Grief and Loss Counselling in West Point Grey, BC.

Death is a natural part of the life cycle but whether expected or sudden we are often left with many emotions. My counselling approach gives you the opportunity to express your feelings in a safe and confidential environment, and allows room for exploration of your feelings. By expressing feelings of loss/grief, clients often report feeling less overwhelmed, sad, and depressed.

Loss may comee in many forms. The most obvious is relationship loss. A partner, spouse, relative or friend whos is not lomger with us can be an incredibly intense experience. Even someone who has moved away can leavchments to their e a void that may be difficult to fill. Other types of loses include that of ones pet. Many individuals form strong to their pets and this loss can be devistating. Grief is a naturel process that promotes healing. If grief persists for too long then it may dominate a persons ability to return to normal functioning

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.

When dealing with grief and loss, successful results come from processing grief in a healthy manner and moving through to a place of feeling more settled. With my approaches of both EMDR & Neurofeedback (NFB), the brain is supported in a healthy manner to best allow the processing of loss and allow healing to take place. With NFB, neural connections are enhanced, affecting the Central Nervous System in a natural way to get the brain and body to be at its best. Once the brain training is completed, the effects last and the client is able to move forward in a settled fashion. With EMDR, clients can quickly decrease the intense and often negative emotional charge that loss brings.

Each of our lives is touched by grief and loss in personal ways –and- also globally, at times. The process of grieving can be naturally healing and cleansing. But sometimes loss is overwhelming or we simply need some good support for our grieving process. I believe in our natural ability to heal and recover from loss. Support I offer includes: • Understanding you and your unique story • Taking stock of a loss—what treasures remain and what is truly gone • Educating around healthy and unhealthy grief • Helping you discover the ways you already know how to grieve and cope with loss so you can amplify what helps and lessen what doesn’t

Are you struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one? Do you need assistance to move forward through the grieving process? Counselling can provide you with the support and guidance needed during the grieving process. Charlene has assisted many clients over the years to find peace during this difficult time. Call Charlene to find out how she can help you.

As isolating and overwhelming as grief can be, you will find a sense of support in counselling with Molly. You will be encouraged to take your time and process your loss at your own pace. When you're ready, Molly can introduce methods like CBT, EMDR, or mindfulness to help with sorting out complex emotions, finding meaning, and beginning to heal as you move toward a renewed sense of connection and purpose.

ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO MOVE FORWARD AFTER A LOSS OR IS YOUR GRIEF TOO MUCH TO HANDLE ON YOUR OWN? Grief is heartbreaking, and can be overwhelming. The emotions following a significant loss can range from sadness, guilt, anger and fear – and sometimes all of these at once. At the same time, it is not uncommon to also experience numbness and detachment in the aftermath of loss. Overall, people who have experienced a major loss often describe feeling destabilized, unable to concentrate, and unmoored. Loss can change how we see ourselves and the world around us, which leaves us uncertain as to how to move forward. Let's work through the complexities of your grief together.

Are you a gay man that’s struggling with grief and loss? Grieving can be unique for gay men because it can include grieving the loss of people, relationships, and even experiences you may have never had. I help gay men by teaching them tools to make the grieving process more manageable, working through grief that feels “stuck,” and exploring what it means for you to live a fulfilling life while grieving.

Whether you feel buried in the untimely loss of a loved one; you are experiencing the grief associated with losing a job you desperately needed; buckling from the pain associated with the breakdown of a precious relationship that you were greatly invested… there is hope to breathe again, to live a life of joy, to get out of bed in the morning. Let me walk by your side, and provide you tools that have been proven to lessen your load, and bring you back to that strong capable person you know you once were.

Loss can leave one with a myriad of emotions (feeling overwhelmed, confused, depressed, deeply sad, angry, among others). If left to our own accord, most will eventually begin to feel generally better; however, some lasting emotionality is not uncommon. In other cases, individuals experience a persistent and long-lasting deep sense of loss. In either event, counselling can help individuals to honour the emotionality of grief and loss while reducing the overall effect on their daily living. Ego-State therapy, is particularly well designed for grief and loss interventions, helping individuals to understand the loss, as well as finding and bolstering their own personal coping resources.

Many of the usual grief behaviors may seem like manifestations of depression. These emotions and behaviors may include such things as: sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, loneliness, fatigue, shock, preoccupation, sleep/appetite disturbance and social withdrawal. Although these reactions are all very normal, some people may be troubled by the length of time or the severity to which they are experiencing them. This is a good place to try counselling for guidance through the stages of mourning.

In my approach to Grief & Loss Therapy, I provide clients with a compassionate and supportive space to navigate the complex emotions and challenges that arise during times of loss. I understand that grief is a highly individualized process, and I tailor my therapy to meet each client's unique needs. By helping clients explore and express their feelings, memories, and fears, I aim to facilitate healing and acceptance. Through this therapeutic journey, clients can expect to gain a deeper understanding of their grief, develop coping strategies, and ultimately find a path towards emotional resilience and a sense of peace, allowing them to honour their loved ones and move forward with their lives

Grief and loss can present itself in many different ways and show up in our lives in many different forms. Surviving a loss can be life-shattering, especially if we feel like we are experiencing it alone. My experience with grief is that it comes in waves and is not a linear process. There is no clear process or timeline that we should hold ourselves to when recovering from a loss. Each person's experience is unique and carries its own complexities with it. Together we can discuss what is weighing heavily on you and find a path forward towards healing.

Grief and Loss are the primary factors in every area of challenge in our lives. It could be the loss of a key relationship or the loss of self esteem, the loss of direction or health or identity, that is the basis of why one needs counselling support. No matter what the loss is, the benefits of identifying that loss and working through the grief process will release you from pain and hopelessness and move you into a world of hope and possibility!

Unfortunately, grief is an unavoidable part of life. Everyone will lose someone they love at some point in their life. Managing a loss can be difficult and the world can feel like it's flipper over. Grief is a powerful emotional response to a loss that we have had and is not limited to the loss of losing someone. I help guide my clients in a non-judgemental way in helping to process their emotions attached to the grief that they are experiencing along with processing the event of the grief. I will listen to my clients in a supportive manner, sensitively and caringly help individuals to grieve their losses in their own unique ways and go over rituals which may help despite their grief.

The loss of any relationship can be devastating. Grief for the death of a loved one can go through many phases before we come to accept the loss. In a family system, changes in relationships occur and we often see sides of our families that did not exist prior to the death. Often the end of a relationship can feel like a death and takes time to heal and move forward. Learning about the natural process of healing from Grif and Loss will be helpful in the weeks and months following a loss.

Coping with the loss of a loved one can be a very painful experience. When you are caught up in strong emotions such as sadness, anger, fear, or shock, you may feel alone and misunderstood, and wonder if your experience is normal or if it will ever end. You do not have to walk this journey alone. I will come alongside you, to patiently and gently help you move through the grieving process toward a place of acceptance and peace so that you can recover a sense of contentment and meaning in life.

I will guide you through the work of healing loss and grief in a safe and thoughtfully-paced process. I will bear witness to your pain and walk with you as you find a new way of being in life after loss. I will listen, suggest coping strategies, and help mobilize resources to help you cope during this time of great upheaval and sadness. You are not alone.

Grief is common to us all, however, how we grieve, is a very individual experience. My focus is in familiarizing you with your process of grieving and helping you reorganize your emotional life with grief as a predominant character. Grief can be alienating, to our former self, as well as to our those closest to us. My role is helping you integrate your grief, as much as we can.

In my work with grief and loss, I utilize Dr. Alan Wolfelt’s “grief as a garden” approach which offers a gentle, nurturing framework for understanding the grieving process. By viewing grief as a garden that requires tending, individuals are encouraged to honor their emotions, embrace vulnerability, and allow healing to unfold naturally over time. In a therapeutic context, this metaphor fosters self-compassion and patience, reminding clients that growth often comes from intentional care—such as cultivating self-awareness, processing feelings, and seeking support. This perspective can empower individuals to see grief not as a problem to solve but as a journey toward renewal and transformation

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.

We offer support and provide a safe and empathetic space for clients to process their grief and navigate the complexities of their emotions in the aftermath of loss, breakup, or significant life changes. Drawing upon evidence-based approaches, we guide clients through the stages of grief, helping them understand and make sense of their emotions, thoughts, and experiences.

Grief counseling helps people cope with grief and mourning following the loss of a loved one or due to major life changes that trigger feelings of grief (i.e. job loss or divorce). It provides a space for individuals to work through and process the complex emotions surrounding loss. Healthy grieving results in remembering the loss with a newfound sense of peace, rather than searing pain.

GRIEF AND LOSS THERAPY Discovering how to live with and move through the pain of loss is a deeply personal process. There is no set amount of time or way to grieve. Only the time and manner that is right for you is right. Sadness, intense grief, anger and fear, a sense of lost identity, feelings of guilt, disorientation, a loss of purpose, a feeling of numbness may be part of your experience. As a counsellor who has worked with people of all ages and backgrounds, I bring a compassionate heart, a nonjudgmental approach and a warm environment where you can safely explore the feelings and thoughts that face you. Getting the support you need can make a huge difference.