Grief and Loss Counseling in Santa Cruz, CA.

Dr. Dufford provides a safe, caring environment to resolve issues of grief and loss. Donald Dufford, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist has over 25 years experience in helping clients release emotional stress and trauma associated with losses in life. He provides the tools and techniques to let go, access inner resources, move on and create the life you want to have. Dr. Dufford integrates various therapeutic approaches including talk therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, EMDR, hypnotherapy and guided imagery. Call now for a free 10 minute telephone consultation.

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.

At My True Temperament Christian Counseling, LLC, we help our client's through each of the five stages of grief by helping them find comfort in God's word and processing his/her emotions in healthy ways. With loving support, we journey with the client through denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. At MTT, we are mindful that everyone processes grief and loss differently and on different timetables.