Grief and Loss Counseling in Kyle, TX.

Grief and loss, regardless of the source, has a life of it's own. Being with a grieving person means listening, solace, and showing respect for their loss. Depending on the the person and their personal efficacy, I offer a variety of behaviors they can do to lessen the pain and give them respite until more time has passed which will, in and of itself decrease suffering and renew hope in their future.

The best way I can describe the grief experience is that everything feels surreal and our brain feels like it's under water. Sometimes we can't make a complete thought. Often we feel disconnected from others. Other times our pain is so intense we feel that if it doesn't ease up, we might die from it. Our "normal" is disrupted and between the time we pass from our old normal to a new normal we travel through intense emotions. We can experience grief because someone we loved died. But we also experience grief from other losses, such a divorce, lost jobs, news of sickness or chronic illness, friendships, moving to new cities. Simply put, change, even small ones can create a grief response.

Losing a loved one or someone we care deeply for is not easy. Even though we know death is predetermined, it doesn't make it easier for us to accept, and we never quite know how it will affect us. My work in grief and loss is to help you explore these emotions in a safe and compassionate way. I'd love to speak with you more about how Austin Trauma Therapy Center can help you.

The loss of a loved one can be as crippling as it is painful. Friends and co-workers who have not been through it offer well-meaning and simple advice that often adds to the exhaustion you already feel . Our team of therapists can help you find your footing, learn to breathe again, and develop strategies to manage the pain and the other obligations and relationships in your life, while continuing to honor the memory of what has been lost.

Grief and loss is, unfortunately, a normal part of living. There is no single "correct" way to grieve: different cultures and even individuals from the same culture grieve differently. The only consistent feature is that grief takes time. The most effective thing anyone can do for someone grieving is to be there—to listen, to empathize, to walk along with the grief. There is no "fixing" grief. But counseling can help prevent normal grief from developing into major depression or other mental health conditions.

Loss often leaves us drowning in an unknown ocean and can be stormy seas to navigate on your own. A new way of living is required in the absence of familiar surroundings and patterns. Whether losing a job or a spouse, either through death, divorce or some unexpected circumstance, missing what once was, even if it is by our choice, is a natural response. Yet, the process of letting go is hard. Life Practice offers calm harbor in transitional times of tempest. Help with changing to the new can be what keeps us afloat from the undertow of despair . We'd be honored to provide guidance, anchorage and safe haven as you find your sails for a new life.

I work with clients facing grief and loss by allowing them to work through the often confusing and overwhelming feelings of shock, denial, bargaining, sadness and acceptance. The stages of grief do not fit a linear pattern and it is normal to vacillate between feelings and sometimes to regress. Together, we sort through the emotions in order to move towards a path of acceptance and the allowance of future joy.

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.

Do you find yourself wondering why, after so much time as passed, you are still grieving a loss? Moving through the grieving process takes time and more importantly, self-compassion. When trying to 'move on' or 'forget about it' does not work often times re-examining the loss helps individuals move from a position of confusion and unease to a place of acceptance and peace.

Grief is hard. Grief is natural. Animals grieve. Grief is something we feel deep in our bodies and can be disorienting and destabilizing. Grief brings up questions about who we are, the world, the existence or goodness of God, and purpose and futility of life. Dealing with grief, especially when the loss is traumatic and unexpected, requires a slow and tender space to allow the grief to move through our body and to settle in our hearts with warmth and memory. I am here to help you grieve the loss of your loved one, experience, health , future or even your beloved pet. .

Grief and loss are unavoidable in this life. I can provide you a safe and comforting relationship in which to share, process and release the emotional, spiritual, and life impact of the loss you have experienced. You will not be alone. I will walk with you. We will progress together through the dark valley on our way to the other side. Together, we will help you find and live life again.