Grief and Loss Counselling in West Point Grey, BC.

Have you lost a loved one through death? Are you separating or divorcing a partner? Are your children grown and leaving the nest? Are you retiring from a career you loved? Did you experience a less than desired childhood? You may experience a roller coaster of different emotions during the grieving process. Grief is a natural reaction to any kind of loss. Phone 604-468-7300 and let me help you find meaning again after your loss.

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.

When you mourn the loss of someone or something you love, it can feel like you will never feel at peace again. Whether it is sudden or slowly happened, it is still heartbreaking. These feelings show how much you really did care and what a big part of your life they were. A part of moving through grief is making space for these feelings and slowly adjusting to a new way of living. You don't have to move through this process alone.

Grief and loss affect everyone in different ways. Your lived experience will be our guide and it is always a privilege and an honour to walk with someone as they navigate and work through these most difficult, and often unexpected, times in life. Together we will find ways to integrate grief and loss into the story of who you are; to remember and cherish, to mourn and yet also find ways to thrive.

I approach each client with empathy and understanding, recognizing that the grieving process is unique to each individual. I believe that grief is a natural and healthy response to loss, and that it is important to allow yourself to feel all of the emotions that come with it. My approach is to create a safe and supportive space where clients can explore their feelings and work through the complex emotions that arise during the grieving process. Through the use of evidence-based techniques, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness practices, clients can gain insight and develop coping strategies to navigate their grief in a healthy and meaningful way.

Whatever the loss in your life, we can assist you in recovery and resilience. Loss is experienced differently by everyone and we can hep you move forward through the distress. You do not need to forget or ignore the pain of the experience in order to get the most out of life afterwards. We can help you accept and live with in a way that allows you to move on.

ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO MOVE FORWARD AFTER A LOSS OR IS YOUR GRIEF TOO MUCH TO HANDLE ON YOUR OWN? Grief is heartbreaking, and can be overwhelming. The emotions following a significant loss can range from sadness, guilt, anger and fear – and sometimes all of these at once. At the same time, it is not uncommon to also experience numbness and detachment in the aftermath of loss. Overall, people who have experienced a major loss often describe feeling destabilized, unable to concentrate, and unmoored. Loss can change how we see ourselves and the world around us, which leaves us uncertain as to how to move forward. Let's work through the complexities of your grief together.

Are you feeling lost and overwhelmed after a loved one has passed away or a partner has left? Do you feel like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? Do you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, or focus on your daily tasks? Grief can be a heavy burden, but you don't have to carry it alone. As a specialist in grief counselling, I can help you find a way through. By combining both warmth and compassion, as well as evidenced-based techniques, I can help you make sense of your loss. Together, we can find relief from the pain, while still honouring the memory of the person you've lost. If you're ready to start feeling better, don't hesitate to call.

GRIEF AND LOSS THERAPY Discovering how to live with and move through the pain of loss is a deeply personal process. There is no set amount of time or way to grieve. Only the time and manner that is right for you is right. Sadness, intense grief, anger and fear, a sense of lost identity, feelings of guilt, disorientation, a loss of purpose, a feeling of numbness may be part of your experience. As a counsellor who has worked with people of all ages and backgrounds, I bring a compassionate heart, a nonjudgmental approach and a warm environment where you can safely explore the feelings and thoughts that face you. Getting the support you need can make a huge difference.

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."

Grief can leave you disoriented and staggering. Your loss may recent, or in the past but never mourned. The loss of a person, a relationship, a career, your health, a pet are all serious disconnections. As a therapist, I will accompany you as you face your loss and express all the different emotions you may need to express. These may include sadness, anger, guilt, abandonment, and fear for your future. In time, you can move towards accepting and integrating your loss into the larger narrative of your life. With patient and compassionate support, you can gradually start to live again with enthusiasm.

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.

The loss of any relationship can be devastating. Grief for the death of a loved one can go through many phases before we come to accept the loss. In a family system, changes in relationships occur and we often see sides of our families that did not exist prior to the death. Often the end of a relationship can feel like a death and takes time to heal and move forward. Learning about the natural process of healing from Grif and Loss will be helpful in the weeks and months following a loss.

If you are working through grief and loss, you will understand how complex and how many emotions can be present. My goal is to support you in processing your grief at the pace that works for you utilizing techniques from ACT and other emotion based modalities. There are seasons of grief that can present in unique ways, so as we work through grief and these seasons we will discover the together gold each new season brings.

I believe that having a safe and comfortable place to express your grief can help anyone who is grieving a loss. Allowing yourself to feel your emotions is very important. The most important part of supporting a bereaved person is to acknowledge your feeling and to be with you. As time passes, the pain of early bereavement begins to fade. The depression lessens and you can begin to look forward to the future. I help you envision and map out a positive future while keeping your loved one 's spirit in your life.

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.

When looking at life through a lens grief and loss everything is intensified and there is no specific time line for recovery or "getting over it". Grief comes in waves. In working with me to process your new current reality with grief and loss we can look the triggers that are most affecting your ability to cope in your daily life. I create an environment where clients feel safe to express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. In whatever stage of grief you are in (denial, anger, bargaining, depression or acceptance) we can find the tools to help you move forward at your pace.

Grief and loss are exceptionally valuable to seek therapy for. Whether you are dealing with the loss of a loved one (person, animal), a place or going through some form of a life transition which inevitably means you are dealing with some form of loss (identity, purpose, role etc). Possibly even all of the above. My approach is to support you in accessing the feelings that may be hard to access and processing the often complex nature of these emotions and supporting you to integrate the part of you that is reeling from the loss with where you are at now so that it can be included and acknowledged, but allow you to be more with where you are now as well.

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.

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.

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.

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. I provide a secure and nurturing space where you can openly express your feelings, delve into memories, and address the challenges associated with grief. As your dedicated counsellor, I am committed to fostering a compassionate and understanding environment, supporting you on your journey to healing and finding a path forward.

The pain of grief is different from any pain we feel during our lives. Grief brings up different and sometimes conflicting emotions and unprocessed grief leads to other mental health issues. My approach to grief is creating a safe space in which the clients can share the many different emotions that grief brings up. I also help my clients get in touch with what they need to go through this difficult phase with more compassion. We talk about what the loss means for them and how they can build their life around all the changes that grief brings. Together we will sit with difficult emotions, with the questions that might not have any answers and with the overwhelming pain.

Angela Herd understands the grief process is a normal response to loss and is unique to each person. Loss comes in many forms and significant losses can affect one's relationships, self-concept and perception of the world. Angela is an experienced counsellor who offers support and relief. Angela provides a safe space that invites clients to share their experiences of loss; as well as, gain insight and skills to cope with strong feelings that may at times feel overwhelming and uncontrollable. Angela offers a wide range of options for expression that include traditional verbal therapy, art & play therapy, phototherapy and other creative modalities.Call Angela today for your free consultation.

It is not easy to lose someone, it hurts, creates regrets and anger. I walk with the person going through grief using different stages of grief, feeling num, self blame, how could it e prevented, how to deal with negative feelings, assisting with acceptance of the loss, how to fill the hole inside, healing the pain, helping able to cherish the memories of the loss and to move forward