Grief and Loss Counseling in Glen Ridge, NJ.

The benefit of my approach for someone who is grieving and who has suffered a great loss is that I actively teach you how to accept things that cannot be changed. Only by achieving real acceptance can the individual carry on in life despite the loss. Acceptance in REBT does not mean liking or even denying the loss. Acceptance in REBT means to acknowledge that a great loss has occurred and to feel healthy negative feelings of sadness, even great sadness. The benefit that results is that one can still have some degree of enjoyment in life. One can function without guilt and do well in life despite having suffered a great loss. This is leverage over the loss, the thing that cannot be changed.

The way that a person has learned to protect themself self from a traumatic event develops into a part of their character in adult life. Our clinicians are trained to help you understand all of your parts and show you that the scary experience is over. We help you truly feel that you got through it and you can protect yourself if you need to! With this approach, we invite the wise parts of you to care deeply for the parts of you who are hurting. You have the power to regain control over your life, move forward, and heal.

Relationship endings are a guaranteed part of life that everyone experiences. When a relationship concludes – whether through death, divorce or some other reason – it is common to review it, examine it and even wish that something about it was different. Perhaps we regret something we said or longed to hear something from the other person. Endings are accompanied by conclusions to our hopes and dreams for the future. My approach to working with grieving clients is to permit them fully feel their loss and to process their grief in their own way and at their own pace. When it comes to grieving clients I will join with them in their loss and will encouraging them to feel all the feelings that surface about the person and the relationship they shared.

Grief and loss are inevitable consequences of having deep, authentic, intimate relationships. When people we love, or things we value leave it hurts. That is healthy and normal. Unfortunately, this grief can sometimes feel infinite, especially when there were things left unsaid or unforgiven. In these times returning to a life that is purposeful and meaningful might begin to seem impossible. Grief and loss counseling will help you to find peace with the past. Through making sense of loss and letting go you will be able to move into the present with meaning and purpose.

People experiencing grief and loss are often invaded by mixed emotions and thoughts, including sadness, guilt, anger, feeling frozen or ambivalent, to mention some. Difficult but essential, is to make sense of the situation and find hope. I help clients understand that what has happened might not be altered, but that they can use their own powers and that of their support systems to master the present moment.

Grief and bereavement are the natural emotional responses to any kind of loss. It involves experiencing intense feelings, many of them unexpectedly and overwhelmingly. Loss is a personal journey; while grieving can often foster compassion and connection among family and friends, it is also common for the griever to experience difficulties identifying and sharing feelings or experience inter-personal conflict. Even, guilt, anxiety and anger may rise in addition to sadness and sorrow during grief. Bereavement counseling can provide a safe space to explore the struggles inherent to loss, with the support and understanding of a professional.

When I very young I lost my fiancée. I went about life as if nothing had happened until it caught up to me. I was trying to open a door with a key and it wouldn't work. I found myself crying and felt out of control. This happened because I didn't want to grieve. What I learned is you can't skip this process. It will catch up to you at the strangest times. I can walk you through this without bottoming out. Ignoring it and avoiding it doesn't work

Grief and loss is, unfortunately, a normal part of living. There is no single "correct" way to grieve: different cultures and even individuals from the same culture grieve differently. The only consistent feature is that grief takes time. The most effective thing anyone can do for someone grieving is to be there—to listen, to empathize, to walk along with the grief. There is no "fixing" grief. But counseling can help prevent normal grief from developing into major depression or other mental health conditions.

All of us experience grief and loss in our lives. There is no escaping it. Unfortunately, there are many times that you will experience a loss that society does not sanction as "grief worthy." Loss of an early pregnancy, miscarriage, loss of a valued career or relationship, and the loss of a beloved pet often hit us hard, and result in feelings of grief. I listen with empathy and concern, and will assist you through the grieving process with sensitivity and support, while offering you effective ways of coping with your feelings.

We all experience loss at one point in our lives, but that doesn’t make it easier. Whether you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a job, or something else meaningful to you, loss can leave us feeling alone, depressed, confused, and empty. I have extensive experience working with children and adults who have experienced loss and complicated grief. I provide a safe, gentle, and non judgemental environment and use a mix of trauma focused cognitive behavioral and insight oriented interventions. Through our work together you will begin to process your grief experience, learn coping skills to get you through the day, honor what you have lost, and to ultimately heal.

If you have lost someone close to you through death, relocation or the end of a relationship, and feel isolated and lonely, it takes time and support to gently move forward in life. If you are shy or feel anxiety in social situations it can be hard to reach out for help and create the supportive relationships you need. I can help you move forward, gain a new sense of self worth, and begin to create meaningful nurturing social connections.

Grief and loss can happen when you're young or old. Whenever it happens it can result in an ongoing depression that can hamper your life. I understand how devastating it can be and use various approaches to help you recover and return to your best self. Having been there myself and worked through my own grief and loss, I know what it takes to overcome the pain of grief and loss, and I will help you overcome your own pain and regain your own healthy balance.

Suffering with grief and loss is often a lonely place. Others may try to comfort you, offering sympathy which is well-intended but often doesn’t help you heal. Talking to an experience therapist can help you move through the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The stages are normal, and although the process may be painful, reaching acceptance is the stage where you realize that although you may miss the person, your life is still worth living and can be productive and happy.