Grief and Loss Counseling in Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Grieving is a normal part of life - it takes time. We do not get over it; we get through it. When thinking of loss, we naturally think about the death of a loved one. Loss can also be losing your job, home, health, or realtionship. The goal of grieving is not to eliminate the pain, but to reorganize one's life so the loss is one important part of life and not the center of one's life.

We help our client to heal and process grief and loss through holding safe space for them to work through difficult emotions and experiences in a supportive environment. Everyone grieves differently, but it can be very beneficial to receive support from loved ones and therapists as you cope with grief and loss. Collaborative therapy, Emotionally-Focused therapy, grief psychoeducation, and techniques such as EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy) can be especially helpful.

With my experience in ministry, in counseling, and in life-coaching, I’ve helped men work through the complicated emotions around grief and loss. As men we feel pressure to be a “rock” for everyone else. Then our wives tell us to open up and feel our feelings. But do they really want to see us fall apart? Like many things, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Chances are that you’ve bravely put your feelings on hold to care for others, and regardless of what the world says, there’s love and nobility in that. And at the same time, you need a place to be real and work through the pain. If you’re ready to take the next step and face what needs to be faced, man to man, I’m here to help.

Perhaps one emotion which is often not recognized by those around us is grief, which is a natural response to loss. We often associate it with the loss of someone, but it is also caused by things such as divorce or a relationship breakup, losing a job, loss of financial stability, death of a pet , loss of safety after a trauma, selling the family home and many other things. I can help you understand the grieving process and that there is no right or wrong way to grieve, it depends upon many factors which include your personality and coping style, your faith and just how significant the loss was to you. There is no “normal” timetable for grieving and together we can find the ways to help you cope with the pain, and healing that allow you to move forward in life.

As an experienced Christian Counselor and ordained pastor, I’ve supported many men through the grief process. If you’re grieving, I will provide a supportive space for you to process your emotions. Because grief is a normal part of being human, I can’t take it away or rush you through it. However, I can help you identify barriers to grief, and help you prevent the grief process from becoming stuck. I know grief professionally. But I also know grief personally. Losing one of my best friends and my beloved grandparents was hard enough, but facing the untimely death of my father was, and is, a uniquely painful experience. If given the chance, I would be honored to help you process your grief.

A lot of people run from grief work - I don't. I understand the pain of loss and I will help you through the darkness. Grief is a very profound and personal experience. The pain of loss never goes away completely - that person will always be an important part of your life and experience. I am happy to help you walk through that pain so that you are not alone in your grief.

Grief and loss are the intensely personal emotions that occur after losing a loved one. Grief can also occur after the loss of a pregnancy, a divorce, a terminal diagnosis, the loss of a beloved pet, and changes in your health or the health of a loved one. Even the simplest tasks can trigger feelings of grief after experiencing a loss making everyday life feel impossible. Through empathy and the safe environment you'll receive in therapy, you can feel supported as you move through all of the emotions that grief brings with it. You can move towards acceptance and discover what your life looks like after loss.