Grief and Loss Counseling in La Mirada, CA.

Depression and anxiety are often a result of not having processed past difficult situations. We all experience loss, and we have a natural process involving our emotions which helps us recover. Most of us do not receive the permission or the teaching to help us use this natural process. Therapy can help work through "stuck" experiences so that we are freer to move forward in life with less restriction.

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.

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.

When someone is grieving, it is sometimes difficult to know what to say. People feel awkward and often are reduced to well-meaning platitudes. There is no magic wand to take away the feelings experienced in grief but having a place of safety and honesty can be an important step on the road to restoration. Being able to talk, weep, get angry and feel the feelings is often present in the early stages. The purpose of grief work is not about forgetting remembering with love in spite of the wounds it leaves behind.

Have you lost a loved one? Had a divorce? Laid off from your job? There are many ways we experience loss, and it often hampers the way you live life. Come learn how to process and move on--in a healthy, natural way that honors your loss . . . and honors you. At CCRG, you will learn why you're feeling this way, and often, you'll learn WHAT you're feeling--it's sometimes confusing to identify just what's going on because you may have never felt these things before. We understand, and we want to help you along.

Coping with grief and loss is unique to each person and situation. Grief is a natural response to losing someone or something that has meant a great deal to you and been part of your life. Even changes in your health, career, or lifestyle, can cause grief. I approach each case by starting where you are. Although there are different "stages" to working through grief and loss, each person experiences these stages in different ways, durations and may even revisit some of these stages multiple times throughout the process. My goal is to allow you the opportunity to experience each stage at your own pace while focusing on maintaining your health.

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.

Are you grieving or experiencing a loss? Do you feel like the sadness will never let up? Most people associate grief with the death of a loved one. However, any loss can cause grief. The loss of: relationships, health, jobs or a goal. Experiencing a loss may result in many difficult & surprising emotions; shock, anger, even guilt. Together we’ll resolve your grief & lessen the painful emotions you’re experiencing; accepting them as part of the grieving process & developing some healthy, productive ways to cope with your sadness. Everyone grieves differently. There’s no order or timetable for grief. In session I’ll help you find the best way to resolve your grief & heal from your loss.

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.

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.

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.

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.

EXPERIENCING THE INTENSE PAIN OF LOSS? Whether it is due to the loss of a loved one, a job or something that means a lot to you, I can help! In counseling you can work through the feelings of sadness, grief, emptiness, regret, anger, guilt, frustration… so that you can come to terms with unfinished businesses and move on to healing, recovery, growth and empowerment. Don't hesitate to call me for a free telephone consultation session.