Grief and Loss Counseling in Bladensburg, MD.

Grief encompasses a broad range of feelings and behaviors that are common after a loss. Sadness is the most common feeling . It is common and expected to experience sadness if you have lost someone you love. One of the most important factors in healing is having support. Even if you are not normally comfortable talking about your feelings under normal circumstance, it is important to have some place where you can express them when your grieving. We can help you gain an understanding of your feelings and provide you coping strategies for dealing with the loss.

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.

Life can present you with difficult situations which are hard to process and move past. These challenges are not on your timeline and affect everything. Having worked in many healthcare settings, I am familiar navigating life-changing events and grief. I understand the territory of encountering loss, coping with trauma, the complexity of the medical system and living with illness. These issues can have ripple effects on your relationships, sense of self and perceptions of the world. I know how complex things can get, and I will support you during this process.

The pain of loss can be intense and all-consuming. Sorrow isolates you from others, even from those close to you who are likely also struggling through similar pain. Activities you once found meaningful, probably seem like a distant memory. The grief can make you feel lost and out-of-control. The goal of therapy for grief is to help you rebuild the ability to connect with others, restore purpose, and experience joy, while you transform the pain of loss into treasured memories.

Loss is a very real experience in every life. You may be facing the loss of a job, a financial downturn, the break-up of a relationship, an illness or even the death of a loved one. In therapy, I can help you through this loss and share in your grieving process. I believe that learning to grieve well our losses is an essential part of life and growth. Grieving in the presence of a caring person can be very healing.

As much as any of us might wish grief and loss weren't a part of life, if we can integrate them into who you become, we really do grow to a better version of ourselves. The pain of grief isn't something to "get over," and the messages we sometimes get from others to do it can lead to withdrawal, more pain, and more feelings of loss. Working through your grief isn't about "closure" -- trying to close the door on your sadness and loss doesn't serve you. But with support, you can find your way forward to growth, joy, and a fuller life.

Some individuals enter psychotherapy without serious mental health symptoms but are managing a difficult life transition like a divorce, family changes, death/bereavement, moving, processing identity changes, adoption, job changes and medical issues. These individuals are often looking for a place to process this transition and to gain support for the life change. Psychotherapy is not only for a psychiatric diagnosis, like depression or anxiety, some enter therapy to process transitions so that they may better manage their life and achieve their goals. Some people dread the life transition they are facing or fear change; therapy helps these people to feel enriched by the life event and/or develop an enhanced sense of meaning or purpose as a result....(view profile to read more)

Each loss is unique and so is the treatment. You may need a witness to tell your story in a safe, respectful place or find strategies to deal with unresolved issues with an important person you lost or a job. I can help you through this by using different strategies, such as, writing unsent letters to the person you lost, visualizing ways of moving on while establishing rituals to maintain good memories, connecting with support groups as needed,etc.

Our society doesn't always do such a great job understanding grief and loss...well-meaning friends and family just want you to "move on" and "be okay". When I work with clients around grief and loss, I try to educate them on the wave-like quality of grief; that it comes in waves, and ebbs and flows. Just because it comes back occasionally doesn't mean you're not healing - it takes time, patience and understanding, but you can heal.

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.

I work closely with you to help you cope with grief and mourning the loss of a loved one, major life changes, and major life disappointments. We often feel alone and sad when we are disappointed by our losses. I will help you to develop a plan to recover move forward toward an inner peace with the past. We will move at your pace and honor your response to your loss.

Have you had a recent loss. This loss may the death of a loved one, divorce, having children move away, or some other painful life experience. You are likely struggling with a variety of emotions and thoughts. You may at times feel overwelmed. Therapy can help you make sense of your experience and help you take the next step move forward when you are ready.

Losing someone or something is incredibly hard. I believe that one of the great myths that we are told is simply that “time heals all wounds.” Time can actually reinforce the pain of loss and it is important to mourn and grieve that which we no longer have. I am honored to partner with my clients on their journey through healing and finding peace after a loss. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you.