Grief and Loss Counseling in Philadelphia, PA.

The benefit of my approach for someone who is grieving and who has suffered a great loss is that I actively teach you how to accept things that cannot be changed. Only by achieving real acceptance can the individual carry on in life despite the loss. Acceptance in REBT does not mean liking or even denying the loss. Acceptance in REBT means to acknowledge that a great loss has occurred and to feel healthy negative feelings of sadness, even great sadness. The benefit that results is that one can still have some degree of enjoyment in life. One can function without guilt and do well in life despite having suffered a great loss. This is leverage over the loss, the thing that cannot be changed.

Grief is not something to "get over." It’s something to be witnessed, honored, and integrated. Drawing inspiration from grief experts like Megan Devine and David Kessler, our approach to grief and loss therapy invites you into a space where your pain doesn’t need to be rushed or fixed. Instead, we help you gently explore the shape your grief takes—emotionally, physically, relationally—while supporting you in finding meaning, connection, and even beauty in the midst of sorrow. Together, we’ll create space for your unique grieving process, offering tools to help you stay present, regulate overwhelm, and hold both the ache and the love at the same time.

Losing someone or something is incredibly hard. I believe that one of the great myths that we are told is simply that “time heals all wounds.” Time can actually reinforce the pain of loss and it is important to mourn and grieve that which we no longer have. I am honored to partner with my clients on their journey through healing and finding peace after a loss. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you.

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.

Grief and loss is a normal part of human experience. We can too often rush to pathologize and/or attempt to get rid of the feelings of loss and grief, something to stay away from. However, letting our grief be, or letting ourselves simply experience grief, making it a normal experience can help us not only heal from loss but move forward and grow from our painful experiences.

Without a doubt, grief and loss are among the most difficult challenges we face. Whether we've lost a partner, a family member, friend, loved one, or pet, we now have to find a new path forward. Sometimes we mourn the loss of a person, place, thing, or idea, while in other circumstances we may be grieving for something we never had in the first place. Therapy for grief and loss is about creating space to process our thoughts and feelings about the loss, making meaning of what's been lost, and imagining new futures. Through grief therapy, we can acknowledge the deep connections of these lost relationships, while also finding hope, growth, and transformation.

Grief and loss can be particularly challenging areas to address in therapy. They are often require long-term therapy. Grief and loss does not just happen once, particularly in the event of the loss of a loved one. When the grief/loss is connected to that of a loved one, most people still have some level of grief or sadness even when therapy is complete. This is normal as the loss will forever change the person's life. Much of therapy focuses on normalizing this experience, helping to determine ways they might want to stay connected to the person they lost, or just provide the space to process those feelings. Loss can also include loss of status, finances, and relationships.