Grief and Loss Counselling in Penticton, BC.

Grief is associated with many forms of loss. The most commonly accepted loss is the death of a loved one. Other losses include miscarriage, abortion; marriage, long term relationships; work; treasured possessions; hopes, dreams, wishes; personal integrity; privacy; safety/security; freedom; or trust. Grief is the inward experience of loss; mourning is the outward expression of it. It is a journey, a process, not an event, and needs time and social support to move beyond it. While on that grief journey, it is important to practice self-compassion and patience by reducing demands on ourselves. I can help you explore the depth of your grief, embrace it, then move on as you are ready.

Grief can come from many kinds of loss — the death of someone you love, the end of a relationship, changes within your family, or the loss of the future you thought you were going to have. There is no single right way to grieve, and sometimes the people around you may not understand why you are still struggling. I offer grief and loss counselling with warmth, compassion and space for whatever you are feeling. Using an emotion-focused approach, we can make sense of your grief, the relationships and attachments connected to your loss, and what it means to carry that loss while gradually finding your way forward.

Sheila specialized as a grief counsellor for two years and knows that grief is a natural reaction to loss. Our culture tends to either minimize or pathologize grief. Sheila knows your relationship with the one you're grieving impacts your grief process. She will help you move through your grief and support you through your personal grieving process and the six tasks of grieving identified by grief specialist Therese Rando.

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.

Losing a friend or family member can be devastating no matter the circumstances. We can also experience pain from losing a pet, a job or the ending of a relationship. Regardless of what kind of grief or loss you are struggling with, I will support you in facing your pain and finding a way forward. I will help you to understand the process and stages of grief and make sense of it. When we come to make meaning out of our loss our pain is lessened. I will also help you find peace and acceptance.

Grief has a way of pulling the ground out from underneath you, and my work is to help you find steady footing again. In our sessions, we look honestly at the pain, the confusion, the anger—nothing is off-limits and nothing is “too much.” I guide you toward uncovering the meaning hidden inside your heartbreak, helping you rebuild a life that feels true rather than numb. Clients often experience a shift from simply enduring their loss to discovering a renewed sense of identity, purpose, and personal strength.

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.

Everybody has experienced loss; some events have more impact on our mind than others. There are circumstances in life that make almost impossible to process this loss. There are way and methods to help with the normal flow of that process in order to overcome the pain. I have over 20 years helping people to find their way and their new identity after the loss.