Grief and Loss Counselling in Ottawa, ON.

Grief and loss are frequently a root cause of substance abuse, addiction and disorders. The grief process tends to deplete a person's resources, taking up a great deal of their physical, mental, and emotional energy. The absence is not the only thing they are mourning. Their plans, dreams and wishes have changed, and they are being required to let go of the future they anticipated. The phases of mourning include a desire to reverse the loss, feelings of pain and chaos, and the reordering of one's life. At Valiant Recovery, clients receive personalized grief counseling tailored to their needs, as well as specialized sessions on grief and loss.

Losses are a part of life, whether of a loved one or a lost job or missed opportunity, and yet can be very difficult to navigate through and find our way back to ourselves and our “new normal.” Having a compassionate and skilled professional to journey with you can be very helpful in processing losses, remembering loved ones or lost dreams, and understanding the meanings this loss holds for you. I am experienced with supporting individuals and families in a caring manner as they determine how to journey through grieving in a way that meets each one's unique needs and experiences, including possible spiritual concerns. Please see my profile in the Ottawa Bereavement Directory. Serving Ottawa

Grieving and Loss are life and living issues that are part of the normal challenges we face in our lifetime. The often irrational and overwhelming thoughts, feelings and behaviors associated with them can sometimes frighten and even paralyze us when they occur. In a supportive and empathic environment I help people demystify and understand these challenges and events so they can cope again.

Grief and Loss is a challenging area for many people because it is so unique to each person. I believe that the work centers around self-compassion where individuals learn to be kinder to themselves. Furthermore, I will collaborate with you to build an Activity Plan to ensure you continue to find purpose in your daily life. I will also teach you strategies that will help you improve your ability to focus on the present moment. Together we will find the best support plan to allow you to grieve while continuing to live a meaningful life!

The pain of grief can truly be lessened by working with a counsellor. Talking about the loss and how it has affected you will help you feel the emotions, which helps them to pass through you. It is also helpful to have a professional inform you on what to expect when grieving, what types of symptoms are related to the grief, and specific approaches to comfort yourself.

Grief and loss is hard, it is difficult and we all experience it in many phases of our life span. There is no right or wrong in grieving or any length of time however, there is life and hope after! It is learning to accept the grief, feel it and then move on with either with professional help or your own path to moving forward with your life.

Losing someone you love can be the most painful experience. While grieving, you may experience all kinds of emotions, from anger to sadness. The lost of your love one may seem like your world just fell apart and you cannot imagine having a normal life again; remind yourself that this is all about grieving. Grieving is a process and can be very different from one person to another. But for sure, it takes some time and patience. An important thing that can help you go through the pain, is to have support and an ear to listen. I will provide a safe place to let your heart speak and I will help you identify ways that will help to smoothen your pain.

Have you lost a partner, someone important in your life or ended an important relationship. While loss can be painful, you should not feel an endless sense of despair. Grief and loss of a loved one is a journey that can be overwhelming. Allow yourself time to grieve but ensure that you are taking care of yourself. Counselling may be a way to care for yourself as you adjust to this new reality. Together we can help you adapt to these losses and help you to move forward while honouring your loss.

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 don’t 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.

Finding our way through a painful loss and the associated grief can be a most difficult and excruciating journey for any of us to encounter. However, it is with the intention of gently guiding clients back on the road to recovery. Through gaining insight and courageously tackling the loss both willingly and openly has proven beneficial. Ultimately allowing themselves to profoundly heal.

Rather than drive our grief and loss underground or deep into our unconscious, therapy allows us to focus on the pain of our loss with all its multiple layers. Processing our thoughts with the spoken word rather than keeping them as mere mental reflections permits us to actively embrace our pain. We experience clarity and eventually direction to our grieving process. We can in time come to a place of sorrowful acceptance. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross gives us understanding of the grief and loss process in her Five Stages of Grief. However, it is important to note that these stages are not linear in their progression and are somewhat unique to each individual.

I can support you as you journey through the waves/ fog of grief and loss, including through divorce, health issues or life transitions. I will help you: to have hope and confidence that you can resolve these issues; and to make choices that will lead you to your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. I offer relaxation exercises and cognitive therapy. I am trained in EMDR which greatly helps overcome anxiety, stress and trauma. I offer EFT which also positively shifts our thinking and modifies our anxiety response. I serve adults, & young adults 16 and over and seniors. This is your opportunity. I am here to help you.

Loving a loved-one may have a profound and debilitating effect on us. When working with those struggling with grief and loss, I have found that EMDR therapy is particularly beneficial. I work with clients to identify the particular aspects of the loss that is the most vivid, the negative self-beliefs held about the loss, and the attachment to the negative feelings. We then, collaboratively, work together to question the truth of these negative self-beliefs and dissolve the emotional pain surrounded by the loss. At the end of grief and loss therapy, clients have the potential of restoring the wonderful memories of their loved-ones, free from the pain of their departure.

I have worked extensively with the medically ill including Cancer patients. To adjust to a chronic illness is to grieve the loss of the healthy self and all that entails; to grieve the loss of a relationship; our work; anything of importance to us is to face pain of loss and move through it's tasks. I work in various models including relational, experiential, psycho-dynamic, Ego-State and Attachment based models to provide a safe, empathic environment in which my clients can resolve their losses.

Grief and loss can throw one into a tail spin. There are five basic stages to grief: denial, anger, bargaining, sadness/depression, acceptance. Once the stage of acceptance for the loss is reached readjustment to the new situation occurs. This does not mean one will stay in this acceptance stage, such that an individual can re-experience anger or sadness again.

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.

Clients experiencing grief and loss can often benefit from a supportive therapeutic process. It can allow a space to explore feelings without having to take care of anyone else-it is just for them. Clients can also explore blocks or complications to grieving that might be contributing to their struggle, for instance older traumas, difficulty with feeling or expressing their emotions.

I work extensively with clients dealing with grief and loss. Co-existing with loss in our lives can feel like an overwhelmingly difficult task. Losses can profoundly affect not only our daily functioning, but also our relationships, our work life, and our health. Therapeutic work with clients focuses on acknowledging the impact of loss, exploring choices around how to live through the experience of loss, developing healthy ways to cope, and honoring that journey. I work creatively with clients to help them find their own personal ways of living that process.

Feelings of grief and loss are as unique as those experiencing them. Counselling support is similarly tailored to meet the unique needs and goals of the client. One may experience feelings of grief following the loss of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, the loss of a dream, or the loss of a career; while these situations can feel overwhelming, one does not have to move through this alone.

How individuals and families cope with dying, death, grief, loss, and bereavement is unique to each individual. Those who are bereaved experience grief, or a person's response or reaction to loss, which encompasses physical, psychological, social, and spiritual components. Historically, many grief counselors and grief therapists have chosen to follow the popular "grief counseling theory of the time." However, in the twenty-first century there are constantly changing theories regarding grief and loss, and new challenges and questions raised by researchers, clinicians, and the bereaved themselves regarding what is or is not helpful during the bereavement process.

Grief is a growth experience. Clients entering into grief counselling in my practice will feel supported, and validated in there pain however, in the process of softenning the pain, will achieve personal growth. The pain of loss from separation, death, chronic illness is tangible and real, it does not however, have to be crippling rather through therapy grief can be a liberating, changing experience.

The Grief and Loss Service (GLS) at the Centre for Interpersonal Relationships (CFIR) offers clients counselling and psychotherapy to support them to address past and present grief and loss. Unprocessed grief and loss can affect our emotional well-being, our functioning in everyday life and our interpersonal relationships. We help you to understand the meanings of your losses, and to process the unresolved or complicated emotional residue from these losses. We support you throughout your grieving process so that you may move forward with your life with a renewed sense of meaning, purpose and hope. CFIR psychologists and clinicians employ psychodynamic and experiential approaches to support

Helping clients go through the stages of grief and loss by validating their experience and educating them on what these stages consist of and strategies to help them cope with the variety of emotions that they will be processing through this difficult time. Also helping clients recognize that grief and loss are a part of any type of loss that we may encounter, whether it be the loss of a relationship, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, etc.

The death of a loved one, or any other great loss, is possibly the most stressful event anyone experiences. Grief is the normal, healthy response to this loss. It is important to allow yourself the time and space to fully grieve the loss. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to grieve – it is a very personal healing process of adjusting and coming to terms with the loss. In therapy, I accompany you on this painful journey and help you to understand and make sense of the overwhelming emotions that affect your mind, body and spirit. I offer support as we create a special place in your heart and mind for your memories.

We're not meant to take the journey of grief alone or in isolation. Whether grieving the death of a loved one, or the ambiguous loss of a miscarriage, grief often makes us reassess everything - nothing is as it was. We need support through this terrain and benefit from a caring guide to help us navigate. We can help. We're here to accompany you on this journey and will help you take the time you need to rediscover yourself and your life.