Grief and Loss Counselling in Thunder Bay, ON.

We are all touched by grief and loss at some time in our lives, and often the support of family or friends is enough. There are also times when we could benefit from talking to a counsellor. I provide a safe place to express your experience, to help you find ways to honour the past and also move into the future. Taking care of yourself in the face of loss can make a difference.

Coping with loss and adjusting to life without a loved one is overwhelming. It is unsettling and painful to watch the world keep turning when it feels like yours has stopped. Adequate emotional support is critical during these times. Therapy will not only provide appropriate coping skills but also offer a safe space to feel and process your loss. Reach out for a free consultation; we can talk and see if I am the right fit to walk with you through this adjustment.

The people who have touched our lives, family members, and special friends (pets) we love are important to us. When anything risks those we love, we also feel distressed. Our deep connection to them means we experience this incredible emptiness when they die. Though we know that death is normal, natural, and inevitable, this knowledge does not eliminate the emotional pain of our loss. Through my losses and the losses of others, I have learned that life is over, but it is never finished. If you are experiencing a recent loss of a family member, friend, or special friend, I am available to journey with you through this loss. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit.

Since everyone is unique and grieves differently, my approach to grief therapy is to tailor counselling to fit with the needs and experiences of the individual person. I offer a safe supportive environment where people can feel free to talk in depth about their deceased loved one; learn how to better understand and cope with their personal reactions to the pain of grief (emotional, physical, behavioural, and spiritual); explore new ways of staying connected to and remembering the loved one who has died; and learn to adjust to a different life than the one they used to know.

What makes grief so painful? Perhaps it's because we experience a double loss. The first is losing a loved one, the second is losing a part of our ourselves. This is why the familiar saying, "you gotta let go," can sometimes make things worse. Instead of letting go, I'm interested in how we can bring people closer: closer to what we hold dear, closer to what we cherished most… In doing so, we can begin to develop a new relationship with our departed loved one, and simultaneously offer comfort and healing to parts of ourselves.

Grief and loss can have profound impact on our day to day life. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, a career, or the loss of our health/abilities. Being able to transition to a “new reality” can sometimes feel overwhelming. Allow me the opportunity to work alongside you to “carve out” a path of hope and fulfillment. Compassion and understanding are important elements I will always strive to achieve in our session work.

I work with men going through loss, whether it be a relationship break-up, retirement, or job loss. And yes, all of these are losses. It's difficult to think you wanted this relationship forever and now you don't have it. Or you've made your career a critical part of your existence. What will your life look like now? Will thinking about it ever go away? There's anger there too. Therapy is a way to get this out. Running away from the loss is a short-term solution. Therapy helps you make sense of feel your feelings in order to feel better in the long-term.

Wouldn’t it feel reassuring to have someone listen with compassion? Whether you've lost someone physically or psychologically, grief hits you when you least expect it. We can try everything to avoid those emotions that follow, but grief is patient, grief does not discriminate and will wait until you're done. Greif will wait until you finally have a moment to yourself or when you're in the middle of a conversation. Let's move through the grief and be waiting for it instead.

Grief is a complex experience that may be accompanied by a diversity of difficult emotions that are challenging to work around. However, you are not alone. Each of us have a unique relationship with grief, and I am here to support you in discovering what that relationship looks like for you. You don’t have to know where to start or where you are going in your pathway to healing. There is no correct way to grieve. Contact me to book a free consultation to see if we would be a good fit.

Learning that grief and love are the same thing can help, as can realizing we are all hardwired to contend with the pain of grief. Many of my clients say they would not trade their pain away now if it mean having not loved that person/animal/job/house. I support clients to find a place in them to house grief, and handle it carefully, gently and with love and compassion. Strength from struggle......