If so, I can help.

I’ve worked extensively with children, teens, adults, and families who are dealing with grief through my involvement with foster families and department of mental health, as well as my own private practice. I was also trained by one of the experts in the field of grief and loss.

Grief comes in many forms. It can be the loss of a relationship, a death, the move of a friend, or a foster sibling going to live with another family. Sometimes grief can be complicated and we get stuck in the various phases of grieving. The grieving process is difficult in and of itself but if the relationship with the person whom we have lost was tumultuous, there is apt to be guilt that may need to be processed through therapy.

The grieving process is different for every person, and there is no right or wrong way to proceed. However, there are generally accepted stages of grieving, which are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It is helpful to understand the stages and know that they often are cyclical and do not happen in order. My clients are often amazed that we are revisiting a previous stage. Grieving takes time.

Our society tries to rush through the grieving process and hurry up and return to work or school. It can be especially difficult after the memorials are over and everyone is back to their busy lives. Normal grieving takes one to two years but complicated grieving can take a lifetime. If you find yourself unable to manage and you need someone to share the pain, I am here to help.