Grief and Loss Counseling in Orinda, CA.

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.

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.

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.

I find that so much of my work as a psychotherapist involves helping people to grieve their losses, whether that loss is an actual death of a beloved family member or friend, or whether it is something less tangible, but no less impactful, such as the loss that comes from realizing that they were neglected as a child or made to feel unworthy or insignificant. I believe that one of the most important things I do as a therapist is to make space for my clients to grieve their losses so that they can free up stuck energy to invest in their present lives and relationships. For me this is one of the most sacred gifts of my profession, to be able to be there for this deeply important work

Although grief is an inevitable experience in life, coping with loss can be immobilizing. Because each individual is unique, finding the support you need to move through to a place of peace and acceptance is vital. I work with clients to help them process the pain of loss by addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual issues that may be keeping them from resolving their pain and moving forward to a place of healing and acceptance. We work together to build a structure that both motivates and enables the healing process to begin and ultimately gives them the opportunity to overcome and triumph over grief.