Grief and Loss Counselling in Chilliwack, BC.

Grief and loss can be devastating. Left untreated, grief has the power to knock you off your foundation causing instability in your life. I would help to assist with the grief process by providing a safe therapeutic environment allowing the client to have a voice to express or to feel what needs to be felt. Grief needs a witness and a way of expression, but for this to be possible safety and support are essential. No one should ever have to grieve alone; therefore, providing safety, compassion, empathy, understanding and a non-judgement environment is therapeutically useful and healing.

Loss and life come hand in hand; whether it be a loved one, a pet or any other thing we hold dear, we all experience grief at some point. When faced with loss, grief is a natural response which comes with a multitude of feelings. Counselling can be a space to explore all that comes with grief or simply sit with our grief and build compassion for ourselves through our experience.

When we are mourning a loved one, whether it be a family member, the end of a close relationship, or even an animal that was dear to heart, it is a very complex and painful process. There is no one right way to grieve. Some clients need to discuss a specific situation word-for-word in order to process a loss and others need to just sit in the pain and cry. As a counsellor, I would be there on that journey with you. I would discuss with you what you want to discuss about the loss and I would use a client-centred approach to help guide you through your bereavement.

Individuals, couples, and families experience grief in their own way and on their own time. Often the feeling of loss changes and it can be extremely helpful to have someone to support you along your journey without judgment or expectations. To walk alongside with empathy and understanding.

I understand that the pain you're going through right now feels unbearable, like a heavy weight on your soul. In our work together, we'll create a safe space to explore your feelings and memories, using therapeutic approaches tailored to your unique experience of grief. While the journey ahead may be challenging, it's important to remember that healing is possible. You don't have to go through this alone; I'll be here to support you every step of the way, helping you find a path toward hope and renewal.

We cope with the loss of a loved ones in different ways. The way we grieve depends on our personality and the relationship with the loss one. Our cultural and religious background, coping skills, support systems, our social and financial status, affects how we cope with grief… There is no right or wrong way of coping with death. Sometimes when you do something to relieve your feelings and to give yourself a sense of achievement, you are accomplishing your journey through mourning. I work with you to plan specific activities and behaviours that are therapeutic for you during your grief.

Grief is unique to each person. It can be in the form of a lost ideal or a physical loss of a loved one. Walking along side, accepting, validating and nurturing your feelings in a comfortable and safe environment is my goal. Throughout this process and with time my hope is that we can build a new norm and renew your sense of hope while honouring and cherishing your loss.

Sometimes the passage of time is not enough to help us after the loss of someone we love. Perhaps you want to speak of past experiences or to find closure to unfinished business. You may need to find ways to carry on in life, discovering new ways to participate emotionally or with life style changes. Carey will help you find what you need, encouraging you to find your path with self kindness and greater patience.

My approach is to join with you to understand your experience of loss intimately and deeply in conversation with you. When we are joined with the pain, you will not have to feel it alone, even if the grief is only fully healed with time. I will help you make sense of your feelings and provide psychoeducation around the phases of grief, specifically to how these known phases can be meaningful to your current experience, what you are feeling, and how you can continue to honour the person, relationship, or thing that you have lost and find acceptance and hope.

Grey Matters International and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D approaches issues of grief & loss through the lens of innovation----instead of growing the same neural networks responsible for the pain in weekly therapy sessions, we reset the brain to move forward quicker and efficiently by working on the stuck limbic system so as to empower the person with more success and traction. For no one wants to stay in a grief mode for too long; but when you don’t include the brain in your work with someone, you risk describing the water to them while they drown and calling it success. Contact Grey Matters International, Inc now at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.

Working from an empathetic stance, I support families as they progress through stages of grief and loss. I also help them to find meaning and comfort during difficult times. Having lost loved ones as well, I provide non-judgemental therapy that is irrespective of the way the loss occurred (I have helped families process death due to suicide) and is person-centred. I work with different kinds of losses, including romantic relationship, loss by death, divorce, miscarriages and abortion, infertility as well as complicated grief.

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.

I previously provided consultations for the BC Coroner's Office for 14 years. I functioned as a behavioural investigator and my role was to investigate completed suicides of youths 18 years of age and under. Needless to say this provided me with an opportunity to provide initial grief support to the most some of the most vulnerable clients at a most difficult time! As difficult as this role was it was an honour to have this opportunity to be there at the darkest hour!

My passion for Clinical Counseling developed throughout my 15+ years of professional experience in the human services field. During this time and as a Clinical Counsellor I have supported individuals in healing from anxiety, depression, PTSD, childhood trauma, and grief and loss. It is humbling to support youth, adults, and families to overcome distressing and traumatic life events while helping them realize their strengths and resilient qualities. In a client-centered, caring, and compassionate environment, I will support you in your journey of exploring those issues that cause you distress. It is important that you realize your true potential by being supported and empowered to discover and utilize your strengths. I will support you through your healing...(view profile to read more)