Grief and Loss Counselling in Rockwood, ON.

Loss has many faces, coming from many different places. Even small losses can add up and sneak up on us, leaving us empty. While loss is a common part of life, we are not always given the tools or the opportunity to do the emotional work to complete the natural process of grief so we can be free to move on. In our work together, we will explore what is keeping you stuck, and identify the resources you need to move on, while honoring your loss. I can be your companion and share many tools with you on this often lonely journey. As a certified EMDR therapist, I can also help you more easily navigate the hardest parts of the journey using the resources of your own mind.

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.

There are many kinds of loss. Loss of a loved one, loss of job, loss of mobility, financial loss and so many other types of losses. There are many stages to loss and some losses are more difficult than others. During your loss you may experience grief and everyone manages this in their own personal way. At Hearts Transformed counselling we help you every step of the way.

We will all experience grief and loss at various times in our lives and with varying effects. While it is normal to experience sadness after a loss, some people benefit from some extra support at this difficult time. Whether this is the result of losing someone or something important to you, grief needs a witness. Fully exploring the loss that you have experienced and its impact on you is the first step in figuring out how to integrate the loss into your life as you move forward.

My approach to assisting with loss and grieving is to normalize the experience...loss of someone or something we love creates grief. Helping people learn how to best withstand and manage the emotions, the way loss can stop you in your tracks, and how to begin moving again is vital work. The bottom line is that, as long as you love, you grieve. We CAN learn to manage.

Disruption and change (personal or professional, expected or unexpected) can cause considerable psychological and emotional pain for many. Being able to successfully adapt to or handle change is a big part of life. Many us struggle with change because it creates a sense of loss. Many men going through life changes do not allow themselves the opportunity to feel emotions like sadness or grief - a natural part of processing change and loss. I help men to better cope with life's disruptions, increase their ability to process change and strengthen their resilience so they can successfully adapt to life's challenges and find happiness and joy again.

Loss in life is inevitable. However, that doesn't make it less painful. And, while grief is a result of loss due to death, there are many kinds of loss including job loss, relationship loss, health loss; the list goes on and on. Whatever the cause, it can be painfill and if not properly grieved and mourned it can be become 'unresolved grief. Sherry provides a safe place to process the grief and becomes a companion to her client as they do so, whatever it may be.

In the wake of death, divorce, or tragedy, it is normal to feel lost, cut adrift, and out-of-control. Grief therapy is a safe place to become grounded, where you can process your emotions without fear of being judged or shut down. While your friends and family might want you to move on fast - there are no "shoulds" or "musts" here. In our sessions, we'll work on processing grief on your own terms, in a way that honours you and the relationship you had with the person you lost. We'll work to help you get your bearings and - in time - to return back to life after your loss.

Coming to terms with grief and loss is one of the biggest challenges we have to face in this ,oh so human, experience. You can develop a new kind of relationship with your distress experience. With support and compassion you will extend your capacity beyond what you ever thought possible, connecting with a deep inner strength and also with those around you.

Grief and loss are significant life experiences that can be difficult to manage. I have heard from many that sometimes it seems like the extreme sadness will not leave them. I work with such clients to try and make space in their life to experience positive emotions along with the sadness. Grief is very individual and some clients desire help to "move past the grief", while others do not agree with this. I work to meet clients where they are, to optimize their day to day life experiences according to their own individual hopes. In addition, I help clients to find meaning in their experience of grief and loss, honour the life of their lost loved one, and manage the related difficult emotions.

Grief doesn’t follow a timeline. To live is to grieve: whether it’s the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or the quiet grief that comes with life transitions, how we position ourselves with regards to our loses greatly determines how we adapt, grow and flow with the act of living. I help clients process loss in a way that honours the existential and spiritual complexity of their processes. Together, we create space to grieve, reflect, and gradually reconnect with life.

I provide a safe space for clients who are working through grief and loss to express their emotions and memories. Through the use of narrative therapy, clients are empowered to share their stories and process their emotions. Coping strategies are also taught to support clients with managing their daily lives while grieving. Clients benefit by exploring the meaning of their loss and its impacts to their identity, growing in resilience, and gradually moving toward acceptance and healing.

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