Grief and Loss Counselling in Lethbridge, AB.

Who can go through life without suffering grief and loss? It is part of the human journey. So rather than running away from it, medicating it, why not find a trusted companion to process it. This would mean acknowledging what the loss object has added to your life and its meaning, what you will miss, and how you will reconstitute your life now for growth and a different future. Working with a therapist, you can find symbols and design rituals to represent various pieces of your loss to help you integrate what you let go of and the new life that beckons you.

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.

When we are facing grief and loss, there is often a complex web of emotions and many layers of meaning-making to encounter in our healing process. The path is never linear. The timeline requires sensitivity and nuance. Compassion, patience and the ability to hold seemingly contradictory feelings are paramount. With gentle presence, we can hold the magnitude and the subtleties of this experience moving step by step towards healing.

My approach to grief and loss therapy is to increase my client's understanding of grief and loss and to help normalize and embrace their emotions during the grieving process. It is important to validate the past (because everyone grieves differently), adjust to the present (focusing on new skills and strategies while restructuring identity and roles), and redefine the future without their loved one while identifying hope and purpose.

Grief is something that no one can avoid but it can be one of the hardest things to acknowledge. Grief is a response to a loss and a form of emotional suffering. Everyone has a different grieving process that encompasses a variety of emotions such as anger, anxiety, guilt, and regret. Emotions can be confusing during the process and can be difficult to manage. What we feel when experiencing grief is one thing, but what we do with it, is another. It is my goal to support, acknowledge, and work with you in finding ways to heal. It is my hope to walk with you in this journey, to accept what is, feel, adjust, and eventually, find meaning.

Experiencing grief and loss can feel like navigating a stormy sea. In our therapy sessions, we'll sit together in the boat and find a way through the waves. I'm here to offer you a compassionate space to process those heavy feelings and memories. Through grief and loss therapy, you'll learn to honour your emotions and the one you've lost, while gently guiding you towards a place of peace and acceptance. You're not alone, and you don't have to carry the weight by yourself. Together, we'll find a path that lets you cherish the past while embracing the future - because even after loss, growth and hope can bloom.

Loss can happen at any point in life. The struggle can be particularly damaging when faced with multiple losses through fertility challenges. Loss can be traumatic and swept under the carpet. Your story is important, your feelings are important and I will create a safe place for you to explore your loss and move towards healing. Your response to your own feelings of loss is unique to you. There is no right or wrong. You are accepted for who you are and where you are at in your own process.

Grieving is healthy and involves a person experiencing loss acknowledging the loss and allowing some form of emotional connection to be experienced. If the loss was dramatically, or even traumatically significant to the person, the grieving process will likely be cyclical throughout the rest of that person’s life. All losses experienced will be grieved at some level, at various points in life following the loss. Grieving, even decades after a loss, does not mean a person is “broken” and in need of “fixing”. Stages of Grieving is more about “Tasks” that may happen repeatedly and at random placements rather than lineal stages.

Grief counseling helps people cope with grief and mourning following the loss of a loved one or due to major life changes that trigger feelings of grief (i.e. job loss or divorce). It provides a space for individuals to work through and process the complex emotions surrounding loss. Healthy grieving results in remembering the loss with a newfound sense of peace, rather than searing pain.

Experiencing grief and loss can feel like navigating through a fog of pain and confusion. This intense emotional journey often brings feelings of deep sadness, loneliness, and disconnection from daily life. My approach provides a compassionate, understanding space where you can openly express and process your grief. Together, we'll explore healing paths, helping you to gradually find closure and peace. As we work, you'll begin to rediscover joy and meaning in life, transforming grief into a respectful memory that honors your loss while allowing you to embrace the present and future.

Grief is a potential reaction to a loss of any kind whether through death, divorce, abandonment, separation, job loss, illness, disease diagnosis, kids leaving home, etc. Feelings of anger, resentment, shame, confusion, isolation or abandonment can result. Friends and family may not know what to say or how to provide support. A trained professional, who is profoundly sympathetic, respectful and empathetic, with the skills required to help one navigate through this difficult time, can be critical in helping one regain equilibrium.