Grief Therapy

Grief is what follows loss. Sometimes that loss is a death: a parent, partner, friend, or family member, whether it was sudden or came after a long illness. Grief can also follow a breakup, a betrayal, a career change, graduating, moving away, or losing the version of your life you thought you'd have.

And often, people don't realize that's what they're feeling. They just know they're stuck, exhausted, angry, or unable to move past something everyone else seems to have moved on from.

Whether your loss is recent or years old, obvious or hard to put a name to, there is nothing wrong with you. You may be grieving.

How grief shows up

Grief doesn't always look like sadness. It can look like:

• Yearning for what was, or for what never was
• Anger that seems bigger than the situation
• Shock or numbness, like you're watching your life from a distance
• Replaying the same conversation or moment
• Feeling flat, irritable, or unable to concentrate

In our sessions, I explain a lot about how grief works. Understanding what's happening often takes some of the fear out of it.

Grief and moving forward

Therapy isn't about staying in grief. It's about making room for what you've lost while staying connected to the life you want to build. We go at your pace, with compassion, and keep one foot pointed forward.

The Spiral of Integration

Grief rarely moves in a straight line. A painful moment in your life can stir up earlier ones, and it can feel like you're back at the beginning. I've developed a framework I call the Spiral of Integration to describe what's really happening: each time you come back around, you aren't starting over. You're bringing more of your story with you. Over time, the tangled pieces begin to weave together, and you can carry them differently.

Who I work with

I work with adults 18 and over who are grieving a death or in the middle of a life transition, such as:

• Coping with the death of someone close to you
• Graduating from or starting university
• Before or after a breakup
• A career change
• Feeling stuck and not sure why

What to expect

We start with a consultation to see whether we're a good fit. Sessions are available in person in Calgary and virtually across Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Sessions are 50 minutes in length and we will spend time understanding the grief you carry and how it impacts your life.