Grief and Loss Counseling in Lakeville, MN.

Grief is sometimes a lonely journey. Each person reacts to loss in their own way and on their own time schedule. I approach psychotherapy for grief and loss as an opportunity to learn about the cycle of grief. I want to learn more about you and where you are at in the process. Similarly, I try to give practical tips for dealing with sad moments while supporting you through the process.

Grief is a reaction to loss, and it can be intensely painful and overwhelming, often involving complex feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, hopelessness, and longing. Grieving is a process and it takes time, even though well-meaning friends and family may grow impatient and suggest you “get over it” or “move on.” It is a process of learning how to live in a world that has changed in fundamental ways, whether due to the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, moving or losing a job, or countless other reasons. As a therapist, I can help you bear and understand the painful feelings that keep company with grief, and, over time, come to find meaning in a changed world despite your losses.

The loss of a loved one (whether through physical or emotional separation) is a profound experience and one that will forever mark a transformational point in your life. Often times the pain you feel is evidence of the depth of your caring, and you may actually feel ambivalent about reducing your suffering in the face of such devastation. You and I can walk together through this process, helping you to find peace alongside the suffering and growth in the midst of loss.

Clients will benefit from grief and loss counseling with me by learning how his or her loss is a part of their story. We will work together to develop a memorial, tell stories, process hurts, and create new traditions as you see fit. The grief process is unique. The time that it takes to develop a new sense of normal will also be unique to who you are, the relationship that you had with your loved one, and the nature of his or her passing.

Are you asking: What is the right way to grieve? How do I help my children cope with losing someone while I am grieving? How do I work through my guilty feelings surrounding this death? Why am I sad about losing someone who hurt me? Why am I not sad? Will this pain ever get better? There is no right way to grieve. There may be healthier ways for you to grieve that will help you move through the intense feelings. Often, it is most important to make time to remember the good times, to process the painful memories connected with that person and to reconnect with life. I specialize in providing individual, couple or family grief counseling to adolescents, adults, veterans, and first responders.

The impact of loss in our lives can be devastating and often impacts one's desire for life. The meaning of your life may seem very different when you experience a loss. Loss and grief often result in some form of depression or anxiety. Sometimes you may just try and divert the pain by becoming over involved in areas of your life. The effort of trying to bury the pain only serves to enhance the loss. Therefore, seeking help for your loss in therapy can be crucial. While working with you, we can begin to understand the meaning of your loss and the painful feelings. Receiving professional psychological services can help you endure the loss and still live your life with purpose.

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

Grief and loss is a frequent issue among substance abusers and people in recovery. People can experience a significant sense of grief and loss for a variety of reasons, not just from the death of a loved one. Any loss viewed as significant to the individual can bring on the grieving process: loss of a pet, job, home, relationship, child, a life transition such as high school or college graduation or retirement, the coming out process for an individual of the LGBT community, or their loved ones and the loss of “what they thought the persons future would bring” can be a loss. I can help clients work through the various emotions associated with their loss as part of their healing process.

Grief is part of life as the buddists say. My approach is to help clients accept the loss by working through the pain, without feeling alone that way they can adjust to the loss and move on. Grief is painful. It is easier to deal with when one does not feel so alone. I use a strength based approach to grief work. Each person knows what is best for them to heal and I yeild to that internal wisdom.

The only way I know to help someone experience grief and loss is to create a safe place for them to feel their emotions and help them eventually make sense of their sorrow. I use empathy, compassion and a non-judgmental approach to hold your pain when sometimes the burden is too heavy. My particular specialty is grief and loss associated with reproductive concerns and I have a certificate in Maternal Mental Health from Postpartum Support International.

Overcoming grief and loss requires a balance of experiencing emotional pain and the conscious attempt to move forward in life in positive ways. This is a delicate balance and healing may take time. But there is always hope for a positive future that must be nurtured within the reality of one's loss.There must be an authentic experiencing of the feelings of hurt and pain. And this may take considerable time and patience, though every person is different in the way that they handle loss. Every person should be respected in their path taken for personal healing.

Losing a loved one is often a time of disruption and chaos, of sadness and loneliness. The predictability of "models of grieving" and their accompanying stages are often helpful, but can also be limiting in that no one person's process is just like anyone else's. When working with grief and loss, I help my client to remember the person they loved, and strive to meet my client where he or she at with their thoughts and feelings. The counseling may just be one or two sessions or may last over a year, depending on the circumstances and needs of my client.

I work a great deal with trauma issues. I consider trauma a loss. I offer EMDR therapy for trauma and loss issues and trauma for veterans. Patients who have suffered for years from anxiety or distressing memories, nightmares, insomnia, abuse or other traumatic events can now gain relief from a therapy called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing). Research shows that EMDR is rapid, safe and effective. EMDR does not involve the use of drugs or hypnosis. It is a simple, non-invasive patient-therapist collaboration in which healing can happen effectively. Many patients who have made slow progress in the past benefit greatly with EMDR.