Grief and Loss Counseling in Castro Valley, CA.

I specialize in working with people who have lost a child. Whether through an abortion, a stillbirth, or a miscarriage, this is a silent grief that can haunt us when we keep it inside without sharing with those around us. There is no time table, no right time to be "over it". I provide a safe place to talk and share about your hopes and dreams for your lost child. I provide a compassionate place for the isolation or judgement you might be feeling either from yourself or from others. If this sounds like you, please reach out to myself or to someone close to you.

Have you recently lost a loved one? Or just went through a difficult break up? Whether it's a person or relationship, going through a loss hurts. You may be feeling angry, sad, confused, and want to numb the pain somehow. Counseling can help you sort through your emotions, and find more peace and acceptance as you go through this difficult time. You can start to make sense of the loss and return to feeling good and enjoying life. Give me a call to schedule an initial consultation.

Grief and Loss come in many forms and symptoms can sometimes mimic other issues like depression/anxiety. We can carry grief about many things; the relationships we desperately longed for with our parent, children, partners that never materialized, the betrayal of our bodies as we age or deal with disability, loss of a loved one, pet, or dream. Working through grief is its own very personal journey. My experience working with Bereaved families with Hospice and my own personal losses help inform my approach with clients to deal with their own grief and mourning.

Grief looks differently for different people. Grief needs its own time and can't be forced. Many contemporary cultures have forgotten their collective ways to face loss and to support grieving people through ritual and community. Therapy provides an ongoing compassionate relationship, a rock for you to return to again and again with your process. An ear that won't get tired of listening. Bringing presence to the grieving process allows healing and the rich rewards of a strong and open heart. You will feel joy and peacefulness again.

Experiencing a loss, whether is a death or a relationship, can be one of the most difficult and life changing events one might go through in life. Grief comes in waves and can be overwhelming. Having a safe place to go express this grief and experience it can be very healing. Understanding how you might experience the grieving and loss process can be helpful when it feels like it is consuming you. Therapy can be a start to working through some of the feelings, emotions and thoughts about your loss. I will be able to support you through this process.

The experience of loss and grief is fundamental to the human condition. Often, the experience of loss and the ensuing grief are some of the most intense and painful emotional experiences we ever have. It is important to have appropriate and understanding support during the most acute phase of this process. My approach to helping my clients through the grieving process is to provide a a solid and steady presence without ever pressuring either subtly or overtly to "get over" the loss. Anger is a core component of the process and needs to be fully acknowledged before one can move forward in a meaningful way. Please call or email for further information.

Although grief and loss are universal human experiences, there are many factors which can make it difficult to process. I offer a safe space to explore all that you are going through and feeling. Expressing all your complex feelings is healthy and can be so relieving. Repressed grief can make you physically or emotionally ill. Many losses are complicated with feelings of anger, guilt or the pain and confusion of unfinished business. Sometimes, when the loss is unexpected, shock can get in the way. Personal issues around ability or willingness to feel or show vulnerability can make it hard to grieve. I have many years of experience in offering safety and support to grieving clients.

Grief is a necessary response to loss, from the daily losses of change and pain, to tragic losses of death, divorce and various forms of trauma. When Grief is not allowed to express fully, it can become stuck in the body where it manifests as physical symptoms of stress, illness, longer term depression. When one is stuck in Grief, one is stuck in living a partial life. An integrative approach involves working with the thoughts and emotions, as well as the physical release of the grief through body/mind processes such as breathwork, hypnotherapy and expression through art or ritual. Grief is then transformed at all levels of being so that one can feel fully connected to living again.

Having a safe caring environment to talk about your sorrow is the beginning of the healing process. Everyone goes through grief and loss in their own unique time and way. I can help you hold that pain as you explore and work through the many related emotions and issues that surface along with loss. You can get through this and begin to move toward living your life again without that dark cloud over you. You need not struggle through this alone. I can help you. Call for a consultation today and begin feeling better sooner rather than later.

Each person has a unique relationship and memories when there is a loss. I work with you to explore those relationships and work to mend and honor the relationship and memories in a way that is meaningful to you. I will give you space to talk about your grief. We will work on mending the hurt that may exist from guilt or anger. Honor the relationship as you begin to heal from the loss.

Grief is one of the most universal experiences we have. It is also one of the most painful. Grief can occur as the result of loss of a loved one, loss of a relationship, loss of a job or a role, even loss of our hopes and dreams. There are many brands of grief and each can feel crushing! While each of us responds to grief in different ways, there are techniques that help us to heal from loss. Therapy can help you to manage the emotional overwhelm that accompanies grief, not so that we can forget what we've lost, but so that we can manage that loss in a more functional way.

More than 35 million Americans are living with some form of chronic mental or physical illness or disability. The vast majority depend upon their families for care. Caring for a family member who is ill can have a dramatic effect upon a family. Although it can provide opportunities for closeness, it can also be stressful. If you or someone you love is ill, you may need psychological support to continue to live life as optimally as possible. You may also need help in processing your grief, especially if your loved one has become debilitated or has died. Please call me to discuss your particular needs and how counseling can help. I can be reached at 415-533-9724.

I help men cope with grief and loss, to find meaning in their pain, and to move forward in their lives. My clinical work over the past 10 years has taught me that the way men cope with grief can sometimes be different than women. Cultural ideals and "male training" can lead many men to suffer alone in stoic silence. But you are not alone, and you do not have to be. The benefit of psychotherapy with a therapist who specializes in psychotherapy with men, is that you are much more likely to feel heard and understood in a way that is right for you. Over my career, I have been honored help many men transform themselves. I am happy to offer a free initial phone consultation. Give me a call today.

I personally experienced a great deal of grief and loss in my 20's so feel I bring my own personal experience to helping others deal with this. Losing people we love is one of the hardest things we will face in our lives, and getting help and support can be invaluable. I will help you process your feelings, feel cared for and supported through the process, and guide you.

Losing a loved one or relationship can feel overwhelming. Where our days used to be enriched by someone, we are only left with their memory. The process of grieving requires support, patience, and resilience. If you find it difficult to concentrate, find pleasure in most activities, or get out of bed in the morning then therapy may be an important ally in learning to live again with loss.

I am a caring presence as a psychologist during the grieving process. I listen and comfort and help with pressing decisions which are difficult to face while grieving. I understand that grieving takes many forms which need to be understood. Sometimes grieving takes a very long time and sometimes grief is a lifelong presence. Sometimes loss can lead to positive changes or new life directions.

Relationship grief and loss can feel much the same as the grief and loss we experience through the death of a loved one. We tend to go through the same stages, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Whether you are mourning the loss of a person, a pet, a job or the loss of a relationship, therapy can provide a compassionate and supportive place for you to heal from the pain and learn coping skills to grow and be happy again.

Losing a loved one is hard in so many ways. In addition to missing them, we often find ourselves evaluating our relationship with them and what remained unsaid. Grief follows its own course, and friends and family may not understand your own individual process of grieving. I support clients in experiencing their grief, working through unresolved relationship issues, and in their own time, coming to terms with what they have lost.

During times of grief and loss one needs a support network to help them get through the pain and suffering of the loss of a loved one. People often isolate instead, for fear perhaps of burdening others, or upsetting others more by talking about it, or because they feel others won't relate or understand their pain. As a result, they find themselves alone with their feelings at a time when they most need support. Grief counseling and support can help you better understand your personal grieving process while providing a safe place to heal.

Have you recently experienced a death, the loss of a partner, a friend or pet? Grief, anger and difficulty functioning are normal but very challenging responses to loss. Most people tell themselves they must reach closure, but this takes more time than most people realize. Don't isolate or just tell yourself to be strong- lets work it through together.

When you lose something or someone important or close to you, it may be difficult to make sense of life or to feel that others can relate to or understand what you are going through. If you need someone to talk to about what happened, I am here for you. I understand that sadness is sometimes something that shouldn't be fixed, but embraced. I will come alongside you, listen to you, and support you in the journey of making sense of what has happened to you. Grief and Loss is a painful time of life, but its one that every human being goes through. You are not alone. One strategy I use to help my Grief/Loss clients is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) where I help you explore unhelpful thoughts

Grief and loss is often complicated by a painful, irrational belief that you could have done something different to prevent it. Using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), clients can experience relief from the tremendous burden they carry of what they should have/could have/ought to have done differently. Through the processing of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and memories, clients feel a greater sense of relief and acceptance.

Losing a loved one, whether through unexpected or anticipated circumstances, is always traumatic and can be one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. Although grieving is a natural human reaction to a loss it can be overwhelming. In therapy I provide a safe place were we can process those feelings together and explore which meaning the loss you experienced will receive in your life.

You may be in the throws of it right now. Perhaps it is a death. Perhaps it is the end of a relationship. Perhaps it is a job or abandonment. There are many things that trigger our grief and loss. I carve out a sacred space that is just for YOU. You may need to cry. You may need to yell. You may need your pain to be seen. You may need to bargain or to blame yourself for a while. We can do this together while making sure you are on a path towards transformation. Having somebody that really listens and really gets it is the first step towards healing. If you are experiencing a deep grief or loss in your life, you owe it to yourself to go through this painful process supported.

At some point, everyone experiences the grief and loss of something or someone valuable in life. The key is knowing how to grieve one's loss. Most people don't know how to grieve and our culture does not allow for it. Entering therapy after a loss of a job, relationship, or a loved one can help heal the wounds and help the individual move on with life.