular stages of grief, to arrive at a healthy perspective on the loss.

Grief is the pain we feel over loss. Most of us associate this feeling with death, and this certainly causes intense grief. But all significant losses can cause grief-- intimate relationships, health, employment, a close pet, financial stability, friendships, or even dreams. Dealing with grief means constructively identifying and giving meaning to your feelings, learning to take care of yourself, and planning ahead for upcoming grief triggers. I can help you do this. Counselling can make a difference. I look forward to helping you get back to where you want to be.