Discover how starting grief & loss counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
4 therapists available in Birmingham
With life transitions of moving several states away and changing career paths, I have the ability to connect with those who are ma...
About
With life transitions of moving several states away and changing career paths, I have the ability to connect with those who are making similar life changes.
Jerusha McClendon is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who has worked with many people experiencing mental health and addiction personally or in their family. Jerusha has 8 years of experience in the mental health field. She completed her Master of Social Work (MSW) at Ohio State University.
Jerusha believes there is a need to identify and understand where the seeds of doubt and fear come from, as well as how to connect with the seeds of hope and purpose in the present and the future. Her job is to facilitate the conversation and allow clients to gain insight into their condition and develop an action plan to change their lives.
Jerusha’s superpowers include listening empathetically, relating easily to others, and critical thinking. She believes that all people have purpose in life, and she wants to explore that purpose with clients. Additionally, she strives to create a safe place in therapy so vulnerability can be examined and gains made. Therapy is a change process. Join Jerusha in this change process so that you can be a changemaker in your life and spread that change to others in your inner circle.
Education and training
View more therapists in Birmingham
My goal is to help you quiet anxiety and self-doubt, reconnect with your strengths, and feel more at ease and comfortable in your ...
My goal is to help you quiet anxiety and self-doubt, reconnect with your strengths, and feel more at ease and comfortable in your own skin.
I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with over 21 years of experience supporting adults through life transitions, emotional challenges, and personal growth. My goal is to help clients feel more grounded, confident, and in control of their well-being. I provide a compassionate, collaborative space where you can safely explore your thoughts, heal from past experiences, and rediscover your sense of balance and purpose.
I earned my Master’s in Social Work from Western Kentucky University. My approach integrates cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based practices, and solution-focused strategies to help clients develop insight, emotional regulation, and effective coping skills that support meaningful change.
I believe therapy is a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Together, we’ll identify your strengths, challenge limiting beliefs, and build tools for lasting growth. My goal is to create a supportive environment that helps you move toward greater peace, clarity, and confidence in your everyday life.
If you are seeking to overcome the burden of anxiety, depression, or negative self-talk, I am equipped with the knowledge, resourc...
If you are seeking to overcome the burden of anxiety, depression, or negative self-talk, I am equipped with the knowledge, resources, and compassion to meet you where you are to help you reach your goals.
Catherine K. Thompson is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with 5 years of experience working with a variety of populations. Her specialties include adults with concerns such as anxiety, depression, relationship issues, grief, low self-esteem, and childhood trauma. She also specializes in assisting women navigating the various challenges of motherhood, along with people of color.
Catherine earned her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern Mississippi. She believes that therapy is not a “one-size fits all” approach, and she utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy, humanistic therapy, motivational Interviewing, and psychodynamic therapy as most applicable to meet the client’s needs.
For some, the idea of therapy is without stigma and openly welcomed. For others, it’s one of the hardest decisions they will make. It is easy to remain in familiarity. Catherine is extending an olive branch in hopes that you will make the hard decision now to achieve the peace you desire in the future.
Being able to provide support and validation to the LGBTQIA+ community through their many challenges and obstacles has been extrem...
Being able to provide support and validation to the LGBTQIA+ community through their many challenges and obstacles has been extremely rewarding for me and has reinforced my drive to be an affirming therapist.
Savannah Donahoe is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a background focused on trauma, crisis response, LGBTQIA+ issues, gender-affirming care, PTSD, depression and anxiety, self-esteem, gender identity-related issues, sexual identity,-related issues, grief, and loss. Savannah is passionate about providing support to folks of all ages through the unique challenges that they face. She values the importance of diversity, self-identity, and multicultural competency.
Savannah completed her Master's degree in Counseling at the University of Montevallo. She has experience in trauma and crisis response, as well as gender-affirming care. Savannah utilizes multiple treatment approaches including mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), solution-focused therapy (SFT), person-centered therapy (PCT), and gender-affirming therapy.
Savannah is confident that she would be able to support you through the different challenges you may be facing. Seeking counseling can be a very difficult step, but if you feel ready, schedule an appointment with Savannah to start working towards a better quality of life.
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
Not ready to book? Contact me
Look for a confirmation email in your inbox shortly. We'll help find you a provider and guide you through everything you should know about starting care at Thriveworks.
No membership fees or subscriptions
Evening and weekend sessions
Award-winning therapy & psychiatry
What support are you seeking?
You acknowledge that by submitting this form, you are providing what may be considered “sensitive data” and consent to Thriveworks Privacy Policy & Terms. By submitting this information, you consent to receive communication from Thriveworks about our services via automatic calls, artificial or pre-recorded messages, or texts at the phone number provided, or by email at the address provided. You have the option to opt out of communications.
We will contact you with availability updates based on the preferences you provided for up to six months.
My go-to approach for helping people in grief & loss counseling is to assess the nature of the loss and the impact the loss is having on the person then to tailor what they need to specifics regarding the loss. All of those factors greatly impact what may best assist the client, so it is important to collect that information, preferably in a conversational manner so that it feels more connecting for a client. I have found that it is usually important to provide certain psychoeducation about grief and loss to the client so that they have a realistic understanding of what to expect and can be more realistic and compassionate to themselves. I then work with them on how to process the loss based on their unique circumstances.
I teach the following tools in grief & loss counseling:
I know a client is making meaningful progress in grief & loss counseling when they are able to allow whatever emotions need space to have space and to find ways to do so that are healthy and not problematic or self-destructive. Also, when the client is able to start engaging more fully back in their lives and report feeling able to connect with more of life's moments and emotions because there is sometimes a detachment or numbness that can follow a loss.
Clients can supplement their time in grief & loss counseling with reading, listening, or viewing material that is helpful for them in acknowledging and working to accept the loss and to find a way to have a life without their loved one physically present in the same way they were before. For instance, reading sections of a spiritual, philosophical, or religious text that is meaningful to the person, watching videos of others who have had similar losses, or listening to podcasts or audiobooks on what has helped people grieve. It is crucial to remember that people grieve in different ways. It can be helpful to hear how others do it but is important to not expect any two people to do it the same way. Also, remembering a loved one and moments shared is okay, but living in the past is not. So, making sure they are walking that line of reminiscing without living in the past and are taking steps to move forward. Moving forward does not involve forgetting their loved one but does need to involve finding ways to engage in the present.
To prepare for their first grief & loss counseling session, an individual can take a beat to consider what they may need for themselves within the counseling experience. And relatedly, the person can consider the words or images that can communicate to a mental health provider what the client may need. Also, the individual can work to be understanding that the pain will not go away quickly and in some cases may never go away completely but that improvement can happen. And again, improvement does not mean forgetting a loved one.
Grief and loss counseling helps people grieve difficult losses including the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the end of a relationship. It helps people navigate their grief process and eventually accept, understand, and move forward from their loss. Thriveworks grief therapists in Birmingham, AL have specific experience, training, and skills that enable them to best support grieving individuals.
Grief and loss counseling isn’t one-size-fits-all, but it involves sharing about your loss and then working with your counselor to acknowledge and accept your new reality in its wake. Your provider at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL will design your treatment plan around your unique needs and goals for therapy, applying the counseling techniques that best support them.
If you have recently experienced an event like the death of a loved one, a breakup or divorce, the loss of a job, or another major life change, then you may want to seek grief and loss counseling. Grief can be caused by many experiences and events, so if you feel that you are having trouble moving on from a certain event or find that it is still impacting your life and functioning, grief and loss counseling can help you process it more effectively so that you can move on and once again find fulfillment and satisfaction in your life.
There are many counseling theories for treating grief, one of the most frequently used being the dual process model of grief which helps people acknowledge who or what they’ve lost through rumination while also adjusting to the new roles and identities that this loss has now placed on them. There are also many commonly used therapy approaches used in grief and loss counseling, including Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and traumatic grief therapy.
Grief & loss counseling at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
For many, grief and loss counseling lasts for about 6 months. For others, it may last shorter or longer, depending on the severity of their loss and their grief.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
Shown in CT
Call us to book
Our team is happy to help you schedule your first session.
Book online
Find the right provider for you. Book your session online yourself in just a few easy steps.