Grief and Loss Counseling in Imperial Beach, CA.

People experience many different kinds of grief and loss, from the death of a friend or family member (including pets) to loosing a job or one's health. Therapy for grief and loss can help you through a very difficult and painful transition. Grief is a normal reaction to loss, and allowing yourself to spend time grieving instead of pushing down the feelings and emotions that ought to be expressed can help you to manage through this time in the best way possible. I provide a safe and caring place and a supportive therapeutic relationship as you work through your experience and manage the wide range of emotions you may feel.

I am a Certified Advanced Grief Specialist. Grief is a natural process following a meaningful loss and it can influence physical, emotional, behavioral & spiritual aspects of our lives. Grief is most associated with the death of a loved one, but also occurs with the loss of a pet, job, relationship, and changes in your health. People cope with grief in a variety of ways. The intensity and duration of grieving differs between individuals. Therapy is a safe place to express & explore your feelings. I will help you learn to cope and transform your pain into healthier ways of meaning and remembrance. Through therapy you will find permission to live your life and develop connection again.

Your unresolved grief, whether from a death, divorce, or the many other types of loss is individual and unique. For over 20 years, I have been assisting survivors recover. Grief is a natural part of life; however, if your sadness, insomnia, anxiety, fears, avoidance and perhaps anger are overwhelming, my experience, understanding and specialty in treating anxiety disorders with cognitive behavioral and compassion-focused counseling will help you gain specific strategies to manage your painful symptoms and come out the other side. To move forward in your recovery, call me at 619-542-0536

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 often something that shouldn't be fixed, but embraced. I also specialize in helping people who were hurt or abused by the deceased. Grief and Loss is a painful time of life, one that every human being goes through. You are not alone. I will come alongside you through the anger, loneliness, fear, shock, and panic. In the middle of the grief, the way forward can bring hope, strength, peace and freedom from guilt.

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.

There are many forms of loss that can significantly impact a person's life (i.e. losing a job, friendship, home, death of a loved one, giving up a destructive habit or addiction). The pain that accompanies grief and loss can be so overwhelming that it takes all of our will power just to get through the day. Depending on the nature of the loss, it can feel like purpose and passion for living are missing. I assist clients in a 3 step process which involves acceptance of the loss, finding meaning to the pain they are experiencing, and developing goals to help the client continue productively on their life journey.

Grief and loss are a part of life and how we deal with it are our feelings around it is very important for internal relief. I help clients undue unwilled and unwanted unbearable aloneness. This can come from many different areas in our lives such as past or present trauma, loss of a relationship, death of a loved one, etc.. Helping clients move through the grief and loss process with support and care is a priority to me.

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.

Everyone at one time or another experiences loss and goes through the grief process. What helps a person through this is to cognitively process the event. An excellent way to do this is through the EMDR technique. I have received training through the EMDR institute (Emdria) and can assist individuals through times of loss and help them through the grief process. EMDR is one of the most effective methods to help process the loss, allow the person to experience the wave of emotions and bring the feeling and belief of resolve and completion which will help the person move forward.

Grief and loss comes in all forms, from the death of a pet, to moving, to the loss of a dream, to the death of a child or spouse, and more. My clients discover grief and loss are a process (which includes: shock/disbelief, anger, blaming, depression/sadness, bargaining, and denial), and how to move through that process to an increased state of acceptance. As their state of acceptance increases, my clients experience an increase in forgiveness, healing, freedom and hope for the present and future. My clients see how they can begin to feel good about their life and future again.

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 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.

I use an empathetic and compassionate approach combined with a range of specialized therapeutic techniques, including sensorimotor psychotherapy and internal family systems, to address Grief & Loss. Together we will master the intricacies of the grief process to enable a personalized and profound healing journey for those grappling with one of life's most challenging transitions. Clients will find solace and strength in my care, and I will create a safe space for exploration and growth, fostering resilience and understanding during grief. My methods not only alleviate the immediate pain of loss but also nurture a path towards long-term emotional well-being and empowerment.

Grief is a force that requires great care and self-compassion. No one grieves in the same way. Grief is not always linked to the death of a loved one. Grief and loss can happen because of a job loss, moving, death of a pet, completing college or a graduate degree program, or even loss of a career. We will practice ways of integrating the loss into your loss, so it isn't this consuming force. For many, the goal of grief counseling is to simply "learn how to live with it." We will practice ways of living with the loss in a way that honors yourself, your experience, and your future plans.

Grief can be a difficulty beast to manage, a beast which can surface at any moment without warning and often comes in waves. When I’ve been grieving I’ve felt like I was in an emotional pong ball. With the aid of tools like EMDR CBT and guided visualizations I can help you to heal and leave the pain, loss, and grief in the past while holding on to the happy memories. Additionally, I can provide tools, coping skills, and other resources to help you manage this particular issue.