Grief and Loss Counseling in Valparaiso, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We do not grieve unless we have loved. Grief and loss can manifest in so many ways. It may even come up out of no where. With grief and loss therapy, support is there and you do not feel alone. Grief is difficult to cope with on the best of days, but the holidays bring in a different kind of sadness. After all, it’s supposed to be a joyful time, and any memories we may have of ourselves and our loved ones celebrating the holidays might feel particularly painful. We might not feel like there’s a place for our grief during the holidays, but grief doesn’t take a break. And contrary to what we might think, both can coexist. It’s just a matter of finding the right balance.

Grief is hard. Grief is natural. Animals grieve. Grief is something we feel deep in our bodies and can be disorienting and destabilizing. Grief brings up questions about who we are, the world, the existence or goodness of God, and purpose and futility of life. Dealing with grief, especially when the loss is traumatic and unexpected, requires a slow and tender space to allow the grief to move through our body and to settle in our hearts with warmth and memory. I am here to help you grieve the loss of your loved one, experience, health , future or even your beloved pet. .

Grief and loss can be so difficult to manage and come out of nowhere. When we work together, we will gently learn the about the grief journey you are experiencing. As we learn your life experiences, we may find that some of the distress is rooted in early childhood trauma and attachment wounding. We will welcome all parts of yourself and learn about the challenging messages you may have grown up with that manifested into the distress you feel today. Disordered eating can be a messenger, an alarm telling you that it is time to heal experiences from earlier in life. I am trained in using EMDR, Emotion Focused Therapy and Expressive Arts to help you become your best self.