Grief and Loss Counselling in Whitby, ON.

Navigate the journey of grief and loss with supportive, compassionate guidance through each stage. Grief therapy combined with an Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) approach offers clients a safe space to process complex emotions, find meaning, and rebuild connections. EFT helps clients access and understand their deepest feelings, leading to profound healing and resilience. Embrace a therapeutic path that respects your unique experience, empowering you to honor your loss while gradually rediscovering hope and balance.

In my practice you will find a safe place to talk about and work through pain, and the feelings of sadness, confusion, guilt, shame and anger that often accompany the experience of grief and loss. Moving through grief and loss is your personal journey that takes time and is experienced uniquely from your own perspective. I provide therapy, counselling and and support for people who have lost a loved one such as a family member, friend or colleague whether through death or the ending of a relationship, those who have lost an important pet or animal companion or people who have experienced a loss that includes a loss of a job or personal identity.

We all grieve differently; there is no right or wrong way to grieve. It is a uniquely personal experience. My therapeutic approach is to meet my clients where they are and address their current needs. That may be sitting in a safe space and expressing your emotions, talking about how life will be different after the loss or focusing on self-care. I will provide guidance, validation, and support but this journey is yours so I will check in with you regularly to ensure that your needs are being met. Please contact me if you would like to book a free consultation.

Grief is a natural process that feels completely unnatural and so unwanted. We often have thoughts or expectations around grief, mostly that we want it to go away. Therapy can help us process the different stages of grief, and move towards a space of acceptance and peace with our loss. The process of grief is not linear, and coming to terms and understanding our unique ways of grieving can be a path towards healing.

Often the loss of a loved one, pet, item, or aspect of a person can lead to intense feelings of grief. At times when the loss is surrounded by traumatic events this grief becomes complicated. Clients will often find that reprocessing these traumatic moments that led to the loss will help them be able to cope with any feelings that come up. They may find that their memories are no longer haunted by feelings of anxiety, extreme sadness, or loss of hope.

Addressing grief and loss in therapy has profound benefits by providing a supportive environment to process emotions, express feelings, and find meaning after the loss. I can help you navigate the stages of grief, reduce feelings of isolation, and possibly preventing complicated grief or depression. Through therapy, I can help you develop coping strategies, build resilience, and ultimately find a path toward healing and acceptance.

When a person has experienced the loss of someone or something significant, it is not uncommon for them to experience overwhelming feelings of sadness, a sense of confusion or "being at a loss", as well as difficulty experiencing happiness and joy. At New Roots Therapy, we acknowledge that these feelings - as well as many others - may emerge for you as you move through your own experience of grief and loss. We believe that, in working with grief and loss, it is not just about "moving past" or "letting go". Rather, our hope is to honour the uniqueness of your experience and to help you connect your feelings of grief to the importance of the lost relationship on your life.

Whether through a death or a break up, loss and the grieving process is extremely difficult. I’m sure you’ve heard of the stages of grieving (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance). But, they don’t always go in that order, and they often jump around in your time line. Your grieving process has no time limits, and every journey is unique. I will walk with you through that, at your pace. No matter which stage of grieving you’re in, reach out to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit.

Are you using alcohol, substances, or addictive behaviors to cope with grief and loss? Although they provide relief in the short term, their long-term effects on your relationships and health can make it even more difficult to cope. Through a compassionate non-judgmental approach, I help clients explore their relationship to grief and loss so that they can overcome addictive coping strategies. If you're looking for another way forward, feel free to reach out and we can set up a free consultation to discuss further.

Drawing upon the work of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross ("On Death & Dying" and "On Grief and Grieving"), I support people in their grieving journey, assessing the challenges and also the strengths each person has to most effectively adjust to loss and develop effective coping strategies. Ultimately, finding ways to carry this loss and grief in the most graceful way possible is the goal to be attained. Courage and faith along with a growing spiritual understanding and openness contribute greatly to the success of this work.