Grief and Loss Counselling in Edmonton, AB.

We are social beings. When we suffer loss or grief, we benefit from talking with others about our feelings. Sometimes the purpose is simply to purge, to be listened to while in the depth of our pain. Other times we need to address the unhelpful - even harmful - things we tell ourselves while suffering grief and loss. Regardless, working through grief involves experiencing pain, and being patient with ourselves as well as the recovery process. I like to believe that clients have a safe place in me to engage it.

When working with grief and loss, I believe it is important to be patient and present. I primarily focus on the emotions and experiences of the grief and loss and make sure that they are being felt. Although this can be a painful process, it is important that we are allowing ourselves to move into the pain versus avoiding it so that all emotions, thoughts, and sensations are dealt with.

Grief and loss is inevitable in life. All change, no matter how small or how large, involves moving through the grief process. Unfortunately, some people have not had secure attachment relationships to enable this natural process. When we haven't processed the normal developmental changes and losses in our lives, we find other means to overcome the loss such as numbing, obsessive behaviours, or anxiety and depression. Processing grief and loss requires a safe, skillful, dependable, reliable counsellor to help guide you through.