Grief Therapy

Online Grief Therapy

Does it feel like your loss just happened, even if it's been several months or years?

Do you often find yourself feeling emotionally upset?

Maybe you lost someone suddenly, and it feels almost impossible to keep moving forward day-to-day. Or maybe your loss was years ago, but the sadness has never really gone away. You might replay the loss over and over in your head because it’s just too painful to accept.

Loss isn’t always about death. It could be losing a beloved pet, your job, a relationship, your dreams, or even your health. Grief can take many forms, but no matter what you've lost, it can be incredibly difficult to adjust. You may have expected to feel better by now, but the reality is, the pain still lingers.

Maybe the people around you have started to notice.
Friends or family might comment on how you seem distant or spaced out. Even if you do manage to smile or enjoy yourself from time to time, guilt often sneaks in, making it hard to fully embrace those moments of happiness. It’s important to remember: there is no "right" way to grieve, despite what anyone might say. Grief is a personal journey, and it doesn’t look the same for everyone. But hearing others voice their concerns may have you wondering if your experience of grief is somehow "wrong" or "too much."

The truth is, there’s nothing abnormal about how you feel.

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attractive caucasian woman looking in the distance with sad expression

Grief can impact every part of your life, often in ways you might not expect:

Your emotions might feel overwhelming and unpredictable. You may break down in tears one day, feel intense anger, or feel confusion or fear other times.
You feel detached and lose interest in things that once brought you joy or comfort.
Sometimes you might feel numb to everything around you, disconnected from yourself and the world.
Your mind might constantly circle back to the person or thing you lost; it can feel impossible to stop thinking about them.
Others don’t seem to understand what you’re going through, which might make you want to isolate.
Well-meaning comments from others might feel more hurtful than helpful. This deepens your loneliness.
You wish you could freeze time or turn back the clock just to have one more moment with the person you’ve lost.
Guilt could creep in, even over things that others might not understand. You might regret things you said or didn’t say, or blame yourself for things that were out of your control.
Feeling powerless in the face of such overwhelming loss can create anxiety that’s hard to shake.
You might feel hesitant to trust or get close to others, fearing that anyone you care about could vanish just as suddenly.

Grief is more common than you might think.
In the United States, it affects millions of people. In California alone, a significant portion of the population grapples with grief every year; the numbers reflect a widespread need for support across all age groups. A survey by New York Life Insurance found that about 68% of American adults are affected by grief at some point in their lives. You may feel frustration that grief isn’t discussed more openly, because it makes you feel isolated in your experience.

The impact of grief varies depending on your age and life stage. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, greatly amplified the number of people dealing with loss.

Children and adolescents have been particularly impacted, with 1 in 13 children (about 7.7%) in the U.S. experiencing the death of a parent or sibling by the time they turn 18, according to research from Judi’s House/JAG Institute. Young adults (ages 18-34) often need more mental health support to cope with grief, as they navigate not just the loss itself, but the added pressures of growing independence, building careers, and societal expectations to "move on" quickly.

Middle aged folks' grief (35-54) often revolves around the loss of your parents or peers. Quite often this "sandwich generation" has to care for for both children and aging parents. This can mean that you don't have much time or space to tend to your grieving needs.

Older adults (ages 55 and up) are more likely to experience the loss of romantic partners and lifelong friends. This can make you feel alone in your pain, which can have a devastating effect on mental health. You might feel depressed or lonely as a result.

Luckily, grief therapy can be helpful in coping with these losses.

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With grief therapy, you don’t have to carry this pain alone.

Grief therapy offers a safe, supportive space where you can work through your emotions. The goal isn’t to rush you through the grieving process or tell you how you "should" feel, but to help you make sense of your loss and gradually find a way to move forward with purpose.

In grief therapy, we focus on four main areas:

Talking through your experience: You’ll have a non-judgmental place to express your feelings and talk about how your life has changed.
Accepting the reality of your loss: Therapy can help you come to terms with what’s happened, so it doesn’t consume your thoughts or interfere with your daily life.
Managing the shock and emotional pain: We’ll work together on techniques to stop reliving the loss and help you find peace.
Finding meaning: Through therapy, you’ll discover ways to live a fulfilling life while honoring what you’ve lost, without letting grief take over.

With over 20 years of experience as a psychotherapist, I’ve helped adults, teens, and children through many different types of loss. I’ve worked with children in foster care, young mothers grieving the loss of their children, people dealing with the death of loved ones due to accidents, suicides, or overdoses, and others facing grief from divorce, job loss, or illness. I understand how deeply painful grief can be... and I’ve also seen the powerful transformation that can happen when people have the right support. By receiving grief therapy, you have a supportive, nonjudgmental space to grieve while also finding a way forward in your life. If you’re ready to start living fully in the present and to reclaim joy in your life with grief therapy, call me or click the contact button.

FAQs about Complicated Grief Therapy

What are grief therapy sessions like?
Sessions focus on helping you cope with your loss and the emotions that come with it. Together, we’ll identify what’s troubling you the most and remove the barriers to healthy grieving.

What techniques do you use for grief therapy?
I use various therapeutic tools, including Ericksonian hypnosis, EMDR therapy for sudden or traumatic losses, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy to help you discover and remember coping strategies that already work for you.

How do I know if grief therapy will work for me?
Doing nothing about complicated grief can harm your well-being. My approach focuses on your strengths and resources, helping you regain balance. We can discuss your concerns during a consultation.

How do I get started?
Call me or click the contact button to see how grief therapy can help you. After that, we can schedule a full intake session to begin your healing journey.

Grief is not something you have to face in isolation. With the grief counseling, you can find peace and rediscover joy.

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