Grief and Loss Counseling in Edgewood, TX.

Grief is a natural response to a significant loss. I provide grief counseling to enable people to express the range of emotions that occur (it is normal to feel anger at the deceased) and to help you make the decisions that are best for you and your family. While well-meaning friends offer condolences, society tends to assume that people "get over it" much faster than what is normal. There is no set amount of tears or time that leads to acceptance.

I will hold space, provide resources, and support clients through this difficult process. I believe there is no time limit on how long it takes someone to move through the grief and loss process. I will support and meet my clients where they are and help guide them towards healing in the process. Encouragement to re-engage with life will provided but not in a forceful and or dismissive manner.

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. .

In Grief & Loss Therapy, I'll give you a safe and accepting place to work with the complex emotions that come with loss. Together, we'll work on creating coping mechanisms for handling your loss, avoiding problems, and recognizing the legitimacy of your feelings. Our sessions will also emphasize on your communication abilities so that you may better explain your needs and feelings to others who are supporting you. Also, I want to help you regain meaning and purpose in your life after experiencing loss by providing you with new views and insights. I believe that by going through this, we can find a way to assist you to get past your grief and accept the possibility of a fulfilling future.

Grief affects everybody differently. Learning to "let go" needs to be an intentional process that I can help you through. There are stages that each person goes through, on their own timeline. Counseling can help you learn where you are and give you support as you move through the grieving process. Grief support can be given for the loss of a relationship, opportunity, loved one, job, or even a change in your daily life.

I am trained as a Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy (PGDT) provider by the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia University. The structured protocol addresses "stuck grief" that is marked by an attachment fissure that causes rumination, excessive guilt, loss of former interests and hopelessness 6 months and longer (sometimes many years) after a significant loss. PGDT is evidence-based and has a over a 70 percent efficacy rate for movement into adaptive grief.

Whether you have lost a loved one, a job or house you know that your world has changed. Unfortunately those around you may have little insight into what you are going through. Frankly you as well be confused. Those around you mean well but their well-intentioned words bring little relief. I can help you understand what you are going through and what would make sense as far as the next steps to take. I will teach you about how to pace yourself regarding any changes you might want to make. I will assist you in understanding the nature of grief and what to expect as far as your own experiences. Ultimately I will assist you in finding your own path toward hope and relief.

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.