Grief and Loss Counseling in Manassas, VA.

When a loved one exits your life, chaos enters. People tell you they know how you feel, but you know the truth: the grief response is unique to each individual. No one can crawl into your head and truly get your experience of loss. And reconciling your life with a loved one's death is overwhelming. Yet it can be done. It won't be easy, but change is possible. I learned this truth from my own experience of grief that began with the unexpected death of my husband. If my thoughts resonate with you, contact me. We can discuss your concerns and determine if I'm a good fit. You don't have to walk this road of loss alone.

Grief and loss can be so difficult to manage and come out of nowhere. When we work together, we will gently learn the about the grief journey you are experiencing. As we learn your life experiences, we may find that some of the distress is rooted in early childhood trauma and attachment wounding. We will welcome all parts of yourself and learn about the challenging messages you may have grown up with that manifested into the distress you feel today. Disordered eating can be a messenger, an alarm telling you that it is time to heal experiences from earlier in life. I am trained in using EMDR, Emotion Focused Therapy and Expressive Arts to help you become your best self.

You've lost a loved one suddenly and now you've been jolted into a life you never thought you'd have. You feel you're too young for this to have happened. You can't stop picturing your loved one in pain and just want the suffering to stop. You may also be having harsh thoughts about yourself such as "I should've done something to stop this" or "My life will have no meaning ever again". During our work together, we will use EMDR Therapy to reprocess the disturbing thoughts and images to they not longer affect you so strongly in present day life. We'll also process the negative beliefs you hold about yourself and replace them with more positive beliefs.

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 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.

Loss is inevitable. It is the flip side of love and the greatest pain we know. Hearts can break and hearts can heal. We must first accept ALL feelings. We can cultivate gratitude for the gifts our loved one gave us. Sometimes it is also important to acknowledge and learn from the mistakes of the one we have lost., the ways they may have caused pain to themselves and others. If the person has been a large part of our daily living, it is as if we need to recreate our lives bringing new resources into the emptiness. The waves of extreme pain become less frequent with time. The person's memory remains with us, and their gifts to us can inspire those very strengths in ourselves.

Grief is an intense feeling of sadness or sorrow. You can try to suppress your grief but can’t avoid it forever. We are here to help you face it head-on with bereavement therapy. Understanding the different types of grief is important so we’re better prepared and so we can be supportive of others who are going through it. It's your battle, but you don't need to fight alone. We are here to help you with grief counseling.