Grief and Loss Counseling in Coto de Caza, CA.

We are so lucky to have people in our lives that we love and whom have made an impact. It is a painful thing to have to say goodbye to that person. It is a process which is unique to each individual. No one can determine how long you will grieve for or exactly how you will navigate the grieving stages. With understanding, empathy and some tools to help you through the suffering, you can move through grief in a healthy way. If you feel you are struggling with grief then getting professional help is the next step.

Very few losses are easy. Even persons who extensively prepare for loss are not ready for the intensity of how it feels when it happens. We cope with life by forming valued relationships and attachments to things. We need our attachments and loss can make it feel like we do not know how we can go on. A dilemma with loss is that reality demands that we move on, while to let go is to invite many painful and difficult feelings. I will respect both as you try to move forward through the hard feelings and the often unpredictable stages of grieving, so that you can find a way to cope, face up to, and move forward with your life.

Working through the loss of a loved one can be one of the most difficult challenges in life. My approach to this special challenge is to work with clients to process the loss of their relationship and to enter into a safe environment in which real mourning can occur. With compassion, we can come to terms with the loss and create a contest for cherishing what was.

Navigating the pain of grief is an individual process, which can result in a myriad of social/cognitive/physical/emotional symptoms. Each person’s experience is unique, and should be treated as such. Treatment helps to understand the complexity of the loss, in addition how to manage its symptoms. Many people around you have unrealistic expectations of how you should handle, or can be uncomfortable with normal grief reactions. The support you receive at this difficult time should be consistent to help you to manage the wide variety of feelings you will have for weeks and months following such a major loss in your life.

We each cope with dying, death, losses, & grief in our own unique way. I can support you in making the process a much gentler one. In more complicated grief situations, I can help you find a way out of something that may seems bottomless. Specialized techniques & tools can help you move to resolve conflicts of separation/loss & return to wholeness.

There are two emotions which can be utilized in the process of healing from trauma: anger and sadness. Sadness can be a very effective vehicle for healing. The only problem with sadness is that it is such a short leap from there to depression. Sadness heals; depression does not. Depression can keep a person stuck in the same place for years without any progress. You must be very careful not to fall into depression when you decide to explore your feelings about the negative experiences of your life. Unfortunately, many people find the difference between sadness and depression to be obscure at best, and they often vacillate between the two. We encourage you to be very careful of depression becau....

When we lose someone or something we love the feelings that come up can seem devastating and overwhelming. Although feelings of anger, sadness and guilt are normal responses to a loss it is sometimes difficult to move through them and may seem never-ending. I create a safe environment in which we can process these feelings. Often one loss can trigger memories of past, unresolved losses. Talking about these times of sadness helps to lift the heavy burden of grief. In addition to talk therapy I may use referrals to grief groups to help with you process. I can help you navigate through this painful process and heal in ways that will strengthen and enrich your life.

Grief counseling helps people cope with grief and mourning following the loss of a loved one or due to major life changes that trigger feelings of grief (i.e. job loss or divorce). It provides a space for individuals to work through and process the complex emotions surrounding loss. Healthy grieving results in remembering the loss with a newfound sense of peace, rather than searing pain.

I work with the emotional issues pertaining to stroke victims. The grief and loss components of a stroke can compound and hinder recovery and slow down physical therapy effectiveness. Care givers often do not take care of their personal needs and experience a loss of self and independence. I help both victims and care givers to over come the immense obstacles that they face.

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.

Grief is a painful and frightening process and it's important to recognize that each individual experiences grief in a different way. There is no "right way" to grieve. Some people may show a lot of emotion and others may retreat into themselves and become quiet. Alternatively, some people may become physically ill, display anger, throw themselves into a project or work, or simply lay on the couch and feel unable to do anything. Psychotherapy helps in understanding the grief process and assists in actively working through it. It also helps in developing an awareness of the strong feelings you have and an understanding of how previous experiences and loss have an impact today.

Grief and loss can occur at any time in many ways during a person's life. It can be an actual death, illness, a loss of relationship or even a loss of a career or job, an identity. While normal and a part of life, they are often met with indifference and ignorance, sometimes fear. Thru the process of therapy grief and loss can be explored and understood, it can be a shared experience where there is value and acceptance.

Living in relationship with others leads to pain of loss when those relationships change or come to an end. But Grief work is helpful for more than just the death of a loved one- marital affairs, the empty nest, and retirement are other times of grief in the family life cycle. I will create a safe place for you to identify and express your feelings as you work through the stages of grief, with the goal of coming to a place of acceptance where you can once again move forward in your life.