Grief and Loss Counselling in Vancouver, BC.

I help clients navigate their loss whether it be from the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or the loss of something important such as a job, a pet, a friendship, or oneself. My approach to helping clients addresses regrets, change, acceptance, anger, and sadness. With people who have lost their loved one, I teach ways of keeping their loved one "alive" and honouring them rather than using traditional approaches of "letting go" and "moving on," which are being shown to be unhelpful and unreasonable for many clients. This fresh perspective helps my clients through a difficult time in their lives while teaching meaningful strategies to use throughout their lives.

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.

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.

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.

My approach is to join with you to understand your experience of loss intimately and deeply in conversation with you. When we are joined with the pain, you will not have to feel it alone, even if the grief is only fully healed with time. I will help you make sense of your feelings and provide psychoeducation around the phases of grief, specifically to how these known phases can be meaningful to your current experience, what you are feeling, and how you can continue to honour the person, relationship, or thing that you have lost and find acceptance and hope.

The emotions of grief and loss can feel like overwhelming waves that crash on top of us and threaten our survival. The ironic thing about this violent process is that when we commit to experiencing the waves, we feel better. In fact, grief can also be compared to a ‘vehicle’ that if and when we choose to enter, will faithfully drive us to a place of healing. While no one can carry the burden of our grief journey for us, having a therapeutic support can keep us from feeling isolated, as well as help focus us when the waves threaten to overwhelm our sense of progress and hope.

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.

Grief and loss does occur anytime we experience the loss of someone or something that we love and identify with. Although it can be normal to grieve, there can come a time when someone may feel stuck in this grief process and then they dicsover they need some help in looking at the situation differently. I can help a client identify their feelings and help them move forward through surrender and acceptance. If there is unfinished business with this person or situation, I would help my client resolve this problem though forgiveness. The ultimate purpose would be to be able to move forward in a constructive and loving manner, leaving behind all grievances and guilt.

Grief and loss leave us feeling distressed and destabilized. Whether your loss is through a break-up, death, or transition, grief can feel constant and heavy. I provide a supportive environment in which to reflect on the impact of your loss, and make sense of what this means for you - your sense of self, and your future. Whether it is the early days of your loss and you are looking for support to anchor you, or you have been struggling with this loss for months or years, we can work together to reconstruct meaning in your life.

Grieving is a process and a journey, not a feeling. When we lose someone, the feelings that arise are often unexpected, sometimes even random. And whatever those feelings are, we owe it to ourselves to feel them. They will, in fact, demand to be felt. As a therapist, I try to be a vessel to receive the feelings that come. I do so without judgement.

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.

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.

If your navigating grief and loss, I can support you in finding relief. Grief can emerge in many forms, from many different kinds of loss. It can be a hallow and haunting experience, one that is often misunderstood by others who try and rush as through it. Yet, over time, by meeting our grief with compassion, curiosity, and spaciousness, we can sink deeper into its roots and connect with the underlying love it springs forth from.

You've probably heard that grief and loss are inescapable. But no one could have prepared you for how hard your loss would be. At times, suffering can feel endless and you may think no one else could understand you. All of these thoughts are normal. But none of them mean you have no options. Together, we will put words to your loss. We will work through your difficult thoughts and emotions so you can transform loss into something life-giving, nurturing and meaningful. Loss is indeed part of life. Letting a therapist support you during these difficult times is a strong, life-affirming step forward. Call Joseph today for your free telephone consultation. Let’s begin the healing together.

Grief and Loss can feel isolating, hopeless and endless. Whether you have lost a parent, a child, a friend, or a spouse, it is important to discuss your experience with one of our trained professionals in order to start the healing process. Often grief and loss occurs without warning. It is unwanted, stressful, and can feel as though you are the only one experiencing what you are feeling.

Grief is a natural response to loss. One of the most important things we can do for grief is to honour it's presence. I will help you process the emotions around your grief, help you to put words to things you are feeling and hold space for you to feel all your feelings. Contrary to popular belief, grief involves any kind of loss, not just the loss of life, this could mean transitions, moves etc.

When losing someone or something important to us, it can take lots time to adjust and learn to live our life without that person, thing or way of life. Either it is the death of a loved one, loss of a relationship, loss of a pet, loss of a job or important possessions, change to your way of life, grieving is a normal response to a life event and bottling it up can create damage or even harm to a person. It can take time to adjust and accept to learn to live life without that person, thing or way of life. When it gets too challenging or overwhelming, or if it gets in a way of living a healthy life, sometimes turning to professional support can help getting through this challenging event.

We will all suffer loss; whether it be the loss of a life we though we could have or the loss of a loved one. It is important to have a safe space to process your experience as you are faced with navigating the change that loss can bring. We also use Lifespan Integration, a unique and modern approach, which helps your body and mind to fully process your loss. We have many years of experience to help you with your grief. We will provide a safe and caring space for you to feel your feelings, heal from your grief and emerge from the fog.

Many of the usual grief behaviors may seem like manifestations of depression. These emotions and behaviors may include such things as: sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, loneliness, fatigue, shock, preoccupation, sleep/appetite disturbance and social withdrawal. Although these reactions are all very normal, some people may be troubled by the length of time or the severity to which they are experiencing them. This is a good place to try counselling for guidance through the stages of mourning.

The experience of loss may result from many life experiences including the passing of a human loved one or a beloved pet, the ending of a relationship, job loss, or changes to our physical or mental capabilities. Grief is one of the most challenging of human emotions. Together, we will navigate your unique grieving process to enable you to experience growth and empower you to create a life you can accept and enjoy despite your loss.

Though every experience of loss is personal and unique, there are maps to help us navigate this painful process. Sometimes present grief is complicated by past losses that have re-surfaced and this can make dealing with it alone especially difficult. As an experienced and knowledgeable counsellor in the area of Loss and Grief, I can support you in not feeling overwhelmed. I am there as a compassionate listener and witness, as well as a guide, as your heart heals and you are able to celebrate life again.

Each of our lives is touched by grief and loss in personal ways –and- also globally, at times. The process of grieving can be naturally healing and cleansing. But sometimes loss is overwhelming or we simply need some good support for our grieving process. I believe in our natural ability to heal and recover from loss. Support I offer includes: • Understanding you and your unique story • Taking stock of a loss—what treasures remain and what is truly gone • Educating around healthy and unhealthy grief • Helping you discover the ways you already know how to grieve and cope with loss so you can amplify what helps and lessen what doesn’t

There are times in our lives when we experience grief and loss. Each experience of grief and loss can look and feel different. If you wonder if your grief and loss is normal, whether you can move on with life, or find it hard to do daily tasks, I encourage you to contact me. Some of the benefits of connecting with me for support for grief and loss are: • Increased understanding of how your grief and loss impacts you • Tools for navigating grief and loss • Learning to forgive yourself and others • Increased self-compassion • A safe place to explore complicated feelings You don’t have to be alone in your grief and loss. A safe, non-judgmental space where you are heard and have permission to grieve can help you move and sort through the often...(view profile to read more)

I will guide you through the work of healing loss and grief in a safe and thoughtfully-paced process. I will bear witness to your pain and walk with you as you find a new way of being in life after loss. I will listen, suggest coping strategies, and help mobilize resources to help you cope during this time of great upheaval and sadness. You are not alone.

Most of us will grieve at some point in our lives. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, an unborn child, a marriage or relationship, a career, a friendship, or a pet, there are all kinds of losses that can be felt deeply and affect our ability to cope with daily life and show up in our relationships with others. I work with clients to help them give voice to their grief, develop coping strategies for getting through this difficult time, tend to the very real emotional pain, and gain strength to create a path forward in a way that honours their loss.