Therapy for Grief and Loss

There are a number of ways grief appears in our lives. You may be experiencing grief due to the loss of a loved one, or you have had to let go of some aspect of your life that was dear to you.

When we are faced with loss we may feel alone, angry, anxious, and powerless in the face of the change. Often we feel emotionally and physically drained. It can be difficult to concentrate on daily tasks and make decisions. Social contact may feel burdensome and you would rather isolate yourself for fear of having to answer questions like, “How are you doing these days?” You may be afraid that those close to you are tired of hearing about your grief, so you keep it bottled up inside, and judge yourself for not being able to “get on with life”. Many of the people I work with in therapy feel frustrated because they feel pressure to get back to being “normal”. But healing loss has its own rhythm and takes time.

The power of grieving

Grief is an important process that ushers in a powerful time in life. It is a healthy and normal reaction when we experience loss in our lives. Grief reveals to us the depth of our emotions and forces us to meet our emotional and spiritual selves in new ways. We discover parts of ourselves that we may not have had access to such as our deep vulnerability and profound ability to love.

It can be confusing to feel deep suffering while at the same time experience ways in which we are growing. Many of the people I work with in therapy are surprised that their grieving process reveals their ability to heal as well as their capacity to take on greater responsibility for their emotional wellbeing. They are eventually able to connect with themselves and others in more authentic and meaningful ways.

Therapy can support you during the grieving process

Everyone has their own unique way in which they move through grief. As a therapist I work with you to support your individual experience and to understand how grief is affecting you emotionally, physically and spiritually. Grief and loss therapy focuses on meaningful ways to track your recovery so that you are in touch with the internal and external clues that show you are feeling more present and engaged in your life. Working with somatic awareness and mindfulness can also be a powerful way to heal the anger, shock and denial that can surface while confronting grief.

My approach as a therapist is to support you in finding emotional, physical and spiritual tools that help you to slow down and be present to your experience. Slowing down creates space for you to digest your feelings while nurturing joy in your life.

I can be reached at 415.721.3355 or by email to discuss how grief and loss therapy can help you move through the healthy process of grieving. To learn more about my thoughts and approach to psychotherapy, you can read the articles on my psychotherapy blog.