Grief and Loss
Grief can be lonely, painful, and confusing. Together we can find hope and healing.
What is Grief and Loss?
Are you grieving the loss of someone or something special in your life? Do you feel alone and lost in your grief? Bereavement can be an incredibly painful, disruptive, and confusing process. You may feel “broken” or think you are doing it all wrong. Maybe you are unsure of how to heal from such deep pain and how to manage this difficult, often isolating, experience. You may be feeling:
Lost
Unfocused
Sad
Bereft
Mad
Disbelief
Relief
Hopeless
Alone
Lethargic
Overwhelmed
Whether it’s due to the loss of a family member or friend, relationship, job, or sense of security, grief is complex. You may be grieving what you had in the past, as well as the future you have lost. You may be navigating changing relationship dynamics or trying to find a new support system. Perhaps you want to figure out your new reality and what is next for you. You may be tying up loose ends and have difficulty making decisions. Maybe you just need support managing difficult emotions and surviving day-to-day. Dealing with grief can be overwhelming and scary. Speaking with a grief counsellor can help you process your experience, find your inner resources and learn new skills to help you cope.
Death Loss
When someone you love dies, their absence can be devastating. Whether it’s a family member, friend, or colleague, a death can bring up difficult emotions, tough questions, and a lot of uncertainty. You may be having a hard time getting through each day, finding motivation, or knowing what to do next. Grief counselling can help you learn how to make space for and sit with difficult emotions, interpret your needs and create healthy personal boundaries, remember and honour the person who has died, design a life with meaning and purpose, and let go of things that no longer serve you.
Job Loss
Losing a job can leave a big hole in your life. You may feel like you are losing a sense of purpose or structure. It may feel like you are losing a piece of your identity or your daily support system. You may feel wronged and misunderstood or feel like you have failed. It can help to talk to a grief counsellor about your experience so you can process what has happened, understand what went wrong for you, and figure out your next steps.
Relationship Loss
Losing a relationship can take its toll on your emotional, mental, physical, and social health. Whether it’s due to a divorce, separation, breakup, or estrangement, when we lose a relationship we may be losing part of our support system, a sense of purpose, and a part of our identity. You may be wondering, “Who am I without this person?”, “How will I survive this?”, or “Will I ever find love again?”. Grief counselling can help you to manage your pain, make sense of what has happened, and look towards the future.
Ambiguous Loss
Sometimes losses are intangible and harder to pinpoint. It can be difficult for you to name exactly what you have lost and you may not have a clear understanding of what has happened. Perhaps you have lost parts of your identity or your health status. You may be dealing with intergenerational losses, or grief as a result of systemic oppression like racism or Colonialism. Maybe you have a family member who is still alive but has been lost to dementia. Through grief therapy, you can begin to identify, name, and process these losses.
Life Transitions
The one constant in life is change. Often these changes are welcome and a result of direct choices that you have made. Other times, the changes are thrust upon you. Whatever the circumstances, these transitions can be overwhelming and confusing. Transitions like aging and empty nesting, moving, retirement, a career change, getting married, having a baby and parenting, and leaving the childhood home for school or a career all come with challenges and loss. Grief counselling can help you to grieve what was, come to terms with what is, and anticipate what will be.
Schedule a Free 20-Minute Consultation.
Are you ready to connect? I am here to answer your questions.