Grief and Loss Counselling in Metchosin, BC.

Grief and loss can be all consuming in one's life. Therapy can move you through the pain to a place of honouring that which was lost. Our body holds onto grief. Instead of "leaving it all behind", healthy grieving is a way of creating space to carry forward the helpful and beautiful essence of people, moments, events and items that are important to us.

In my grief counselling practice, I specialize in guiding individuals through the intricate emotions that emerge following the loss of a loved one or a significant life change. No one person's journey through grief is identical and it's often not a linear path. I provide a secure and nurturing space where you can openly express your feelings, delve into memories, and address the challenges associated with grief. I am committed to fostering a compassionate and understanding environment, supporting you on your journey to healing and finding a path forward.

In grief and loss counseling, I create a flexible space that adapts to your needs. Whether you need patient listening or feel stuck and need guidance through open-ended questions, I meet you where you are. I'm genuinely curious about understanding you as a whole person and your unique loss—there's no shallow or rushed approach here, no platitudes or quick fixes. Something resourceful I offer is a therapeutic goodbye letter adapted from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's work, helping you express complex, contradictory emotions—what you regret and don't regret, miss and don't miss. What makes this different is it honors the fullness of ambivalent feelings. Clients report feeling truly heard, not judged or rushed, as they move forward in their own time.

I am honoured that you are interested in my services and I would like to tell you a little bit about myself. I have been described as slightly non-conventional in the counselling world, which suits me perfectly, and also tends to suit youth who are trying to stand up to the force of the problems in their life. I am very comfortable working with this population, and I feel fortunate that I can connect with teens the way I do, conventionally or in a way that makes sense to them.

Grief is a multilayered emotion that can come in waves, it can wax and wane, or it can completely throw you off your feet at different times in your life. I am here to help you gain footing by providing a compassionate and safe space to explore the difficult and complex terrain of grief. I will meet you wherever you are in your grieving experience and provide you with a safe and compassionate space to move within it in meaningful ways. I will offer information about the grieving process to help you understand some of the confusing, distressing and overwhelming feelings you may be experiencing and to help promote confidence in your ability to navigate through this challenging time.

When someone to whom you are attached dies or abandons you, you may be devastated, lonely, angry, sleepless, miserable. You may believe that never again will you be happy. Maybe you feel guilt. Your grieving may be delayed or denied for many years because it is squeezed out by other concerns. Unfinished grieving has the power to disturb your life long afterward and you may not realize what the reason is. I will ask you the story of your loss. Dr. Janice is an expert in general grief work, child death, child loss and post abortion grieving. Grief counseling will help you to find peace and acceptance and to go on with your life. Other losses include loss of health, employment or relationship.

Loss is a natural part of life, the ebb and flow of living. Experiencing pain is also an inevitable part of being human. Suffering , however, is optional. Sometimes, the intensity of the grief when we experience loss can disable us and freeze us in our tracks. The grief work that you and I do will bring the forward the emotions that are trapped. I will support you in making sense of the loss and how to go forward with a new narrative about yourself and your life.

The grief process is different for everyone yet also flows through some universal patterns. Grief largely relates to themes such as acceptance of the loss, the processing of emotions, and learning to live life in the light of the loss. Rituals and ceremonies often support grief and loss work, as well as making peace with the past. Other approaches include journaling, connecting through visualization, going to meaningful spaces, and continuing your connection in practical or spiritual ways. Together we can work to support the often times painful transitions related to grief and loss.

At Seasons Family Centre, we provide compassionate and connected grief and loss support for youth and adults, honouring the deeply personal and often complex nature of this experience. Grounded in attachment principles, our approach fosters safe, trusting relationships as the foundation for healing. We understand that grief is not only an emotional process but one that is felt in the body, and we thoughtfully explore the somatic experiences of loss with care and sensitivity. Recognizing that grief is shaped by cultural, familial, and individual contexts, we bring a cross-cultural lens to our work, ensuring that each person's unique story and traditions are held with respect.

Working through grief and mourning, is often a long-term process. There can be a range of emotions, thoughts and physical experiences as you adjust to your life after a loss. Significant life changes may include the loss of a loved one, pet, relationship, pregnancy, job, divorce, a move and relationship. I can help by listening to however you need to speak about your loss, at anytime in your experiences. Mourning is a normal and very personal process that does not have a time limit. Yet, sometimes you may feel stuck and at those times, it can be helpful to use on EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to work through those sticking points.

Through safety, support and compassion, Shelley helps her clients through the difficult process of grief and loss. Encouraging clients to be compassionate towards themselves, as well as promoting self care as they move through the different stages of grief. Shelley normalizes and teaches clients about the grief process as she holds out the possibilities of hope and recovery from this painful period of time. Shelley helps clients to find meaning and purpose as they embrace their grief with the underpinnings of growth and healing.

Major loss and grief effects many of us to some extent in our lives. I believe in the value of the grieving process and the importance of not rushing through it or cutting it off. Grief can be unpredictable and needs to be honored as we move through life’s most difficult challenge. I can work with you through the full range of feelings—anger, fear, gratitude, love, despair – whatever is coming up for you on a given day.

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.