Grief and Loss Counselling in Lantzville, BC.

At different times in our lives, we are faced with grief and the loss of someone special, or perhaps the loss of a lifestyle or way of being. Transition and letting go can challenge a person at the deepest level, yet with a healing perspective, growth and renewal can emerge from loss. I provide tools to help people rebuild their lives and sense of purpose in life, while learning approaches to ease the pain of loss and grief.

Grief & loss can seem debilitating and overwhelming and many people struggle in moving on. Counselling is a highly effective resource for healing after a loss. Through compassion and understanding we will work to heal the pain of the event and move into acceptance and peace. Whether you are grieving the loss of a loved one, the loss of health or mobility, divorce or mid life transition, we can help.

Grief and Loss can be some of the most devastating of Life's experiences. I offer an empathetic and compassionate space for you to express what you are going through using ONLINE tools like video conferencing, email and text supports. Slowly and gently, and let's journey down this path together using Mindfulness techniques and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. We may encourage aspects of your own spirituality or faith (if applicable), to support and comfort you.

You are grieving and you want me to help you feel better. Unfortunately, if you've lost a loved one or had other losses in your life, I can't change what's happened to you. Instead, I can teach you how to embrace your grief, to stay with your difficult feelings. By doing so, you open the door to self-change and the chance to discover meaning in your life.

I offer counselling services at The Centre For Expressive Therapy to children and adults who are suffering from grief and loss. I use Holistic Expressive Therapy which I have developed that addresses the unique physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual needs of each individual. I design effective expressive therapies to address your specific needs. Together we will work through the stages of grief, the stages in the healing process and mediate the impact that grief, loss and bereavement has in your life. Expressive therapies will help you with issues such as fear, depression, anxiety and sleeping problems.

We learn a lot about grief through the family and society we were raised in. Many of the ways we cope, or messages we learned about dealing with loss, we developed at an early age mostly unconsciously. I work to help people become aware of how they deal with loss. We explore hidden beliefs about what it means to experience loss and how we then deal with it. We move on to explore where people are stuck and then teaching them better ways to move on.

There are many forms of Grief and Loss. Some losses are immediate and some are ongoing, as in the experience of having a loved one with a chronic illness. There is also the grief and loss that we experience as our own health is lost or when we lose a job or role in our lives that gave us a sense of purpose and passion. The key to gracefully experiencing grief and loss lies in learning how to feel safe being present with what you're feeling; how to know when what you're feeling is truly normal; and how to find a sense of true peace through balancing the memories and your appreciation of the past with the opportunities that exist now for finding new meaning and purpose in your life.

After significant loss, you may experience difficult and surprising emotions, such as anger, shock and guilt. It may feel like the sadness will never go away. I know personally what this feels like and I support many people who are trying to find ways to cope and find their reason to continue. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. There are however many healthy ways to cope with the pain. You can get through it! I can help you.

Experiencing a loss goes beyond the loss of the family, friend, pet, or child to be. Not only have you lost the loved one physically; you lose what your life was with them; and what your future with them would have been. Overcoming such loss can feel overwhelming and impossible to heal. Counselling can make a significant difference in getting through this difficult period. Family members who may mean well may not understand the loss and inadvertently cause us pain: by expecting us to ‘get over it’, and by impatient and unsympathetic. Counselling offers a compassionate sounding board that is sympathetic and non-judgemental. We are able to heal at our own pace in a supportive environment.

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.

A loved one dying affects everyone in a family and each member will work through their grief in their own way and timeframe. Empathizing and listening while offering comfort and support as individuals work through their depression, anger and guilt of the emotional roller coaster of grief in a safe environment for expression of self will enable one to move forward towards a healthier life.

Many life events can force us to be struggling with feelings of grief and loss not just the death of someone close to us. These life transitions like separations, job losses and health issues or limitations can be complex and can often take longer to adjust to without healthy support people who can help us to explore our thoughts and feelings. Rather than avoiding the pain attached to these events, counselling can encourage us to move through the grief toward making peace with what occurred.

Losing someone in your life can be a painful, frustrating, bewildering experience. Part of the healing process is to express your grief, sharing what your loss means.Through the process of therapy there are ways to make your grieving more complete and more positive. I offer a safe, confidential, nonjudgmental place to talk about your grief and to create your own unique roadmap through it. Some of the grief related issues I help people deal with include anger, hurt, feelings of abandonment, ambiguous feelings surrounding death of someone with whom the relationship was rocky, guilt, loneliness, and more. "Hope begins in the dark." --Anne Lamont