Grief and Loss Counseling in Azusa, CA.

In treating grief and loss, it is essential to facilitate a safe, respectful therapeutic interaction, in which clients are able to tell their story, process and express their feelings of grief, explore the meaning of their loss, and revise their relationship with the deceased. Additionally, using cognitive and behavioral therapy techniques enable people to develop skills for coping with the anxiety, depression, and difficult emotions that may arise as a result of the grieving process.

Unfortunately, grief and loss are inevitable in life and sometimes we need guidance to process all that we’re feeling. My approach is to validate their loss and allow them to speak openly about it and then help them find healthy connections to their loved ones through memories. So much of the time when there is a loss, all people hear is “time heals all wounds.” That is rarely helpful in getting your life back on track because that implies you need to wait awhile before feeling better! Through our work, you will slowly learn to adjust to the new reality of your life without your loved one. This might require incorporating a new routine or even adopting a new sense of identity.

Loss can take different forms, and going through loss is one of life's biggest challenges. I understand this and believe it is essential for those going through a loss to talk about it, feel it, and grieve it. In time, healing will occur but time itself does not heal. I will provide a safe place for you to explore how your loss affects your life and help you to use the resources, time, and tools necessary to not only get through it -- but grow through it -- and survive.

When we lose someone we love, it feels like we have lost a part of ourselves. Something within us has been torn out, leaving a hole that we easily imagine will never heal. The pain can be profound, the feelings of helplessness, or regret, or guilt overwhelming. Having a partnership where you can talk through these feelings can make a huge difference not only in how quickly and how well you are able to move through the process of grieving, but also how you ultimately are able to frame the experience and your memories of the person lost into the narrative of your own self and life as you move forward. What you carry with you afterward is just as important as surviving the hurt of the loss.

When we lose someone we love, the emotional and physical pain is difficult to explain. Studies show that grief and loss for many people are represented by real pain often in the area of the heart. This is where the term a "broken heart" originates. In many other countries when a person loses a loved one, they take several weeks away from work to process and handle the intense emotions from their loss. In the U.S. we are generally "allowed" 3 working days to "get over it!". Pain from the loss of a loved one takes time to heal. If you are mourning and need to talk with someone who understands and can help, please call to make an appt. Jeannette York, 818.200.9513 4405 Riverside Burbank,$150.

My approach to Grief & Loss is for the client to be aware of the 7 stages of grief and to have them understand that their feelings about their loss are normal. Many times when someone close to us dies, we question whether not crying, crying too much, or perhaps feeling angry at the world is OK. These are all normal feelings and reactions people have to loss. Once a client understands this, they can continue to grieve without having any questions about their own actions or feelings.

I help clients navigate grief and loss by welcoming their deep feelings as a part of the process and navigating them carefully when they become overwhelming. Grief is a growth process like other difficult experiences, and I help clients find the resilience inside themselves to both honor their loss while getting stronger. By honoring the pain of the loss, we can move into a new phase of life that allows for thriving.

Grief and loss is a part of so much more than many recognize in every day life. Most folks are familiar with the Kubler-Ross stages, but processing grief is much more than those five stages. There are tasks of mourning that can be explored and expanded with support in therapy. There are secondary losses as a result of an initial loss. Grief impacts how open we feel to new relationships in our lives. I work with clients to help them understand their responses to grief, move through their grief and feelings through expressive arts and verbal processing.

Abby offers compassionate, trauma-informed support for individuals navigating grief and loss, including those coping with the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or major life changes. She has specialized expertise in child loss and complex grief, providing a safe space to process pain, honor the grieving journey, and begin to rebuild. Her approach helps clients find meaning, restore emotional balance, and reconnect with themselves and others after profound loss.

For those of you experiencing separation or loss, I am sorry for what you may be going through. I wish I could fix it and make the pain go away. Actually though, there is great value in experiencing these feelings and I am honored if you are reaching out and willing to face them. Good for you. Sadness, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance come with the territory and whatever you may be feeling is important. Please stay courageous and share. Help is here.

It's hard to know what to do when we're grieving. Everyone's experience is different and often times that can leave a person feeling alone, even when they have supportive people around them. I often find with grief there's a rollercoaster of emotions happening. The good news is, you don't have to go it alone. Together we will process your grief so real healing can occur. If you're tired of going it alone, or struggling to know how to talk about it--I'm here, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Our grief can benefit from having a safe, nonjudgmental space where we feel heard. This is especially important for teens and college students. Therapy goes at your pace, with your level of readiness for each step. Hope and healing are possible. There is meaning and purpose to be found in your pain. Though you will never forget your loved one, you can live in a way that honors them and their life's legacy.

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.