Grief and Loss Counseling in Bethesda, MD.

I help my clients process many kinds of loss, both real (death, separation, miscarriage) and ambiguous (dementia, missing persons, addictions), through their relationships and context. My training as a couple and family therapist helps me think about grief and loss through the lens of family stress. Empathic listening helps me understand your experience, and we work together to heal your grief and sadness at your own pace.

Loss is inevitable. It is the flip side of love and the greatest pain we know. Hearts can break and hearts can heal. We must first accept ALL feelings. We can cultivate gratitude for the gifts our loved one gave us. Sometimes it is also important to acknowledge and learn from the mistakes of the one we have lost., the ways they may have caused pain to themselves and others. If the person has been a large part of our daily living, it is as if we need to recreate our lives bringing new resources into the emptiness. The waves of extreme pain become less frequent with time. The person's memory remains with us, and their gifts to us can inspire those very strengths in ourselves.

To help a client cope through grief and loss, I sometimes use the example of how an oyster forms a pearl. The oyster ingests a grain of sand that causes pain, and which cannot be removed or dissolved (just like we cannot eliminate the pain of missing a loved one). So the oyster begins to encase the grain of sand with layers of calcium-like substance, that makes the grain of sand easier to carry and hold, without the rough edges. Coping through grief and loss can involve learning how to unpack, experience, and adjust how we carry the pain. Therapy can help you soften and encase the pain of loss, forming a "pearl" around it that is easier to carry with you, and perhaps make it more precious.

Grief & Loss For those who grieve, I offer support and encouragement for healing from their loss. Working through shock, numbness, denial, and disbelief is common to the grieving process, as well as emotions such as anger, guilt, and depression that may emerge. I support my clients in working through their grief, which helps them avoid physical or psychological symptoms. Readjustment and transformation develop gradually, as a new life emerges.

Grief and loss are part of life. Everyone determined to live an examined life must accept the losses they have encountered. However, some individuals have had early losses, exceeding amounts of loss, or must face loss that's come about unexpectedly and/or in a traumatic manner. While I do not limit my practice to grief and loss, these topics are routinely addressed in my practice through helping individuals integrate their experience into their personal narrative.

Grief and loss are some of the most difficult issues we can encounter. The feelings can be very intense and feel as though they will never end. All feelings have a beginning, a middle, and an end. As we move through the stages of grief, we can feel confused about what is normal and what is to be expected. Seeking help will allow you to move through your issues more quickly and effectively. I will assist you in moving through the grief process towards healing and expanded growth.

The grieving process is intensely personal and intensely painful. It can feel as if the world has gone crazy and is spinning away without you. How do you make sense of anything in the face of such pain? The simplest tasks can feel impossible. Going to the grocery store, visiting the bank, walking the dog, and even making your morning coffee can trigger a heart-wrenching ache. With mindfulness and support, you CAN begin to heal and weave your loss into the tapestry of your life. You will laugh again, dream again, and love again.