Our therapists offer grief & loss counseling in Gainesville, FL

My go-to approach for helping people experiencing grief and loss is to first listen and “be” with the client. Being present and “seeing” someone’s grief is the most respectful and supportive gift I can offer initially. Grief is often a misunderstood and uncomfortable experience for those who have not yet walked through it. Grief is about the loss we feel inside ourselves, whether that loss is a person, a pet, a job, a relationship, or a dream. Grief is also about the relationship transformation that occurs within as we seek alternative ways to express our thoughts and feelings about our loss.

I use the following tools to help people through their grief and loss:

• Psychoeducation to help affirm the grief experience and correct misinformed critical remarks made by those who do not understand
• Validation and empathy to join with the journey already in progress
• Body movement to help release grief from the body
• Honoring the memory and respecting the legacy that remains
• Preparing for anniversaries and upcoming “firsts”
• Loving kindness and compassion to oneself
• Eye movement therapy to help process traumatic aspects of the events surrounding the loss

I use the following tools to help people through their grief and loss:

• Psychoeducation to help affirm the grief experience and correct misinformed critical remarks made by those who do not understand
• Validation and empathy to join with the journey already in progress
• Body movement to help release grief from the body
• Honoring the memory and respecting the legacy that remains
• Preparing for anniversaries and upcoming “firsts”
• Loving kindness and compassion to oneself
• Eye movement therapy to help process traumatic aspects of the events surrounding the loss

Clients can supplement their time in grief and loss counseling with self-care that encompasses every aspect of their being -- physical self-care, mental self-care, emotional self-care, spiritual self-care, and social self-care. This is a time for allowing others to minister to you, and that may be difficult to do. Sometimes it helps to realize that when you accept the kindnesses of others, you are allowing them to receive kindness in return.

To prepare for grief and loss counseling, I encourage clients to pace themselves. Loss is painful, whether the loss of a person or one dearly loved. Sometimes we try so hard to feel better that we end up aggressively reopening the heart wounds of loss. I am okay with clients asking me to help them pace the sharing of their loss. It is okay to talk a bit and then take a breather so as not to become emotionally overwhelmed. It is okay to cry. It is okay to take as much time as you need to grieve your loss.