Grief and Loss Counseling in Newtown, PA.

Grief and loss can be particularly challenging areas to address in therapy. They are often require long-term therapy. Grief and loss does not just happen once, particularly in the event of the loss of a loved one. When the grief/loss is connected to that of a loved one, most people still have some level of grief or sadness even when therapy is complete. This is normal as the loss will forever change the person's life. Much of therapy focuses on normalizing this experience, helping to determine ways they might want to stay connected to the person they lost, or just provide the space to process those feelings. Loss can also include loss of status, finances, and relationships.

To help a client cope through grief and loss, I sometimes use the example of how an oyster forms a pearl. The oyster ingests a grain of sand that causes pain, and which cannot be removed or dissolved (just like we cannot eliminate the pain of missing a loved one). So the oyster begins to encase the grain of sand with layers of calcium-like substance, that makes the grain of sand easier to carry and hold, without the rough edges. Coping through grief and loss can involve learning how to unpack, experience, and adjust how we carry the pain. Therapy can help you soften and encase the pain of loss, forming a "pearl" around it that is easier to carry with you, and perhaps make it more precious.

Losing a loved one can be incredibly debilitating, the grief often feels endless like a bottomless pit- mornings are awful and nights even worse. I provide empathic grief counseling with a proactive style to help individuals walk through this pain and learn to live their life with peace again. When you feel like you need more to lean on than family and friends, help is here.

Our approach emphasizes setting boundaries, managing emotional energy, and practicing self-compassion. By utilizing the Companioning Model of Bereavement Caregiving, we create a healing environment where shared experiences foster understanding and growth. This model focuses on being present with your grief rather than trying to fix it, honoring your unique journey. Our goal is to support you in moving forward with renewed hope and resilience, helping you find peace and acceptance during difficult times.

You can grow from grief. I can help you build the skills to better manage your loss. Grief has no infinite definition. There is grief associated with death. The death may be sudden, or it may be due to a long term illness. There is grief associated with relationship loss. This may be due to separation, divorce or loss of friendship. Catastrophic loss may be loss of a job, financial status, accident or medical illness. You can move on and grow from your experience.

Grief and loss is a normal part of human experience. We can too often rush to pathologize and/or attempt to get rid of the feelings of loss and grief, something to stay away from. However, letting our grief be, or letting ourselves simply experience grief, making it a normal experience can help us not only heal from loss but move forward and grow from our painful experiences.

Grief and Loss is an often overlooked experience of modern life. Death of a loved-one is usually when we acknowledge actively grieving. However, life is in many ways a series of losses (life shifts) and with each loss comes the necessity to grieve. When we do not navigate our losses with the process of actively grieving, each new loss compounds those that came before. Learning how to honour your heart as a source of strength and wisdom through loss - even though it's hurting - is your path to greater strength and resilience in life. Support is available through divorce/separation, ill health, unemployment, "empty nesters," loss of pet, trauma, loss of a relationship, moving, ageing.

Have you been struggling emotionally or behaviorally due to a recent loss? Psychotherapy can be a powerful tool in allowing you to work toward moving on from sadness and greif. Ultimately, the goal is not to eliminate the pain, but to regain a sense of peace and acceptance while again moving forward toward meaning in life. I wouild be honored to help with coping with your life's recent events.

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.

Grief and loss can be sudden or expected, as when a loved one passes from an accident or from a long standing illness. Grief and loss can also be felt when relationships end, or when major life changes occur. Perceived failures and unmet expectations can also cause feelings of grief and loss. Understanding and processing these events can help to reduce the effects of trauma, depression, anxiety, and self-doubt that can stem from grief and loss.

Relationship endings are a guaranteed part of life that everyone experiences. When a relationship concludes – whether through death, divorce or some other reason – it is common to review it, examine it and even wish that something about it was different. Perhaps we regret something we said or longed to hear something from the other person. Endings are accompanied by conclusions to our hopes and dreams for the future. My approach to working with grieving clients is to permit them fully feel their loss and to process their grief in their own way and at their own pace. When it comes to grieving clients I will join with them in their loss and will encouraging them to feel all the feelings that surface about the person and the relationship they shared.

Experiencing the loss of a loved one is a traumatic event in one's life. The hardest day is often the day after the memorial service or funeral. Grief is a natural reaction to loss that for some is a long journey towards healing. It can be lonely and overwhelming. With patience, understanding, and support, I will accompany you on that journey. As one who was widowed at an early age and experienced significant loss in my own life, I understand and can empathize with your experience and can provide the professional guidance and reassurance you may need to heal.

EMDR allows clients to remember emotional pain and loss without suffering the intense negative feelings that go along with it. In doing so, clients can begin to heal, move on, and even remember some great memories lost in all the pain. Traditional talk therapy helps normalize the various interlapping stages of grief. I also help clients re-evaluate their relationships that so often change as a result of loss.

Grief is the result of any type of loss that we may experience from death to divorce, to the loss of a job or the end of a relationship, to the death of a pet. It leaves us with a broken heart. The more significant the relationship to the loss, the deeper the pain and wound. Genuine care and support are not always enough. I offer grief and loss counseling tools along with the healing actions of new coping skills to bring vitality and hope back into the life of someone who is in pain. Your loss can never be replaced however it can be healed so your life can again be fulfilling and happy.