It is a hard truth that grief is a problem that cannot be solved. There are no words and there are no actions that can erase the death of your loved one. Nonetheless, grief counseling can be helpful. Personally and professionally, I have found that one can only talk honestly about grief with friends and family for so long without beginning to feel uncomfortable. Few people are well-socialized about how to talk about death, grief, and adjusting to living without their loved ones. Therefore, it can be a relief to talk with a professional who isn't afraid of your feelings, your story of loss, or upset by the decisions you make in order to move forward in a way that works for you.
Grief is an extremely physical process that sometimes leaves the bereaved feeling like a ball of nerves: panic attacks, insomnia, hyperarousal of the nervous system in general. It is exhausting. I help my clients calm their bodies with relaxation, breath work, and guided meditations. These are all things you can use at home, not just in my office.
Some people have what we call complicated grief, which is just that: it's complicated. In the case of complicated grief, counseling often goes beyond basic coping skills and involves a more extensive adjustment to the loss. If the loss had an element of trauma - violence, for example - I integrate therapies specific to trauma resolution, like EMDR, to reduce or eliminate intrusive thoughts and images, and reduce your distress level when you think about the death.
Finally, I provide a lot of education about grief. As I said above, few people are educated about what grief entails. I will teach you what I have learned from my personal experiences of loss and from my 20 years of training and education in counseling and psychology.
I cannot erase the pain of your loss. But I can help make your path to healing more clear, and the feelings less overwhelming so you can better cope with your grief.
Call me today for a free 10-minute consultation - I look forward to hearing from you.