Grief and Loss Counseling in Elk Grove, CA.

Grief and loss is, unfortunately, a normal part of living. There is no single "correct" way to grieve: different cultures and even individuals from the same culture grieve differently. The only consistent feature is that grief takes time. The most effective thing anyone can do for someone grieving is to be there—to listen, to empathize, to walk along with the grief. There is no "fixing" grief. But counseling can help prevent normal grief from developing into major depression or other mental health conditions.

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.

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.

Grief and loss can feel so lonely. Loss comes in many forms and often needs the support of another individual for healing to occur. As we explore your loss experience, you will be able to move through the grief and return to a state of joy and peace. You will learn the stages of grief and loss; the steps to move through the process; and, find support in a safe environment.

I believe we are meant to love. But as loving human beings, the loss of important people in our lives is one of our most difficult challenges. Let me help you move through your grief, staying gently with you as you mourn. Grief has it's own timeline, with healing occurring quietly and inconsistently. Over time and with support, you will begin to experience hope, and even joy again.

Each experience of grief is unique, complex, and personal, and I will tailor treatment to meet your specific needs. I will help you find different ways to maintain healthy connections with the deceased through memory, reflection, ritual, or dialogue about the deceased and with the deceased. I will help you view your grief and loss with curiosity and without judgment, in an effort to understand and heal. I can help you recognize and access your inner strength, autonomy, and capacity to step back into life after loss.

The loss of a loved one can completely turn your world upside down. It can leave you wondering if you will ever experience peace and happiness again. Grief recovery counseling offers support, guidance, and gentle coaching to guide you through the heartbreaking emotions, stress, and practical needs of living life again after loss of a loved one, or loss of health, a job, or a relationship. I can help you move through the pain of grief to a place where you truly can survive, thrive and live a meaningful life despite your loss. You don't have to walk through your grief and loss alone. Please allow me to help.

I help people struggling with grief and loss issues by creating a safe, supportive environment for them to talk about what has happened to them. People tend to experience mental health problems when they are unable or do not allow themselves to experience their emotions surrounding grief and loss. Often times people in our lives try to be supportive but do not know how, so people end up telling us that there is a certain way to grieve or that we need to "just get over it". Everybody has their own grieving process. It is my job to help you open up to your emotions in a way that does not feel like they are going to swallow you whole, and to help you grieve in your own way and in your own time.

The experience of grief and loss, while expected at various life stages, can result in physical pain, and the emergence of symptoms that lead to experiencing a slow downward spiral in overall wellbeing, and perhaps desire to withdrawal from personal and professional commitments. Many clients seek compassionate and sensitive guidance to navigate through the ups and downs of any number of losses, ranging from diminishing health, to ending a relationship, or other life transition. Together, clients and I develop a transformative plan to stabilize, heal, gain insight and to enhance their proficiency to improve the strength needed to reconstitute their skills and hopes for today and the future.

As someone who has dealt with grief and loss in my own life, I am able to hold space for the many different experiences and emotions that grief can express itself as. Sometimes we just need someone to witness our experience. In our culture, we rush grief. It can be a slow process, and I respect that. Additionally, I often use art therapy in grief work as it helps us express what we cannot find the words for.

Most of us are familiar with Elizabeth Kubler Ross' model of grief with the 5 stages. While this is helpful information, this model does not fit everyone. I practice from the Winslade and Hedtke model of grief which practices "Remembering". I find that using this model or this model in conjunction with the 5 stage grief model is helpful to helping clients explore loss and grief in finding a pathway forward that honors their own experiences.

Grief and Loss are a part of life, but that does not make it any easier to get through it. We experience Grief and Loss in many different ways and we each go through the experience at our own unique pace. Let me help you find your way through the grief. We can work through it together. Many people do not realize how often we actually deal with grief and loss issues. From grieving the loss of a dream to grieving the loss of someone close to you, we experience it daily. Let us work together to find a healthy way to work through your grief and loss.

I have helped clients grieve losses of loved ones by looking at the meanings that the person lost had in a client's life. Depending on the type of loss, we also write good-bye letters to lost people to gain closure. We also celebrate their lives, choosing to remember the positive aspects that this person added to the client's life. Spirituality helps tremendously in grief counseling. Giving up control or our existence to a higher power helps us come to peace with the fact that we cannot control events and behaviors outside our control. We can bring a sense of control back into our lives by setting up daily schedules or rituals.