Grief and Loss Counseling Services
Our clinicians understand that grief is not just sadness – healing is possible with the right tools and support
Some days, grief can feel like rage building up within you while on other days all you feel is a persistent numbness. Perhaps you feel fearful or even guilty as a result of what has happened. Maybe you feel a sense of dread anticipating a loss that will happen sometime in the near future.
Grief is a natural part of the human experience. It is normal to feel strong and painful emotions as a result of a loss.
People grieve for a limitless number of reasons, so intense emotions such as sadness, fear, guilt, emptiness, and anger may occur. Regardless of what emotions you experience and how challenging or easy different days seem, your grief process is unique to you.
The ups-and-downs of grieving a loss can feel like a rollercoaster. Some days, you might feel “okay,” while other days it might take everything you’ve got just to get through the day. When the intense feelings and hard days seem unbearable, it’s easy to slip into feeling hopeless. You do not have to stay in this space forever.
Are you starting to feel stuck in your grief? Does it seem like intense feelings are so persistent that you are struggling to find hope? With the right tools and support, healing can occur.
How do I know when it is time to get support?
Grief can occur before, during, and after a loss and every person responds differently. Some common instance of loss include:
- death of a loved one
- loss of a job
- separation from a partner and/or divorce
- loss of a friendship
- diagnosed with a life-altering illness
- serious illness of a loved one
- loss of a pregnancy
- loss of a particular way of life
If you have experienced a loss and are trying to cope with your grief, keep an eye out for these signs to know if it is time to seek help:
- feeling that life is meaningless
- excessive avoidance of others
- difficulty experiencing any positive emotions
- difficulties with functioning at work or at home
Grief can be a complicated journey, but the process can become one of hope and healing. Let us help you take your healing to the next level so that you can get back to living life in a way that feels meaningful and fulfilling.
We Can Help!
At Restorative Counseling, we will partner with you to assist in your grieving process to make sure that you feel well-supported, safe, and capable of exploring your loss. You do not have to face this journey alone.
Whether you have just recently experienced a loss, you are trying to cope with a loss that happened sometime in the past, or you are anticipating a loss in the near future, we will provide an opportunity for you to gain the tools and skills that will help you navigate this trying time.
Our team will assist you in processing your grief at a pace that feels right for you, ensuring that we maintain a focus on your personal goals for healing. While the grief you feel may seem insurmountable at times, there can be hope.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.
What to expect from counseling for grief and loss
We create a unique counseling process that is tailored to each person’s strengths and experiences.
Counseling is meant to be a time of self-exploration and growth. Your clinician will tailor treatment to your specific needs based on your goals and what you would like to achieve. Counseling has the potential to be short-term or long-term based on your individual needs.
Sustained progress can be made in as few as 8 weekly sessions, but most people find that they need treatment for a minimum of several months. We encourage you to attend weekly sessions, as this allows you to establish a close working relationship with your clinician and to make progress more quickly. Our hope is for you to reach your goals sooner rather than later so that you can live the life you desire.
Both before and during your first session, you will be asked to provide information about yourself and your reasons for seeking counseling. During the first session, your clinician will briefly review Restorative Counseling’s policies so that you are aware of your rights as a client and can ask any questions you may have. The primary focus of the intake process is to discuss your personal, social, family, and educational history to help give your clinician an overall picture of who you are. Goals for treatment will be discussed and your clinician will provide insight into how they conduct counseling sessions.
In addition to learning about you, the Intake process is a time for you to learn about your clinician. It is important that you feel they are the right fit for your style and needs. We encourage you to ask questions so you can be clear on what to expect from your clinician.
The intake session(s) typically lasts 55-60 minutes.
Working with you, your clinician will help you explore the sources of your difficulties and develop helpful strategies to address your concerns. Your clinician will provide a space for you to identify your strengths and difficulties. You will be empowered to decide what works best for you and what changes you are ready to make.
Ongoing sessions are 45-53 minutes, depending on your insurance plan.
As you move through the counseling process, you and your clinician will discuss your progress. Once it has been decided that you have achieved your goals, you and your clinician will discuss terminating services. These final few sessions will focus on reviewing the progress you have made and how you can continue to maintain these changes moving forward.
Meet our clinicians who offer counseling services for Grief & Loss
Stephanie Grunewald, PhD
I am dedicated to helping you break free from whatever has prevented you from living the life you desire.