Grief and Loss Counseling in Lake Elmo, MN.

Sorrow can immobilize life. It binds our hearts, hands and feet and although we may try desperately to ignore it, grief hangs like a heavy wet cloak. Wanting to toss this heavy cloak of loss aside, the idea of welcoming sorrow seems out of the question. Yet the only way to lighten its burden is to dive into its mystery and try to understand it. When we sing our sorrows we give them wings. We find, as the poet Wendell Berry says, “That the dark, too, blooms and sings.” Neither ignoring sorrow, nor dwelling in its seductive grasp will make it go away. In working with clients who are dealing with loss, we start by giving it the type of attention it deserves so we can send it on its way.

When you lose someone or something that you love, it can feel as though your world has ended. Everyone reacts to grief and loss differently. For example, one person may cope by denying that the loss has happened, another person may bury his/her hurt in busy behaviors (such as working), while others may be able to express their sadness in a direct manner. All are common responses to loss. Grief can prove difficult: it may abate and then reappear seemingly out of nowhere. Or in the case of couples, different grief reactions can result in significant conflict. Our work together can address the common feelings associated with grief, improve overall coping, and increase acceptance of the loss

The loss of a loved one, career, pet, or other important aspect can often shift our world and leave a tender, gaping wound. Working together to work on this sense of, or actual, loss through compassionate, gentle and affirmative therapy. Helping process through the pain does not mean you do not care about the loss, but you do not need to struggle through the pain alone.

Grief is normal, exquisitely painful, and seriously lonely. My earliest therapy experience was as a Hospice Grief Counselor for four years. In those formative years, I learned the core issues that hamper our grief, the practices that make grief more tolerable, and the practiced patience necessary to bring comfort to those suffering sudden and protracted loss. I won't rush you. I'll normalize your pain and I'll nudge you gently toward practices that help.

Grief is a process that is different for everyone. It is a journey and it does take time. Therapy can help with this journey. Eventually the hope is that you will get to the point where, even though you can't forget the pain, eventually it has less of an impact on your day-to-day life. Just being able to be heard and understood can be helpful. Rituals of closure can also help. You don't have to go through your grief alone. We offer online counseling, delivered to you wherever you are. You can self-register and self-schedule and mnonlinecounseling.com.

Few of us are able to avoid feeling grief or loss. It can occur throughout our life in many different situations and for many reasons. It can be devastating to individuals, families, and communities. A person's ability to cope (resilience) is a big factor to consider when helping people with grief. Help is a very individual process. Therapists must be able to understand the event, but more importantly the impact on and resilience of the client, for best interventions.

How one experiences grief varies widely from one person to another. After the death of a loved one, life can lose its meaning, others' expectations of how we 'should' be feeling, doing, or behaving can create added stress. We will help you understand your experience of loss, redefine your life, create a different future, and help you restore your heart and spirit, finding your path back to a different life, full and joyful again. Visit our website at http://www.centerlifecounseling.com for more information or to contact us for scheduling.

Whether your loss is sudden and clear or chronic and ambiguous you will experience grief. Grief is a normal response but it seems to have a mind of its own and can be completely overwhelming. Yet you must go on with your life somehow. The goal of grief counseling is not to get over it, but to help you build resilience and strength, find a new sense of meaning, and to grow forward in your own way. I will walk with you through this valley and support you in finding the path to recovery.

When we lose someone we love, life as we knew it ends. It's hard to understand how the world keeps moving around us when our life has suddenly stopped. Grief and Loss counseling can help you process the difficult emotions and pain you are experiencing after losing a loved one, whether through death, divorce, abandonment, chronic illness, or other loss. We can offer you a dedicated space to process what is happening and help you find hope and healing.