Grief and Loss Counselling in Haldimand County, ON.

Loss of a loved one is often one of those most challenging hard ships that we face. Although many try to prepare for loss, we are often faced with more than sadness and emptiness, but with feelings of guilt, anger, disappointment. Therapy can help an individual come to terms with their loss and learn to rebuild life. Although we will not ever forget those who have been close to us, the memories associated with their lives will feel less painful with time.

Losing someone close to us can be among the most painful of life experiences. An example of one of my approaches to working with grieving clients involves learning how to live with the pain and loss along with finding ways to honor the life and memory of the bereaved. However, grief is a largely personal process, with many different types of loss that each require their own unique approach and attentiveness depending on what feels best for clients during this most vulnerable time. Contact me to book a free consultation.

Many people have ideas about how grief should look or feel based on expectations from family, society, or the media. There are so many experiences and events that deserve be mourned, whether society recognizes them or not, and your feelings about the loss are valid. Your experience of grief is unique to you and there is no correct way to process your loss, which is why I work collaboratively with clients to explore meaning in the thoughts and feelings that emerge as you begin your healing journey. Book a free consultation to learn more about my approach and explore if we are a good fit.

I Guide my clients through therapeutic art-making combined with talking therapy to tackle grief & loss in their lives. I may or may not direct my clients on what pieces of art to make to help them through their grieving process. The benefits of an Art Therapy approach to grief & loss is that it gives my clients another outlet for expressing difficult feelings, helps them find healthy ways of coping, and allows them to create meaningful pieces of art to commemorate their memories of their loved ones. I allow my clients to be the experts on their feelings, and allow the art sessions to flow naturally based on where they are in their grieving process.

With warmth, compassion and positive energy I will help you discover new hope and courage for the future. Change is difficult… I’m not much of a fan myself… but together you will soon see beyond the pain. With respect and dignity we will honor the loss and find a way to move forward and get you back to living the best life possible. Together, we will create a new normal; one that brings out the best in you.

The experience of loss may result from many life experiences including the passing of a human loved one or a beloved pet, the ending of a relationship, job loss, or changes to our physical or mental capabilities. Grief is one of the most challenging of human emotions. Together, we will navigate your unique grieving process to enable you to experience growth and empower you to create a life you can accept and enjoy despite your loss.

Grief counseling helps people cope with grief and mourning following the loss of a loved one or due to major life changes that trigger feelings of grief (i.e. job loss or divorce). It provides a space for individuals to work through and process the complex emotions surrounding loss. Healthy grieving results in remembering the loss with a newfound sense of peace, rather than searing pain.

I believe we all need the space to share our pain and loss in a warm and caring environment in which we can make meaning of life’s most difficult transitions and events. I also believe that it’s important that you as a client are allowed to work at your own pace and set your own goals, because the process of grieving isn’t something you can put a timeline on. Instead, through an empathetic relationship I facilitate your growth and help you adapt to life’s pain and challenges.

Although we always hope we as individuals or our children will not suffer the loss of a loved one, loss through divorce, or even illness, at times we must walk down this road in life. Through compassionate remembering conversations and the supportive development of coping skills, Dr. Ellen helps individuals and children garner greater emotional resources in order to cope and find balance.

Everyone experiences loss at some time in their lives, but sometimes the loss of a loved one is too much to bear alone. Adapting to this profound change in our lives is very difficult. Talking with someone with whom you comfortable, can help you navigate this stage in your life. You will learn new skills as you deal with your feelings and adapt to the changes you are experiencing. Be confident that with time you will recover and feel hope again.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one can be one of the most difficult experiences we go through as human beings. You do not need to go through this alone. Reach out today to learn about how we can assist you in navigating the waters of this painful experience. At CBT Solutions you will be welcomed with respect, compassion, and understanding for what you are going through.

I'll never forget the phone call. I was 23, driving home on a beautiful sunny day. I couldn't believe it when I heard my dad was gone. Grief floors you. If you haven't felt it, it's not something that you can fully understand. It can feel overwhelming, hopeless, never-ending. But there are ways forward. No matter how large your loss, you can do it. I've been there, and I've helped dozens of other people over the past seven years deal with the unthinkable. I provide compassionate, effective counselling for grief and loss based on what actually works in the real world. You're not alone - contact me today for a complimentary phone consultation. You can get through it. I can help.

Grief is the emotional suffering we feel when we lose something or someone important to us. This can include the loss of friend, partner, or family member, a change in life circumstances, death of a pet, getting fired, loss of health, safety, a dream... anything that we once had and now do not. The intensity and process can be unique for each person, but like all other emotions that impact the quality of our life, ignoring it or suppressing it does not work. Seeking support as we move through the various stages of grief is very helpful. Planning for our healing is crucial so that we do not become 'stuck' in the pain. A skilled therapist can assist us during this vulnerable time.

Grief and loss are universal experiences for all people and they are perhaps some of the most painful events experienced. So painful, in fact, that many people try to avoid the feelings at all costs. I believe that the only way to learn to live with grief is to be willing to experience the feelings and I provide a safe and supported relationship in which to work through these feelings.

Grief and Loss can manifest in many areas of life and sometimes isn't initially recognized as grief. For example, having lost my father 5 years ago and being a family caregiver to my elderly mother, I have experienced this inevitable loss and the grief that comes with it. However, grief can also come with the loss of a dream, loss of a marriage, a career, a childhood home, a relationship/friendship or a life you always dreamed of having. Another example is women who are childless not by choice. Who perhaps haven't met the right person or who cannot conceive for medical reasons. And for some of us, being single not by choice can also be a deep source of loss and grief as we get older.

In today's society, we are expected to "suck it up and move on" in situations related to loss. However, grief has a mind of its own. It shows up when we don't expect it. It comes back when we thought we've dealt with it. Trying to avoid it and numb it out only makes it stronger. Therapy can help you heal. Whether you have lost a loved one through death or a relationship ending, have gone through a difficult life transition or are grieving the loss of something else important to you, we will work together to practice ways to sit with, honour, transform and heal grief in a supportive, non-judgmental and compassionate space.

Processing loss is painful, confusing and often isolating. This is not something that is as simple as progressing through "stages" in order and typically involves emotions that we have been taught to avoid or suppress. Working with a therapist to unpack and go through grief and loss can offer some space and perspective that is not there when we talk with friends and family. Here you can have a non-judgmental space to take the time to work this out in the way that you need. This is not always easy, but we can navigate this together.

Grief is the emotional suffering we feel when we lose something or someone important to us. This can include the loss of friend, partner, or family member, a change in life circumstances, death of a pet, getting fired, loss of health, safety, a dream... anything that we once had and now do not. The intensity and process can be unique for each person, but like all other emotions that impact the quality of our life, ignoring it or suppressing it does not work. Seeking support as we move through the various stages of grief is very helpful. Planning for our healing is crucial so that we do not become 'stuck' in the pain. A skilled therapist can assist us during this vulnerable time.

Grief counseling helps people cope with grief and mourning following the loss of a loved one or due to major life changes that trigger feelings of grief (i.e. job loss or divorce). It provides a space for individuals to work through and process the complex emotions surrounding loss. Healthy grieving results in remembering the loss with a newfound sense of peace, rather than searing pain.

With Gestalt therapy the five tasks of mourning, are supported: (1) To accept the reality of the loss, (2) To experience the pain of grief, (3) To adjust to the environment in which the deceased is missing, (4) To withdraw (some) emotional energy and reinvest it in another relationship, and (5) To find a place for and maintain a continuing bond with what we lose, however not in any specific order. A gestalt therapist supports the bereaved with an emphasis on a "loving authentic presence and communication that allows expression of EACH other’s personhood" so that feelings are honored and explored at the clients own pace. The here and now is emphasized and that is what leads to support/change

In my practice you will find a safe place to talk about and work through pain, and the feelings of sadness, confusion, guilt, shame and anger that often accompany the experience of grief and loss. Moving through grief and loss is your personal journey that takes time and is experienced uniquely from your own perspective. I provide therapy, counselling and and support for people who have lost a loved one such as a family member, friend or colleague whether through death or the ending of a relationship, those who have lost an important pet or animal companion or people who have experienced a loss that includes a loss of a job or personal identity.

Life is a wonderful journey. Everyone has events that occur that can create waves of grief and loss. The pain may feel unbearable. These are times where we can learn profound life lessons about love, strength, and resilience. I approach Grief & Loss Therapy not as a time to "fix" or "cure" you of your pain, but as a partner to walk with you as you travel through your valleys of loss and sorrow.