Grief and Loss Counseling in Pleasanton, CA.

Grief and loss is often complicated by a painful, irrational belief that you could have done something different to prevent it. Using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), clients can experience relief from the tremendous burden they carry of what they should have/could have/ought to have done differently. Through the processing of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and memories, clients feel a greater sense of relief and acceptance.

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.

When we encounter real tragedy in our lives, few of us have readily available tools for the ongoing pain that accompanies mourning, grieving, and loss. Tapping into authentic moments of grief can help us move beyond the pain and expand our idea of who we are as we grieve, yet doing this alone can be overwhelming and even scary at times. Grief work is critical to healing, and having a compassionate and seasoned guide to support the journey can be the means to feel, grow, learn, and ultimately heal from the grief of loss. Please know that you do not have to suffer alone. Grief can open many old wounds and you so deserve not to have to do this alone. I'm here, I can help, and I care.

I have taught and practiced grief counseling for over 24 years. One thing I observed early on is that people who share their grief with others progress through the stages of grief and get much relief, while those who try to grieve on their own seem to just stay locked into the early stages of suffering for many years. I offer compassionate and loving support through the process. Loving, gentle support can make all the difference.

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.

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.