Grief and Loss Counseling in Merced, CA.

GET HELP NOW! ZOOM CLASS on healthy relationships. Wed, Feb. 9th - continues for 10 weeks. $5 to $20/class! See website for all details. Grief & Loss are normal experiences in life. Yet, they are often overwhelming - combining experiences of sadness, fear, anxiety, surprise & disorientation, frustration, worry, loneliness, confusion & more. Grief is truly not meant to be experienced alone. The guidance of a caring therapist as well as the support of loving, friends, family & community is invaluable and truly needed. Grief takes time, comes in waves and needs expression in multiple ways, through tears, writing, talking and the help of a grief counselor.

Losing a loved one can have a devastating effect. For some, life just doesn't look the same after loss. Depression sinks in. Some even wish to join the departed loved one...There is a better way to live! The sun can shine again in your life without compromising the loving memories. I offer therapy for people experiencing grief and loss and helping in the journey for healing.

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.

I have years of experience dealing with grief and loss. I have counseled and supported many clients through the agonizing loss of a loved one through death or from divorce. I have treated other forms of loss and grief, such as loss of a pet, loss of a job, loss of your health. I go through the DABDA model and really try to have the client guide the direction of the radical acceptance of the loss and from this externalizing and validation, return to a balance.

Grief and loss comes in many shapes and forms and can take a toll on various aspects of your life. Processing grief and loss takes time and is different for everyone but doesn’t have to be done alone. I will offer support, empathy, and a safe space for you to process your emotions openly. Together we will get through this difficult time in your life. You are not alone.

Expect compasssinate support and gentle assistance while you navigate your way through the process of grief. You will be encouraged to allow yourself to grieve your loss while you work your way to a "new normal". You will be encouraged to be gentle with yourself, which takes strength. I will guide yu in behavior that will help you work through the process of shock, denial, ager, guilt, bargaining with God, acceptance and finally a new normal.

Life leaves little time for grief. Instead it demands constant attention and engagement. Therefore it’s a separate set of tools you need to keep going when grief and loss come into your life. Taking a dedicated amount of time and space for the work is where counseling with me comes in. I’m here to help you process and make room for the grief as well as develop the tools to keep going.