Grief & Loss Therapy
Therapy for Grief and Loss
Here in Canada, we aren’t typically raised to embrace grief and loss as a natural part of being human. Instead, we are often encouraged to move on, stay strong, or get back to normal. But grief doesn’t always follow a timeline, and there is no single “right” way to grieve.
Sometimes grief and loss are sudden and devastating. At other times, they unfold slowly or take us by surprise. Grief can follow the death of someone we love, including a beloved pet. It can arise when we become aware that our own time in this life is limited, when we lose a relationship that was deeply important to us, or when a plan, hope, or dream we have invested ourselves in falls apart.
Grief can also accompany changes in identity, health, family, work, relationships, or the life we thought we were going to have.
Whatever the source of your grief, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Grief counselling and psychotherapy can provide a safe, compassionate, and non-judgemental space to experience the full depth of your emotions, make sense of your story, and begin finding a way forward. Therapy isn’t about “getting over” your grief or forgetting what has been lost. Instead, we can explore how to carry your grief while gradually discovering where meaning, connection, light, and hope might exist alongside it.
Together, we might explore the stories attached to your grief, find ways to express emotions or words that have remained unspoken, and develop tools that allow difficult emotions to move through you rather than becoming stuck or locked up within you. We can also explore who you are becoming as you carry this experience of grief forward.
Each person’s experience of grief is different because each person’s story is unique. I approach grief therapy collaboratively, attuning to your individual needs and drawing from therapeutic approaches and practices that I believe will be most helpful for you. The space we create together is flexible, and I welcome your feedback so that we can adjust our work to meet what you need in the moment.
How I Support Clients Experiencing Grief and Loss
When working with clients experiencing grief, bereavement, or other significant losses, I may draw on a range of therapeutic tools and approaches, including:
Validating your emotions and experiences. Many of the things people experience while grieving are normal responses to loss, even when they feel overwhelming, confusing, or frightening.
Creating space for stories and memories. Sharing memories and talking about the person, relationship, experience, or life you have lost can be an important part of processing grief.
Exploring what remains unsaid. We can find ways to express words, feelings, wishes, or sentiments that you were unable to communicate to a loved one or another significant person connected to your loss.
Developing a different relationship with difficult emotions. We can explore tools for experiencing emotions from a different perspective, allowing them to move and shift rather than becoming overwhelming or remaining stuck.
Creating meaningful rituals. Rituals can offer ways to honour loved ones, relationships, experiences, transitions, and the parts of life that have changed.
Exploring cultural and spiritual perspectives. When it is meaningful to you, we can consider how your culture, spirituality, beliefs, or worldview influence the way you understand and experience grief.
Increasing awareness of grief in the body. Grief is not only an emotional experience. We can explore how it shows up physically and develop greater awareness of your body's responses.
Working with the nervous system. We can develop practical ways to support your nervous system when emotions become intense or difficult to regulate.
Guided expressive writing. For clients who enjoy writing or want to explore their experiences through words, I may incorporate guided journaling and expressive writing exercises into our work.
You don’t have to feel isolated and alone with your grief.
Whether you are grieving the death of someone you love, the end of an important relationship, the loss of a dream or future you imagined, a significant life transition, or another experience of loss, grief counselling can offer a place to slow down, feel what you are feeling, and begin making sense of what comes next.
I offer online psychotherapy and counselling across Ontario, as well as in-person services in Niagara Falls and the surrounding Niagara region.
If you’re wondering whether therapy might be helpful, let’s sit down for a FREE 15-minute consultation and talk about what you’re experiencing and how I might support you.