Grief and Loss Counseling in Sandy Springs, GA.

Although at some time we all experience loss and the grief that follows, there are few life experiences that are lonelier. Summer can gently walk with you through your experience of grief, and help you process your sadness and pain as you move through this difficult time. Although grief and depression are distinct, at times they feel the same, and sometimes loss can precipitate depression. If you feel that you are alone and stuck in your grief, it's probably time to ask for help.

Grief is the body and spirit's response to significant loss. Grief is involuntary and necessary. Grief is natural and the only way to heal the body and spirit is to go through it. Suppressing, denying, minimizing and avoiding the process that is grief will be rejected by the body and spirit. Grief is not a linear process and is unique to each person. I help by teaching ways to cope that will reduce the negative symptoms of grief, such as the difficulty with focus, concentration and memory, fatigue, and sadness, while respecting and honoring your process.

I assist clients in working trough their grief and finding meaning in the painful situation they find themselves in. Counseling can give the type of support that may not be available from family and friends. Grief is complicated and no two people experience it in the same way. Working together with clients I help them become strong and able to enjoy their life again.

Grieving is messy and painful, and it would be my honor to be able to enter into your hurt and provide a listening ear so that you can process through all of the feelings that you are experiencing. Together we will organize the mess and honor your loved one that you have lost. Please do not shoulder this pain by yourself- reach out so that I can share the load with you.

I utilize an active model of grieving that helps the client have a map, so to speak, to be able to recognize where they are in the process of working through the loss. For example, the first step is to get through the denial and shock of what has happened to where one can accept its reality. Secondly, it's important to tell one's story in order to address a person's desire to regain what was lost. Third, is to address the despair and effects to one's life by coming to terms with what has happened, making meaning, identifying specific goals for therapy along with a treatment plan. Then finally, moving forward, withdrawing the energy once given to the trauma and redirecting it to find meaning.

Grief counseling helps people cope with grief and mourning following the loss of a loved one or due to major life changes that trigger feelings of grief (i.e. job loss or divorce). It provides a space for individuals to work through and process the complex emotions surrounding loss. Healthy grieving results in remembering the loss with a newfound sense of peace, rather than emotional pain.

Working through the stages of grief: Anger, Denial, Bargaining, Sadness, and Acceptance can be very helpful. Being able to share your emotions with another person throughout the process can be very healing. Using EMDR ( eye movement, desensitization,reprocessing) technique for the traumatic parts of your grief can also be very beneficial. I am here to help you through that process.

The experience of grief & loss occurs for many reasons. Job loss, moving, romantic break-ups, graduation, & death (expected & unexpected) are examples of situations that could lead to the feelings of grief & loss. Many people struggle with the range of emotions & find themselves making unhealthy choices in the management of grief & loss. Underwood Counseling & Consultation, PLLC works with clients to help them establish a healthy path on which to move forward in life.

Understanding that what you are experiencing in your grief is normal can be an important part in healing. Friends and family may not know what to say, and in their desire to see you stop hurting, they may tell you that it's time to get over it and move on. With me, you will find that wherever you are in your grief process is accepted. While I will help you process your feelings so you may heal, I will not hurry you along faster than you are ready to go. I will never have the expectation that you will "get over" your loved one. Instead, I will help you to redefine your life without that person in it so that you can experience joy again.

Therapeutic support for grief and loss, along with life transitions counseling can be beneficial to those who have experienced losses such as the death of a loved one, a miscarriage, a separation or divorce, a job loss, the loss of one's health, or the loss of something dear to them. With over 10 years of experience in Hospice, I offer the dedicated and compassionate professional support you need to help you navigate through the shock, sadness, and emptiness, and arrive at a place of peace and healing. I am also a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one can be one of the hardest things to overcome. Allowing yourself to feel the grief is the best thing you can do. Bridgette strives to provide her clients a compassionate ear and safe place to heal from their loss, help understand the different stages of grief they are experiencing and start seeing hope in each day.

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.

If you can grieve well, you can live well. Loss is a normal part of life, so learning to grieve loss should be a normal part of life as well. If you struggle with grief and loss, I can help. More than likely, you feel “stuck” in your grief. You probably are. I believe getting stuck happens because our culture doesn’t value grieving. It actually teaches us to “move on.” You should be able to move on. The trick is how. I can help you navigate your grief in a way that will move you thorough it. The approach I use can also be used with any other troubling emotions. Contact me today for help with your grief. You don’t have to remain stuck any longer.