Grief and Loss Counselling in Devon, AB.

At Rivers Edge Counselling, our therapists can help you with your grief or bereavement by: helping you better identify and accept your loss, move through the various emotions associated with loss like anger, hopelessness, sadness, guilt and loneliness seek a new approach to remember and honour a loved one who has passed away, and finally accept the impact it has had on shaping your life.

I would like to be your support system in your grief journey by giving you a safe and judgement free environment, where you will be able to experience emotional and physical support. Together, we will start your healing process through sharing your story, increasing your understanding of the situation, finding new coping skills, working on your hope...

Grieving a loss can feel overwhelming and sometimes it feels like the pain will never end. Losses are experienced uniquely for each individual and reactions can greatly vary. Having a compassionate person to talk and share with makes a difference. Processing your feelings enables you to work through the stages of grief. As you deal with pain, guilt, anger and overwhelm you move from surviving to thriving again.

It has been said that life is about loss, and how one deals with it. Grief is how we deal with loss. Uncomplicated grief is an adjustment process, not an illness. There is one, though...an illness, I mean. I'd say the "illness" is cultural: For one reason or another, people ordinarily lose patience with the grief process, and often well before a healthy mourner is through their active grieving process. Unexpressed grief from former losses can extend the time needed for healthy grieving. People's wounds and scars can close heart and mind toward the grieving process. In an imperfect world, psychotherapists hold space and make time for (and precious to) a balanced grief process.

Allowing yourself to feel the emotions related to grief and loss can be overwhelming. Having someone to help you along the way can be an effective way to navigate these difficult times. Person centered therapy can be a helpful way to begin this journey. This type of therapy is non directive meaning the therapist does not direct the session, allowing the client the freedom to explore their feelings in a non judgmental environment.

Losing someone or something that is close to us, can leave us feeling as though we have a gaping hole in our hearts. Grief and Loss counselling will help you feel less alone during this time of struggle and provide the support needed to find new ways to flourish. It's incredible what kind of growth and new meaning can come from allowing ourselves to be transformed for the better by our loss.

While grief is a natural part of life, it can be overwhelming to go through the multitude of feelings that accompany a loss. I believe that people grieve a number of events in life, from the death of a loved one, to the loss of important relationships, retirement, the "empty nest," or transitioning from one phase of life to another. I help those who are grieving to understand the process, and learn how to bear the feelings that rise up "like waves." I also work towards helping people to honour the positive aspects of what has been lost, and reach a place of acceptance, while adapting to a new way of living.

Grief is like having a broken rib. You may look fine on the outside, but there is massive pain on the inside. It hurts to move, sometimes it hurts to even breathe. Everyone experiences grief differently, but a commonality is that grieving alone makes it harder to heal. We are social beings and we feel intense grief when we loose someone we love. You are meant to be seen, heard and supported by others through grief. Sadness needs to be processed and there is no quick fix (I wish it was easier). If we can find meaning in the midst of loss it provides something to hold onto as you navigate your pain, and learn to move forward.

Grief is often disowned and punished. This means that when grief does arise it can be extra painful because of years of being pushed away. Psychotherapy can be a place to acknowledge and rediscover our grief and explore it. As an inevitable part of life it is important to connect to our need to grieve. By doing this we heal and rediscover intimacy. Visit my website at www.prairieowlpsychology.ca from more details.

Experiencing the loss of a loved one can leave you with compounded and confusing emotions. In therapy I can help you make sense of these emotions, grieve in healthy ways, and work through the pain in a way that minimizes suffering. We can work together to ensure healthy coping and healing and to bring you towards a new future, in spite of the loss of some of your dreams.

The death of a loved one shakes us to our core. Some of the questions people ask are how to move on and how to let go without dishonouring the love for the one who has died. Loss is most obviously of a person but it can be a pet a relationship, a job or a sense of a changing identity or position in the world. This is a time when our spiritual and religious values can help us or perhaps a time to dig deeper into ones self. I am able to offer a deeper perspective on death and dying and help you find meaning in profound loss. I am personally familiar with personal loss so that my help is based on real life experience.

The process of coping with any deep emotional loss takes time. Men and women deal with the tragedy of loss in very different ways - our elderly population also experience loss in a way that is very unique to their age and life experiences. Grief and loss will be an aspect of every person’s life at some point. We all cope with these challenges in unique ways. Understanding the stages of grief and how they impact us individually is the first step in managing any loss. And learning effective ways of coping with that pain is critical when we are trying to make our lives functional again.

Grey Matters International and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D approaches issues of grief & loss through the lens of innovation----instead of growing the same neural networks responsible for the pain in weekly therapy sessions, we reset the brain to move forward quicker and efficiently by working on the stuck limbic system so as to empower the person with more success and traction. For no one wants to stay in a grief mode for too long; but when you don’t include the brain in your work with someone, you risk describing the water to them while they drown and calling it success. Contact Grey Matters International, Inc now at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.