Grief and Loss Counseling in West Reading, PA.

Losing a loved one is painful. Working through grief is essential for acceptance and healing. We are here to help you work through this difficult time. There are five stages of grief: anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Working through this process takes time. Therapy can provide a safe and supportive environment for your loss. Whether you have lost a parent, child, spouse, friend, we are here to help you through this difficult time.

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.

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 is our response to loss. Grief, fully experienced, allows us to go on with life. Each person's response is unique. You may be grieving the death of a loved one; you may be dealing with a serious illness; you may be mourning the loss of a relationship; you may be dealing with the loss of a job. Wherever you are in the grief process, I offer a safe, empathetic relationship to guide you through the stages of anger, sadness, justifying, letting go. We will work together to facilitate healing.

When one person in a family experiences grief or loss, everyone is affected. Sometimes an entire family struggles to adjust to a death or a cross-country move or to a divorce. In any of these cases, a person's need for comfort can conflict with their emotions, causing confusion and conflict among people who are trying to support one another. In addition, children and teenagers can react to loss very differently than do adults, so the signs of pain or distress are not obvious. If there has been a loss for someone in your family or there is an impending loss (planned separation due to marital conflict, children leaving for college), I would welcome the opportunity to help.

Whether you are grieving due to the death of a loved one, ending of a significant relationship or the loss of the life you expected, it is a process. We all grieve for different reasons & in different ways, but it is important to allow yourself to grieve so that you can move forward. I'll work with you to understand the grief process including the stages of grief. An important part of the process is helping you identify & express the variety of feelings & thoughts you are likely experiencing. Often, human instinct is to avoid or numb what is painful. Unfortunately, this can prevent healing, extend the pain & create other problems. Instead, I'd like to help you find your way through the pain.

My approach to counseling someone in a place of loss is to create a space for the raw, authentic emotions and thoughts that can, at time, be hard to say out loud. I also find it important to allow the grief process to unfold at the pace my client feels they need. I want to offer you a space where you go through all the emotions, express all the thoughts, and do all the things you need to to experience healing.

Experiencing a difficult loss is disorienting and can feel paralyzing. It can also bring up pain from the past that you thought was long gone, or cause you to question your view of the world. This is difficult but normal. It is important to talk about your grief with someone who really understands. I offer a safe place to work through your grief in your own way, without rushing, without having to put on a pretend smile or a brave face. I cannot undo your loss, but therapy can help you begin to find meaning in it, to make sense of the world again, and to find practical ways to cope.

Grief affects our lives in many different ways. Often we are not aware of its impact physically, emotionally or spiritually or how a loss has impacted us even years later. REACH Counseling Services offers support that encompasses all these dimensions and understand that grief and loss can be healed and that life can move forward with hope and healing. We use a variety of approaches to help you deal with loss and grief.

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.

When we think of grief and the grieving process, we think of losing someone that we love. While this is true, there are many things we can grieve; a broken relationship, job loss, loss of a pet, lost opportunities, loss of familiar environment or things, etc. Basically, if you value it and lose it, you will grieve it. While there is no "right" way to grieve, I can serve as your supportive guide assisting you through the grief process, helping you navigate the complex thoughts and feelings that accompany significant loss. Our goal is to reach a level of acceptance and resiliency that best serves you.

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.

This is a lived experience that we will encounter. We experience grief through the loss of a loved one, but we also grieve the loss of a friendship, job, church community, and things that we have cherished. What happens when we grieve? Who walks with us during our grieving journey? You do not have to experience or walk this new journey alone. A trusted therapist can help you create a safe space and walk with you.