Grief and Loss Counselling in Nisku, AB.

Death is an inevitable facet of life, and the loss of a loved one ~ changes a lot of things. The greatest loss is loosing our part in the relationship and how it anchored us. Death changes one's entire platform of life. Complicated grief is when unresolved issues still linger, or when a difficult relationship has ended. It leaves us destitute and incomplete. At SunRise we would like to help you find a renewed sense of purpose. A way to reconcile and move on without forgetting. We would like to assist you in finding a deeper meaning to that persons life, and focus on the legacy they left behind ~ and the way they touched your hearts. We would like to help you grieve ~ and still grow.

[NOTE: MY OFFICE IS IN CALGARY -- I DO VIDEO SESSIONS ELSEWHERE IN ALBERTA]. You are hurting now, and I understand that. As a psychologist with 31-years of experience and some hard-earned wisdom, I too have experienced grief and loss many times in my life. I can help. Let’s sit down over coffee and chat about the pain you are feeling now. Book with me right now by going to https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=14249112

When we suffer a loss our tendency is to cling to the person or thing that was lost. Grief is the process of letting go. Through grief therapy you will be able to find the courage to embrace the inevitable pain and to transform the emptiness into a renewed affirmation of yourself. The pain needs to be fully experienced and expressed in a supportive environment. It is a normal reflection of our love for the one we have lost.

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.

Loss and grief come in many forms. Grieving is a personal experience. I have worked with clients experiencing loss of a loved one including a pet companion, loss of functioning/mobility, employment loss including retirement, and relocation/joining a new country. My approach integrates compassion, hope, renewal, and ways to integrate the loss. In my work and research in this area, moving forward from loss combines honouring the past while actively finding new ways to engage in the present.

The death of a loved one is one of the hardest losses to experience. There are many other losses that people struggle to process as well. Which losses have you experienced lately? Loss of a relationship, loss of a job, loss of financial security, loss of physical ability, loss of health, loss of independence, loss of possessions, etc. Any loss can lead one to feel like they can't move forward. When a person is able to find meaning to their experience of loss they tend to feel liberated and fulfilled, ready to move forward with their life. I am exited at the opportunity to join you in this journey!

A miscarriage or loss can have impacts far beyond the event itself. By working with a psychologist, there is the capacity to work through the grief, honor the process and begin to work towards a future where you can feel joy again. Having a compassionate, non-judgemental person to listen and support you can make all the difference in those difficult times.

Losing a loved one leaves us feeling alone and vulnerable, overwhelmed and in pain. We want encouragement, but tend to pull away from others. Working through these difficult experiences together provides a place to ask difficult questions, work through pain, have someone listen without giving pat answers, and look for comfort and support in our own lives. Loss of dreams, a job, a lover, a friend--these also are very painful. Counselling at Karunia provides a source of support for you in mourning the loss, dealing with the pain, and finding the energy to once again go forward in the context of your personal strengths.

Feelings of loss and grief come up for different reasons. You may have lost a loved one, a relationship or even a change in your physical functioning due to accidents or illness. Whatever the reason, therapy can help in the grieving process. It gives you the space to acknowledge your loss, what it meant to you as well as finding new ways to ascribe meaning in your life.

Thalia and Thomas's parents separated and they felt deep loss. They live with their father but he didn’t want them to see their Mom. Counselling gave them a chance to open up, express their feelings and build communication so they could explain the importance of a relationship with their mom. This opened the way for their father to allow them access to their Mom. Thalia and Thomas felt recognized, important and heard. Their relationship with both parents improved.

We all experience grief and loss. Yet sometimes, the pain cuts too deep. Sometimes, people stay stuck in acute grief for a really long and difficult time. To help, I use techniques based on research by Robert A. Neimeyer. They focus on creating ways to make sense of what happened, together, as a team. This way, the loss could be integrated into your continuing life story. Such grief therapy is not truly about moving on or moving past - it is about reconciling whom - or what - you lost with what you still have. So you can continue to live fully, with a place for both sadness and joy of memories in your heart. I work online across Canada or in-person in Calgary.

Grief comes from many sources including the death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, financial loss and more. If you've experienced loss, then your world has changed. My work will support you in finding ways to move on with your life in a positive and fulfilling manner and relies on both honoring the past and defining the future. There are positive and negative aspects of how things were and how things will be. Exploring all aspects will allow you emotional freedom and the chance to determine your path.

At some point in your life you will experience a significant loss. Being able to cope with this loss is a truly personal expereince that hosts many emotions. Moving through the stages of grief and learning how to deal and cope with these emotions are symbolic to remembering the good things about that persons life. Clients will experience relief from emotional suffering, experience increased energy for life and feel more "positive" about life.