Grief and Loss

Loss comes in many forms throughout our life journey.

It might be the death of a loved one.

It could be the end of a relationship with a partner or long-time friend.

It might be a career change… or losing a role at work you’ve had for a long time.

Perhaps you’re losing touch with a lifestyle that no longer serves you… yet it’s challenging to find a new way to move through your life.

No matter the loss, it comes with challenges…

The death of a loved one can come with an array of emotions. You don’t even have the space to feel your feelings and are swept up with all the responsibilities of losing someone.

All the things you have to take care of can be overwhelming, and relationships with family members can sometimes get tense. Some of this strain can boil over into fights and disagreements.

You can lose more than the person who died… you may lose a way of life that was familiar to you.

Holidays are celebrated differently.

You lose your “go-to” person to call when you need guidance.

When you get a promotion, you no longer call them to share your success.

Relationships end throughout our lifetime. We all must adjust to someone not being present in our life.

It’s difficult to face the world on your own.

You feel lost and alone in this world.

Your biggest fan is gone.

The one person you could always talk to won’t answer your calls.

Big changes can happen, and they may feel like a slap in the face. You dedicate so much time and energy to something and end up on the street like trash. Maybe you finally admit that you are unhappy in your current life situation. Pushing yourself to find a new path may seem scary, and you worry others may think you’re making a “big mistake.”

You might be able to navigate this change on your own…

You take your given bereavement days and get back to the grind. You find yourself struggling to stay focused and sometimes cry for no reason.

Maybe you join an online support group or attend one in person but aren’t really connecting with others in the group.

Discussing things with friends and family… you just find other sad stories or anger about their relationships with loss.

Perhaps, you pretend that everything is “just fine” until it isn’t.

Sometimes a little help can go a long way…

I am a Certified Grief Counselor with additional training in grief yoga and infant loss. I can help you through this difficult time and transition into the next chapter of your life with grace.

Your healing might not take a linear path. It might feel like a heck of a roller coaster ride. I’m willing to walk beside you as you take small steps forward… and when you take a few steps backward.

And when you take those steps backward, I’ll be there to remind you that some of the things you’re going through are typical of someone facing that type of grief or loss.

Sharing your story…

Sometimes just having the space to share your story can be quite healing. I provide a compassionate, caring space where we can explore your story and your feelings can be normalized and validated.

There will be no unhelpful statements about how you “should” be feeling or questions about how long you have been grieving your loss. Sharing your story also helps me understand any other underlying dynamics that may be activated from the loss.

Receiving empathy…

Being present to witness your pain and what it is like to be in your shoes… I walk beside you as we navigate this new territory together.

I am not here to tell you how my experience of loss is way worse than yours.

You don’t have to worry about overwhelming me with your emotions.

I don’t expect you to “be strong” for me.

Building awareness…

Connecting the mind and body, we work to identify where we may be holding onto our grief. We work toward feeling calmer as we release tension in these identified areas.

Bringing attention to our breath, we work toward finding more expansion and strive to create space for a deeper breath. We pay attention to our posture and make subtle shifts from a guarded, more protective stance to something more open and expansive.

Reconnecting to joy and positivity…

As we move through our loss… space begins to open up for us to have other experiences. Our grief may still be present, but there is more room for other emotions and opportunities to arise.

I will invite you to permit yourself to reconnect to joy – knowing that at times you may feel guilty for finding it but encouraging you to open up to the opportunity. The small things give us the most joy… we just need to allow permission for them to occur:

Noticing the way the sun feels as it touches your skin.

Laughing during the newest comedy.

Reconnecting back to a creative outlet.

Finding a new relationship.

Finding space and compassion for yourself…

Self-compassion is helpful during this journey.

We will work together to build awareness when different feelings arise and have acceptance of those feelings. Welcome them in like an old friend. Ahhhh… this is sadness coming back around for a visit.

The word compassion means “to suffer with” it helps us remember that all humans struggle at some point with a loss in their life. This allows us not to feel so alone in our journey. It may look and feel different, but we have all experienced it. You are not walking this path alone.

Finally, we work to develop kindness towards ourselves. This may look like shifting critical or harsh judgments about ourselves to ones that radiate positivity. It may be learning how to care for ourselves.

Acknowledging times when we need rest and not just push through things. Recognize we need more support from others and reach out to friends, family, or maybe me.

Let’s walk the path together…

You don’t have to struggle with transitioning after a loss alone. I can help guide you into navigating this new life.

I am here to provide you:

Space to share your story…
Empathy for your struggle…
Awareness around your emotions…
Reconnection back to the small things…
Encouragement to be compassionate towards yourself along the way…

If you are ready to walk the path, let’s schedule your free consultation so you can ask any further questions and ensure we are a good fit for each other.