Grief and Loss Counseling in Vashon, WA.

I have learned that grief and loss are experienced very uniquely from client to client. The stages of grief are not necessarily experienced linearly. Working through grief and loss is not so much about recovery as it is about finding ways to incorporate the experience into a new version of yourself. There are ways to be proactive in processing grief and tools available that can help you through this process.

If you have a loss of a loved one, or a change in your life that feels overwhelming, grief counseling is an opportunity for healing and resolution. As you share the tenderness of your loss there is a letting go that naturally occurs. In time, the sadness and pain of loss is replaced with a warm dearness seated in the depth of your heart.

Loss is certainly a part of life, but it is not the easy part of life. I can help you talk through the loss(es) and the anxiety and sadness that comes with that. In particular, for my niches, I often explore the grief that comes from living with chronic illness, experiencing loss of connection with loved ones or discrimination due to LGBTQIA+ identity or body size, loss of connection with those who cannot accept our boundaries, reflecting on your past as traumas are addressed, or situations that may arise in the course of a therapist's professional work.

Adults may encounter things we don’t feel completely ready for and may lose motivation or connection with our surroundings. Emotions like sadness, loneliness, fear, and anger can also emerge in adults and take hold. Layers upon layers, we find ourselves struggling and need help resolving the uncomfortable situation during critical times.

Although grief is a normal reaction to loss, getting over a broken heart may be difficult. I support my clients as they move beyond their loss, whether it's death, divorce or the numerous other common life experiences which are losses such as moving, graduation, reitement, holidays, empty nest or health changes. I will help you find new meaning in life as you deal with the many feelings that grief brings. As I work with you to recover from your grief, you will learn some skills that allow you to deal with loss directly. Recovering from grief takes courage and it's so worth the effort as you begin to live more wholeheartedly!

Experiencing grief and loss often leaves us with a deep ache because the people and things that should remain with us no longer do. These are not issues to be processed from a distance and the relational approach I offer provides an opportunity for you to walk through these difficult times with a sense of being deeply cared for. This happens as I follow Jesus' words, "mourn with those who mourn." My previous clients have experienced the surprise of hope and have walked away changed. It is my desire that the same might take place for you.

Death of a loved one or loss of something significant can creep up in ways you hadn't expected. Together, you and I look at your situation with compassionate presence to help you explore your feelings and allow you deeper freedom to get through this difficult time. Finding the right fit with a counselor is of utmost importance. For that reason, I view our first few sessions as a period for us to get to know one another. I

Grief can show up in surprising ways, and it can be overwhelmingly powerful. Our culture doesn't really teach us to grieve well, and it is not unusual for some people to suppress grief. But there has been quite a bit of research which has identified grieving as a necessary part of a healthy life when we are hit with painful losses - of people we love or changes in our own health. I come alongside clients to help them work through a healthy grieving process, so that they can integrate the loss into their life and move forward.

Grieving and recovering from the Loss of a beloved companion can be difficult and traumatic. Many people are surprised and confused when they are caught off guard at the intensity of their emotions regarding the loss of a loved one. Sometimes friends and family offer all of the care you need, but if you need more help and support, working with therapist can give you the additional warmth and nurturing care you need to move through your grief. I specialize in helping grieving clients to process their grief, so they can find peace again.

You do not need to be alone with your grief. Together we can chart a path that will greatly reduce your pain and help you naturally process emotion, thought, and physical sensations that may be held in your body and mind. Although loss is a part of life, when we are not able to fully process these experiences we can become stuck and unable to create joyful relationships or feel happy in our daily lives. Feeling bad, angry, numb, or depressed can be a symptom of being stuck in the grieving process. Our society expects us to "get over it" when we actually need much longer to come to a place of acceptance. I provide a compassionate healing space to resolve your losses and return to life.

Grief eventually finds us all, yet grieving is often interrupted by the practical concerns of continuing to live. Allowing yourself time and space to grieve is necessary to your recovery. No matter what the specific circumstances of your loss, there are common feelings, concerns, and anxieties that most people experience. I can help you know what to expect and how to cope with the intense emotions that surround profound losses such as the death of a loved one or abandonment. Grief counseling can help you at all stages of grieving, from supporting you through the logistics to forging your strengthened individual identity.

Grief and loss are very challenging. The difficulty of processing these complex emotions is compounded due to the fast paced nature of our lives pushing us forward, not providing the space and time for the necessary reflection. In order to move forward, we need time to grieve what has been lost. Our work begins with addressing the loss currently burdening your heart. It continues with examining the depth of the loss and its various levels of impact on your life. For example, losing one's mother could also mean the loss of a confidant, a cheerleader, a friend, an advocate etc. Finally, we will work together through the stages of your grief, supplementing with reading material when necessary.

I provide a safe and compassionate container for the healing expression of grief and loss. I support your journey to clear feelings and unresolved relational issues that can get you stuck. Gently, we face the fears you may be feeling around your own life and moving forward. Your grief and loss can shift from an overwhelming, debilitating and soul-crushing, ever-present feeling to something clean, loving, bitter-sweet, slowly fading into the background. Thus, opening space for you, for life, for joy to show up, again.

Are you going through a break-up, separation, or divorce? Do you need help through this difficult period? I provide a safe, warm, and understanding space for you to go through the grief and healing process needed to recovery from any loss you may be experiencing. Some aspects of loss include: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. I will help guide you through the stages and help you get unstuck so that you can find the peace you want.

Working through grief and loss, while respecting needed defenses can take months if not years, but can enhance the quality of your life. We will respect defenses and consider a variety of emotions, which may include relief, anger, sadness, regret, fear and loneliness with my help. It is my strong believe that this process entails work and time, but can lead to personal growth, which can enhance your knowledge and appreciation of yourself and therefore enhance your capacity to be empathic with others.

Grief is a difficult issue for all of us because it looks differently for everyone. However, there are some common themes in how we grieve as men and women. If you or someone you know is grieving and finding it difficult to acknowledge their grief or know what to do next, therapy is the best place to explore how they might grieve fully and in so doing, be able to move forward in life.

There is no right way too grieve, no right amount of time to do it in, and no way of avoiding it. It is common for a person to withdraw from their friends and family, feel overwhelmed and helpless to the intense waves of emotions—sadness, anger, fear, anxiety, and numbness. When the emotional intensity becomes too much, we don’t seem to be able to move forward with life. I offer grief therapy to help you find ways to cope with grief and mourning following the death of loved ones, pregnancy loss, or the mourning that often comes along with major life changes.

Grief and loss effects every one at some point in their life. At times when grief or loss become so great that they feel unmanageable, it is necessary to reach out to others. Better yet is reaching out to professionals who have training and experience helping individuals process their grief in a safe, structured, and effective manner. Please don't feel as if you have to go through this time of grief and loss alone. There is hope! You just need to make the first, often difficult step of reaching out for help. Please don't hesitate to contact me.

When grief and loss hit, life can feel unbearable. When this happens, we sometimes try to avoid our painful feelings, but this never works for long and can lead to unhealthy ways of coping. As hard as it is, the way to heal from loss is to lean into the pain instead of running away from it. I provide a safe place for my clients to heal and move through their pain so they can fully engage in life again.

How do you move on when desire, hope, a loved one, or the something core to you has been lost? I am hesitant to answer that question in words because I think that there are no cognitive solutions to loss. You may have experienced this. In some ways, the only way to work with the grief is to go straight through it. It is a difficult journey, one you may have just entered or one you may have found yourself in for years. I offer a caring hand in your journey through it.

The loss of a loved one is difficult to work through. It helps to have someone to talk to. Sometimes new relationships are difficult because of loss of past relationships and the abandonment we feel. It is hard to love, trust and move forward after loss and the grief that accompanies it. I provide a comfortable, confidential environment with tools to help you move into your future.

Suffering loss can result in a mix of strong emotions such as sadness, anger, confusion, and regret. I lost my mother in my twenties, so I can relate to the overbearing range of emotions you might deal with. You can benefit from my first-hand experience, along with learned counseling techniques that can help you find peace. Personally, I learned that my feelings of sadness and loss meant that I loved my mother, and that she had a stronger impact on my life than I realized. I’ll always miss my mother, but I’ve found ways to deal with the loss by honoring her memory, and helping others who are struggling in this way. Talking with someone who understands can help you tremendously.

Many times surprising emotions come up after a loss. Often much guilt, regret, anger and blame contribute to thoughts of what we could or should have done differently. These thoughts keep taking up space in the mind and stop us from processing and coming to terms with loss. I help clients during this difficult time by listening empathetically and using methods that help clients grieve in a healthy productive way. I help client find self-compassion, forgiveness and hope during this time time of adjustment.

The pain of grief and loss can be so heavy and isolating. It often feels like others do not understand the depth of our despair or they move on and expect us to be able to move on within a certain time frame as well. Grief and loss shake our foundation and it can seem unfair that the world keeps moving on. Grief is a process and there is no specific time line. Some of us even have ongoing grief, which can feel unbearable at times. However, even with continuous grief, we can find ways to cope and find joy and freedom again. Though our grief can seem big, we can find hope that is even bigger.

Have you experienced a loss in your life? The death of a loved one is often one of the most painful trials we face. And grief isn’t reserved for loss of life. The death of a marriage or other unexpected and painful losses can lead to sadness and anxiety about the future. I will work with you to understand and process the natural feelings of grief that come with these losses. When you are ready, we will focus on move forward with your life while still honoring the memories and experiences you had before this loss.