Grief and Loss Counselling in Toronto, ON.

Grief, another powerful emotion we experience when dealing with loss, is a conditioning that affects all human beings. In our society there is often a notion that we should hurry up and get over our grief but maybe we should grieve as long as we need to. One way to see loss is to see loss as change and then to let change in. By developing a practice of loving kindness towards ourselves and others we can take a gentler approach toward loss and pain.

Clients who are experiencing grief and loss can benefit from a better understanding of how the deep emotions and feelings can support new growth and ways at looking at the world. By considering elements of the experience through memory, dreams, and reflections, great power and strength can be found. Grief and loss are normal and healthy states of being, as long as they don't overwhelm and debilitate, understanding them in the context of therapy will not only benefit the individual but those around them and generations to come.

The grief and loss that you can experience after the death of a loved one can be overwhelming and can make you feel cut off and isolated from the world as you have known it to be. You really have a need to talk about your loved one but often friends and family are limited in their ability to support you in this way. I can offer you a safe place in which you can talk in depth about your loved one, exploring and expressing feelings about your life with that person, what he or she meant to you, from the beginning of your relationship through to the end. I can also help you to begin to face what it means to move on without that person but still holding on to your memories.

Life is fragile. At any moment our life can be turned upside down by the loss of a loved one. If you are suffering from a loss, I will support you and offer you a safe place in which to express your grief. My approach is based on an understanding of the dynamics of loss, combined with my own experience in handling loss in my life. Loss can take other forms as well...such as the loss of a job, the loss of a relationship, or the loss of health. Together we will discuss your pain and come to understand the impact your loss has had on you. We will then develop new ways to manage your loss so that you can move forward again.

There is nothing so powerful as the death of someone or something close to us. Death seems to open up a sacred place where we ponder questions of meaning, and the mystery and the worth of life. Jung says "When death confronts us, life always seems like a downward flow or like a clock that has been wound up and whose eventual " Grief and loss are unfortunately a natural part of life and the failure to acknowledge this inevitability can turn into a fear of life - neurotic resistances, depressions and other psychological distresses. My approach creates a safe space to allow the natural process of grief to restore you back to life.

Clients come to me experiencing many forms of grief and loss- death, illness, job loss, a big move. Everyone experiences losses and grieves in their own unique way. Being able to experience your grief is immensely healthy and an vital to finding peace and healing. In therapy, you'll have the support you need to do just that, while simultaneously discovering the meaningfulness and sense of purpose you need to move forward.

When one finds they are in debilitating grief the pain can override signals to try and be gentle with one self. This is a sign that your whole system is in shock adjusting to a new felt absence whether it is insight, loss of a close family member or friend or way of living that will not return. What can be frightening is that one is caught clearly remembering what was and feeling as if the past must be hiding but not gone. This is while trying to be present and cope with your daily challenges. Along with allowing you to be able to talk freely about your pain I use energy psychology exercises to help you cope with difficult emotions and guided imagery to help you find hope to imagine your future.

It's important for me to explain that while I am knowledgable about grief and loss, I have specialized training in helping children cope with grief and loss. Losses for your child can be very traumatizing. I've dealt with a range of issues regarding loss for children who have lost a beloved pet, a friend, grandparent, and even a parent. I often make use of sand tray therapy in helping children cope with loss as it provides a tactile way for them to express what they may have difficulty expressing verbally.

Grief and loss can include feelings of anger, depression and numbness. Sometimes we can get stuck in our grief because we think we "should be over it" by now. Or we get unhelpful messages from others, like "time heals all wounds." That just makes us feel like we shouldn't talk about it, or that we'll be a burden if we do. I can help you understand your grieving process and move through it with greater ease, self-compassion, and patience.

This is such a vulnerable and difficult time where great compassion and tenderness is required. My approach includes the need to feel and express our in-depth feelings in order to heal grief and loss. I offer a way to explore this compassionately and more thoroughly in order that clients can emerge from this time of difficulty more whole and healed.

There is a myriad of reasons we experience grief, ...from a career loss, the death of a loved one, or facing a terminal or chronic illness. It's really not the event that hurts, it's how our brains decide to deal with the event. Integrated psychotherapy and coaching helps - particularly as I have 'been there, done that.' Talk with someone who really gets it. I've been through all of the above and come out the other end content. I even recently was diagnosed with cancer and after a winter of chemo and radiation and am glad to say the doctors tell me we have it beat! And from the moment I heard the word cancer, I knew things would be ok. How so? Give me a call and let's talk.

While deep pain honors the loss of important relationships, it creates a heavy burden for the one who carries it. I help people move the deep wound of loss while retaining the positive, life enhancing qualities of loving relationships. Whether illness, divorce, death or other traumas are now causing grief that interferes with joyful living, I can help you actually remove the pain and heal your heart, using cutting edge therapeutic strategies that affect you at the deepest level.

Grief is the most natural & healthy response to loss. The stronger/deeper one's attachment to a loved one, the more intensely one experiences grief. The so-called 5 steps to grieving are not nearly as cut & dry as the reality of grief & mourning. I do not rush the grieving process because there is no "typical" or "normal" timeframe to process profound loss. The dominant culture has a general intolerance of, and discomfort towards most kinds of emotional distress - most especially grief & loss. You will not experience this with me. My approach to grief is compassion, gentleness and curiosity. I want to learn about your loved one and walk alongside you as you process your loss.