Grief and Loss Counseling in Upper Montclair, NJ.

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.

Dr. Joel Stukalin and Dr. Sara Mandelbaum have guided many clients like you through their grieving processes. Since each client is special and unique, we work with the utmost sensitivity to help you during this emotional period so often filled with many memories and feelings. Some clients also experience unfinished emotional business with the deceased, which we work through with substantial empathic understanding and patience. This sensitive collaboration with Dr. Joel and Dr. Sara is invaluable in supporting grieving clients to achieve a sense of therapeutic closure and relief. Clients have stated that doing this necessary grief work with Dr. Joel and Dr. Sara has restored their lives.

Loss can come in so many different forms, yet the pain is there and is strong. When we hold someone or something dear to our heart and then they suddenly gone, we are often left with a hole in our heart and need to grieve that loss. Grief looks different for each person. There are 5 main stages of grief that most people will go through in an order: Denial and Isolation, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. These are hard stages to walk through alone. Reach out and call one of our compassionate therapists at Mars and Venus Counseling Center who can help you to talk through each of the emotions that you experience at each stage.

Dealing with grief and loss is thought by most people to be life’s greatest challenge. Whether it be loss of a partner, child, friend, or other important person in one’s life, it is universally a sad and tremendously challenging part of the human experience. I have worked with people who have experienced losses of all types throughout the lifecycle, and helped them to understand the compendium of complex feelings and challenging situations that accompany grieving. Although in the midst of grief, there is often a sense of despair, I have helped hundreds of people resolve grief, and move on with their lives.

The pain you experience after losing a loved one is an intense human experience that could make you feel abandoned, hopeless, and incapable of moving forward in life. In addition, sometimes there is grief connected to losing something: a job, an opportunity, a past that will not come back, a country you left behind. I can offer an empathic ear and listening to you as you ponder important questions at this point in your life: What does your grief say? What are the fears that accompany your grief and loss? Is there a way to move forward in life knowing that the present and future will be different because someone or something won't be there with you?

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.

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 can be triggered by many things; the death of a loved one, the loss of a beloved mate, being let go at a valued job, and many others. When we cannot get over the loss by ourselves, a therapist point us down new roads. Suddenly vistas of possibility begin to open up, and what once seemed hopelessly sad begins to take on its proper importance.

Individuals struggling with grieving the loss of a loved one can learn how to cope and heal from these painful life experiences and ease the trauma of grief. EMDR can assist in helping to relieve suffering and allow the natural process of grief and mourning to continue in a healthy, adaptive way. Clients can reprocess distressing memories that may relate to grieving process.

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.

Grey Matters International and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D approaches issues of grief & loss through the lens of innovation----instead of growing the same neural networks responsible for the pain in weekly therapy sessions, we reset the brain to move forward quicker and efficiently by working on the stuck limbic system so as to empower the person with more success and traction. For no one wants to stay in a grief mode for too long; but when you dont include the brain in your work with someone, you risk describing the water to them while they drown and calling it success. Contact Grey Matters International, Inc now at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161

Our credentialed music therapists tailor sessions to each individual, utilizing personalized music exercises and interventions to address each person's unique experiences of loss or trauma. Involvement in music addresses trauma in two ways: music reaches us on an emotional level to help with coping, as well as on a neurological level to address and heal areas of the brain that are affected when trauma or loss are experienced. Our music therapists work with each client using musical elements like songwriting, processing, and guided imagery to help clients find their own voice and learn new coping skills to help manage trauma of any severity.

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.