Grief and Loss Counselling in Redwater, AB.

My approach to understanding and processing grief is about rejecting the view that there are "stages to grief." My perspective on grief is that it is an ongoing process and that there is no one way to grieve. My viewpoint is about exploring the meaning and the relationship you had with the individual in life and death. Additionally, I explore ways to connect with the lost object, concept, individual, and/or animal. Last, in counselling we collaborate on strategies to cope with grief, loss, or anticipatory grief (waiting for a loss to occur).

Do you find yourself thinking about all of the ways that you could have or should have prevented that painful thing from happening? Sentences starting with "If only I", "If only they", "I should have", I shouldn't have" are all thoughts brought on by grief and loss and the desperation to change painful experiences and life events that result in loss. Do you revisit painful losses or feel trapped by grief that has a grip on you that will not let go? At Mindful Centre we understand grief and loss and we can help you to process the pain while honoring the ones you love and finding comfort and healing.

Our world is forever changed after experiencing a sudden and tragic loss. We may feel very vulnerable to the world around us. Everyday living can be an experience of heightened anxiety, loneliness and tears. We may even have strained relationships because the pain of loss is so overwhelming. Together, we can try to make sense of and to understand your loss. We can learn ways to control your emotions, find peace of mind and change your reactions of memories from sorrow to gratitude.

I would like to be your support system in your grief journey by giving you a safe and judgement free environment, where you will be able to experience emotional and physical support. Together, we will start your healing process through sharing your story, increasing your understanding of the situation, finding new coping skills, working on your hope...

Grief and loss can be one of the hardest things we face in life. It can leave you feeling hopeless and lost. However, grief and loss are an inevitable and normal part of life and something we all need to get through. I can help you learn to skills to cope with the grief and loss in your life, so that you can work past the pain and move on with your life in a productive way. If you are facing grief and loss contact me and we can make a plan for you to move forward.

Grief is like having a broken rib. You may look fine on the outside, but there is massive pain on the inside. It hurts to move, sometimes it hurts to even breathe. Everyone experiences grief differently, but a commonality is that grieving alone makes it harder to heal. We are social beings and we feel intense grief when we loose someone we love. You are meant to be seen, heard and supported by others through grief. Sadness needs to be processed and there is no quick fix (I wish it was easier). If we can find meaning in the midst of loss it provides something to hold onto as you navigate your pain, and learn to move forward.

Losses can effect individuals in a variety of ways. Within a cleint-centered counselling approach I provide individuals with a safe and non-judgemental environment in which they can explore their feelings and process various types of losses and grief as well as complicated grief. I assist individuals in adjusting to life after loss and in coping with a variety of changes that can occur within oneself and in relationship with others around them.

The feelings you experience with every loss in life are a natural and normal reaction. Most people have never been taught the tools and resources to heal from grief. By taking this action-based approach, you will have the opportunity to work through a loss in a safe and supportive environment – without analysis, criticism, or judgment. While loss affects people in different ways, feelings of grief, hurt, pain, and sadness can emerge. Grief is a natural, normal reaction to loss. My guidance will be to ensure that you learn new skills and tools to recover from the conflicting emotions and take the appropriate steps to ‘complete’ the loss.

Grief is a potential reaction to a loss of any kind whether through death, divorce, abandonment, separation, job loss, illness, disease diagnosis, kids leaving home, etc. Feelings of anger, resentment, shame, confusion, isolation or abandonment can result. Friends and family may not know what to say or how to provide support. A trained professional, who is profoundly sympathetic, respectful and empathetic, with the skills required to help one navigate through this difficult time, can be critical in helping one regain equilibrium.

When we suffer a loss our tendency is to cling to the person or thing that was lost. Grief is the process of letting go. Through grief therapy you will be able to find the courage to embrace the inevitable pain and to transform the emptiness into a renewed affirmation of yourself. The pain needs to be fully experienced and expressed in a supportive environment. It is a normal reflection of our love for the one we have lost.

Feelings of loss and grief come up for different reasons. You may have lost a loved one, a relationship or even a change in your physical functioning due to accidents or illness. Whatever the reason, therapy can help in the grieving process. It gives you the space to acknowledge your loss, what it meant to you as well as finding new ways to ascribe meaning in your life.

Our fast paced world does not create the adequate time needed to process and move forward from loss toward healing. Therefore, the counselling process can create space and time for clients to grieve in the time and way each individual needs. Helping clients to slow down from the busyness of daily demands allows clients to identify the effect of the loss and build hope for the future.

Loosing a loved ones hurts especially if it's a spouse, child, parent, friend or family pet. Dealing with grief is a process and having a gentle, compassionate person to walk through this with you can be the difference between drowning, and moving through overwhelmingly painful feelings to feeling whole again. Art therapy offers another modality for expressing grief that may be hard to articulate. It is when we process our emotions that pain can be lifted and new maces of being in the world are found.

Grief is a normal response to loss. Together we can help you feel less alone as you make your way through the rivers of grief and forests of sadness. I believe no matter how much pain we are in, something inside us is stronger than pain. Accommodating the process of grief and its effects do not have to be processed alone. You can get through this pain, and there is a path back to feeling alive again. We will email back and forth, it's just like talking to a friend only you will receive professional help on your own schedule. Secure, and completely confidential, to assist you in the healing process around mourning , and provide comfort to the bereaved.

Loss can be the most painful thing we as humans can experience. The finality of loss and the pain of grieving often take a toll on our mental health. Grief is not just an emotion we experience, it is a physiological process our body goes through after a significant loss. Grief and loss also does not just occur from experiencing the death of someone we care about. Grief is not always about a negative loss. Grief can occur anytime there is a transition in life where we have to let go of something familiar. Even positive experiences like having a child can lead to feelings of grief and loss from the life we had before or how we have changed how we now define ourselves.

Everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. The grieving process is a deeply painful and isolating experience that involves many complicated emotions. Being inundated with advice to “move on,” “keep busy,” “be strong,” or “wait for time to heal” often keeps us stuck and isolated in our pain. Even if the loss wasn’t a surprise, we often feel unprepared and ill-equipped to deal with the complex emotions that arise.

Standard Grief: Sadness directly related to a loss. Complex Grief: Sadness related to a loss. Includes additional meanings and associated emotions as in: Regret – “I am a horrible person” Anger – “The universe took something too soon” Hopelessness – “ My life has not meaning now” Fear – “I am at risk of losing more” Helpless – “I am incapable- I cannot go on” Complex grief is grieving that get stuck because of the complicating meaning the trauma of loss has triggered. In order to treat complex grief, we remove the LBs associated with the loss, as shown above, and this lets the standard grief progress through the regular stages of grief, to arrive at a healthy perspective on the loss.

The loss of a loved one, whether a spouse, friend, relative or pet, is a tough experience to deal with, and grief is expected and normal in such situations. I can work with you to process the grief that you are experiencing, and together we will work towards finding a stronger person within you, who is able to grieve and accept the loss, and also find ways to adjust to the changes that the loss had in your life.

[I OFFER VIDEO SESSIONS THROUGHOUT ALBERTA AND ONTARIO]. You are hurting now, and I understand that. I have been a psychologist since 1986 with plenty of hard-earned wisdom. I too have experienced grief and loss many times in my life. I can help. Let us chat about the pain you are feeling now. Book with me right now by going to https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=14249112

At Rivers Edge Counselling, our therapists can help you with your grief or bereavement by: helping you better identify and accept your loss, move through the various emotions associated with loss like anger, hopelessness, sadness, guilt and loneliness seek a new approach to remember and honour a loved one who has passed away, and finally accept the impact it has had on shaping your life.

As cliche as it sounds healing from grief takes time. In fact my philosophy is that you do not really heal from grief. You will always feel the hurt from the loss of the loved one, and it is that hurt that keeps you connected to them. We are not going to try and get rid of your heartache, but rather help you manage and appreciate the heartache that you have in a more optimistic positive manner.

It has been said that life is about loss, and how one deals with it. Grief is how we deal with loss. Uncomplicated grief is an adjustment process, not an illness. There is one, though...an illness, I mean. I'd say the "illness" is cultural: For one reason or another, people ordinarily lose patience with the grief process, and often well before a healthy mourner is through their active grieving process. Unexpressed grief from former losses can extend the time needed for healthy grieving. People's wounds and scars can close heart and mind toward the grieving process. In an imperfect world, psychotherapists hold space and make time for (and precious to) a balanced grief process.

Loss and grief come in many forms. Grieving is a personal experience. I have worked with clients experiencing loss of a loved one including a pet companion, loss of functioning/mobility, employment loss including retirement, and relocation/joining a new country. My approach integrates compassion, hope, renewal, and ways to integrate the loss. In my work and research in this area, moving forward from loss combines honouring the past while actively finding new ways to engage in the present.

Grieving a loss can feel overwhelming and sometimes it feels like the pain will never end. Losses are experienced uniquely for each individual and reactions can greatly vary. Having a compassionate person to talk and share with makes a difference. Processing your feelings enables you to work through the stages of grief. As you deal with pain, guilt, anger and overwhelm you move from surviving to thriving again.

At Living Well we journey along side our clients suffering from a loss & offer respect as clients work through their grief. In addition to grief/loss you may be suffering with anxiety or depression, difficult decisions, family concerns & so forth. As such, we attempt to understand all that is going on and then recommend a therapist that's right for you.