Grief and Loss Counselling in Pitt Meadows, BC.

Death is a natural part of the life cycle but whether expected or sudden we are often left with many emotions. My counselling approach gives you the opportunity to express your feelings in a safe and confidential environment, and allows room for exploration of your feelings. By expressing feelings of loss/grief, clients often report feeling less overwhelmed, sad, and depressed.

Through the use of a client centered approach, we help children and adults learn new ways to process and cope with the loss of a loved one. We use tools such as psycho-education to help clients better understand the grief cycle, as well as use different modalities and ideas for self-care and positive coping as they move through the grief process. We work together with the client towards healing and acceptance.

Grief and loss can present itself in many different ways and show up in our lives in many different forms. Surviving a loss can be life-shattering, especially if we feel like we are experiencing it alone. My experience with grief is that it comes in waves and is not a linear process. There is no clear process or timeline that we should hold ourselves to when recovering from a loss. Each person's experience is unique and carries its own complexities with it. Together we can discuss what is weighing heavily on you and find a path forward towards healing.

Loss can break, alienate, initiate, and open. It can lead to oceans of feelings looming over us, a sense of being distanced from oneself and others—far away adrift at sea, rage at the injustice of loss, and even shame at experiencing rage. I can't predict what the waves may be like for you, but I can help you respond to them. Whether your instinct is to hold, brace, jump, dive, run, scream, float, or let the waves wash over you, together we can feel out what to do and what to make of it all.

Grief and loss comes in many forms. You can grieve a death, a relationship, job, friend or the loss of a life you thought you would have. Grief and loss counselling helps to identify the loss and provide support through the process. Counselling can be beneficial to help you overcome the grief in a healthy, productive way and move forward with your life and goals.

The pain of grief and loss can truly be painful. This emotional challenge can extend beyond death. May it be the loss of a relationship - past or present, loss of health, retirement, financial loss, or the death of a loved one, I offer a compassionate and safe space to discuss this grief. In my practice I encourage clients to express their feelings about their losses as part of the processing journey. I offer strategies to cope with the overwhelming feelings while educating my clients about the stages of grief and the mind body relationship during such an experience. Recognizing that grief/loss are profoundly unique experiences, I embrace a person-centred approach during treatment planning.

Losing a loved one, a job or changes to a closely held worldview and value structure alters the way you experience the world. The grieving process over this loss is natural as you come to terms with your new reality. This can be an uplifting time and growth opportunity. By embracing the change in your reality, identifying its meaning and effects on your value structure you will be able to celebrate a lost love one’s life and lessons learned to move forward with the greater purpose. Grief becomes overwhelming when we are trapped in mourning what we no long have. I will work with you to sooth this pain and help identify areas of positive growth; so you can come out the other side a greater str....

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.

I work directly with the emotional parts of the brain to take the edge of the pain of grief and loss. I accomplish this through the use of narrative therapy, logotherapy (meaning and purpose), EMDR and OEI (draw out specific areas of emotional pain), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Clients report that this process significantly decreases their level of stress and pain without the need to recall or relive painful events.

Loss and life come hand in hand; whether it be a loved one, a pet or any other thing we hold dear, we all experience grief at some point. When faced with loss, grief is a natural response which comes with a multitude of feelings. Counselling can be a space to explore all that comes with grief or simply sit with our grief and build compassion for ourselves through our experience.

Grief and loss are integral parts of life but the emotional devastation that we can experience as a result, can be extremely hard to manage. It's natural that we want to minimize the emotional fallout - it's so hard on our hearts! Medical research has shown that the physical effect on our hearts looks just like a heart attack! The good news is that it's possible to recover. With help to navigate such painful places, I've seen people experience new insights, develop new ways of understanding themselves and others and transform a broken heart into a functioning one again. It's not an easy road, but it leads to a lighter place.

I work with compassion and insight helping clients face loss and grief. Whether the loss is a spouse, a child, a friend, a family member or a pet. I help my clients by explaining the stages of grief that they will most likely go through. I offer a safe place to move ahead from their loss and grief at their own speed. I also have a speciality of working with pet-loss.

Dealing with grief & loss is not easy. When we are grieving, it is often multi-faceted and non-linear, it can bring up many different emotions, even ones we had not expected. Working with a therapist through grief & loss can help process the many emotions that may arise. I view the grieving process of each client as unique and allow space for them to process whatever it is they need to work towards healing.

It is beyond feeling down when you lose someone special or a loved one to death, addiction, divorce, immigration, or other life circumstances. You may find this a very lonely journey. We help you heal from your grief and loss using Narrative therapy, Gestalt therapy, and a person-centered approach while honouring the past about that loss and providing you with empathy in your grief journey.

Even though we would want to tell the client that grief and loss is a neat process of 5 - 7 stages (denial, anger... acceptance), it is usually experienced as a roller coaster of emotions and it takes a different amount of time for every individual. What I do is to help clients embrace and express different levels of pain: 1) talking about emotional experience, without showing the emotion; 2) talking with emotional reactions (tears coming, trembling voice); 3) silent crying; 4) sobbing and 5) loud crying and screaming. Finally, we should not forget that moderate denial is natural (like a temporary break from grief). And yes, grief can shake our faith, but it usually leads to acceptance.

I understand that the pain you're going through right now feels unbearable, like a heavy weight on your soul. In our work together, we'll create a safe space to explore your feelings and memories, using therapeutic approaches tailored to your unique experience of grief. While the journey ahead may be challenging, it's important to remember that healing is possible. You don't have to go through this alone; I'll be here to support you every step of the way, helping you find a path toward hope and renewal.

I previously provided consultations for the BC Coroner's Office for 14 years. I functioned as a behavioural investigator and my role was to investigate completed suicides of youths 18 years of age and under. Needless to say this provided me with an opportunity to provide initial grief support to the most some of the most vulnerable clients at a most difficult time! As difficult as this role was it was an honour to have this opportunity to be there at the darkest hour!

Losing a loved one is devastating. We can end up with regrets, unsaid apologies, and sadness over never getting what you needed from them. Knowing we'll never hear their voice again is enough to bring on the tears. If that isn't difficult enough, often families find themselves in conflict afterwards -- from the will to control over assets to how the celebration of life will look. Having someone to cry and reminisce with, vent to and bounce ideas off of, can help make sense of an already stressful time.

Grief is individual and comes in unexpected waves. I have yet to hear of two similar grief experiences. Walking alongside someone who is grieving has deeply touched me in my work. Grief can be a heart wrenching, and painfully beautiful experience when shared with a trusted, safe other. The path towards healing and wholeness is as unique as the stories of grief themselves, but you do not have to do the work of healing alone, in the dark.

Do you wake up in the morning and have a wave of sadness wash over you as you remember the pain of your loss? Although bereavement is part of life there are times when the circumstances surrounding a loss of a loved one makes it very difficult to come to terms with. Together we will hold a space that will allow you the opportunity to be comforted and heal.

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.

Grief is normal and each of us grieves differently. I offer you a safe, non-judgmental approach to expressing your thoughts, feelings, and memories. I will provide you with skills and strategies to help you manage the overwhelming emotions often accompanying grief. Whether it's anger, sadness, guilt, or a mix of all, I will support you in processing these feelings in a healthy way. In our time together, we will also honor the memory of your loved one. Sharing stories, creating rituals, and finding ways to commemorate their life can be a powerful part of the healing process. We will focus on preserving their legacy while also allowing you to gradually adapt to a life without them.

Here's what clients have said: "When I came to see you, I felt that I was talking to a friend who understood and was in no way judgmental. ....I always felt better after leaving your office...You seemed to know when to talk and when to let me talk - which was most of the time." "Thank you Kathryn for creating a safe place where I could be free to be in the very depths of my grief and yet always knew I wasnt alone. ...Unlike other people who wanted me to stop crying and "just get over it" you seem to understand how grief overrides reason and problem solving. Most people want me to move on so they wont feel uncomfortable Im sad. You always made it about me, my process and my needs."

The loss of a loved one, human or non-human, has a tremendous impact on our emotional well-being, our day to day functioning, and our identity. Dr. Rochefort helps individuals experiencing grief or loss to process the emotional tidal wave, develop skills to support emotional safety, process the grief or loss, and redefine a new life that is worth living.

Unfortunately, loss seems to be part of life. Suffering loss can be a very painful experience. Friends and family can be supportive but sometimes it is hard for them to maintain the objective approach really needed because they are dealing with the grief in their own way. Often people find it more helpful to grieve loss in a private place with professional help. My services help you do just that. I am compassionate and understanding.