Grief and Loss Counseling in Playa Vista, CA.

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.

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.

Nothing in life can be more difficult and painful than dealing with loss. When we love deeply we will also grieve deeply. When we don't know how to grieve well, prolong sadness and pain can remain. The therapeutic relationship is one place where a safe place can be found to open fully the pain of loss. I also offer divorce support and grief groups where a community of suffers can join in the journey of recovery.

Everyone's story of grief and loss is unique. There is no such thing as the right way to grieve or the appropriate amount of time to grieve. Most everything people tend to say about grieving and loss is addressing their own discomfort. Grieving does not have to be only about enduring and getting through the pain of loss, it can actually bring forth new meanings, a deeper sense of self and greater connections.

Loss comes in many forms -- the end of a life, a relationship, a job, an identity or phase of life, a home, a culture, or even losing "what could have been." The experience of loss can be one of the most isolating and confusing experiences a person goes through. You do not need to be alone in your grief -- however messy it is. I will come alongside you to help you find meaning and peace with your particular loss, so that you can begin to walk forward again.

Losing a loved one is extremely difficult and takes time to grieve. Loss can bring up intense feelings that cause problems in our lives, and sometimes paralyzes growth. There are also other types of losses that have a negative impact on us, and get in the way of personal progress. The goal of grief work is not to “get over it”, but rather to learn to live with the loss, finding a “new normal”.

Grief is a painful and frightening process and it's important to recognize that each individual experiences grief in a different way. There is no "right way" to grieve. Some people may show a lot of emotion and others may retreat into themselves and become quiet. Alternatively, some people may become physically ill, display anger, throw themselves into a project or work, or simply lay on the couch and feel unable to do anything. Psychotherapy helps in understanding the grief process and assists in actively working through it. It also helps in developing an awareness of the strong feelings you have and an understanding of how previous experiences and loss have an impact today.

We all encounter loss. It's and inescapable part of life. Painful as it can be, how we deal with grief and loss determines how we either thrive or live our lives always feeling the loss that once was. The inability to work through grief or loss keeps us from living fully in the moment. The ability to let go of the things we've lost is crucial to moving on. People who grieve well live well. Those who don't, don't. Feel free to call my office for a free 15 minute telephone consultation at 800-474-1445.

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.

I have lost many loved ones and can ID the stages very quickly to help. I use various methods depending on the person. I believe groups are good for grief and encourage support networks. Talking to a Therapist at this time helps a great deal to minimize the grief. I believe that love never dies and one should be able to remember those with love and compassion. Time helps! Multiple losses are the hardest to deal with and need a counselor to start the healing process. Come in and talk! I have a protocol which is meaningful to anyone that has lost a loved one that works.

Grief and loss come in many forms and alternate to what you may read elsewhere online, the healing process is not linear nor is it fixed to a set period of time. Grief includes the death of a loved one or even the loss of something intangible - a job, a relationship, a belief. I work with individuals and couples to mourn these losses in their own time and in their own way.

As a Clinical Psychologist in the second half of life, I know about grief and loss from my own personal experience as well as professionally over the past 25 years. Grief and loss aren't always about death. It can also be loss of a relationship, loss of a career, loss of health, loss of functioning because of injury, disease or aging or loss of self-identity. I explore all of this with you compassionately, empathically and allow you to feel and release whatever is necessary in your own time, to move forward in your life, in your own way.

Among the benefits of grief counseling are: normalizing (grief feels strange but it is universal); making meaning (coming to terms with our mortality); and the opportunity to express feelings, safely and in full, about the person who has died. When a client suffers a loss during or prior to treatment, I communicate the message that each of us is entitled to a grief process of our own, with its own tempo, mood, and meaning, all of which fluctuate, often in complex ways. The support of an empathic person can help you walk the painful path that grief puts before you, a path which leads out of grief and back to life.