Grief and Loss Counseling in Franklin, TN.

Everyone grieves differently. Grief and loss isn't just about death and dying. There are many types of losses and grief shows up in our lives in ways that might surprise you or catch you off guard. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to grieve. Let's work together to find healthy ways to move through grief so that the pain is manageable, comfortable, and you feel you can move through it and keep on with the other aspects of your life that are important as well.

I affirm that your grief is unique and that you are "entitled" (A. Wofelt) to your grief. Grief can become complicated and even "messy" (A. Wofelt). You will never be criticized for how you are experiencing your grief. One of my favorite writers on the subject of grief, Alan Wofelt, said, "The capacity to love requires the necessity to grieve." He also asserted, that our grief is personal and determined by how close we were to the person we lost and how our love one died. We will take all the time you need ... you are on "new clock and new calendar" (A. Wofelt). Understanding grief and feeling safe while you explore and share your thoughts and feelings will do much to improve the intensity.

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.

You don't "get over" a profound loss. Whether it is a loss from death or divorce, a deep loss sets you on a path requiring understanding, healing, and growth. As a therapist and pastor I've counseled with hundreds of adults who have lost a loved one. As a minister to single & single again adults and as a therapist for 30 years I've counseled with many hundreds of separated and divorced adults. I am one of the featured experts in DivorceCare's (www.DivorceCare.org) support group resource materials which are used all over the world. A grief & loss therapist doesn't just tell you how to recover from your pain; instead he/she walks alongside you with compassion, gentleness, and insight.

When we experience grief or the lost of a loved one, what we are feeling is the impact of the death of a relationship. Some of us are able to grieve for a limited period of time and then move on with our lives. For others, the grieving process may seem unending and something impossible to get past. I can help you process grief and loss in a safe, nurturing, healthy way. While we never forget those loved ones we have lost in death, we can absolutely always hold them in our hearts and remember them with love and fondness as opposed to with pain and despair.

Clients benefit from a compassionate relationship where they have a context to explore the impact of the inevitable losses that happen to each of us eventually. Grieving is difficult for everyone, but it does not have to be debilitating. In fact, losses and grieving can be gentle (though sometimes relentless) teachers to form our characters into more loving, peaceful and happy people who journey gracefully with our own souls and those with whom we relate.