Grief Counseling in Pasadena, CA
Make space and tend to your loss. In-person and online grief counseling in California.
The pain of loss insists that we grieve.
Working as a grief counselor, I am struck by the universality of loss and the many forms it may take. Every life will be touched by it in some way. If we do not grieve our losses, we may be able to manage for a time, but unprocessed pain exacts a heavy price.
In my grief and loss work, I act as a compassionate witness. I provide guidance and steady support in an uncertain time. We won’t talk about moving on, but rather eventually, in your own time, moving forward—forever transformed by your grief but able to live fully while honoring both your loss and your life.
What is grief?
Grief is a very natural human response to death or loss. It asks for care, attention, and the space to be witnessed. Common experiences in grief can be emotional, physical, cognitive, or behavioral. You deserve a space dedicated to you and your unique experience where you can grieve fully.
Common Grief Responses
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Sadness
Irritability
Guilt, anger, numbness
Relief
Confusion or feeling disoriented
Loneliness
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Difficulty concentrating, restlessness
Avoiding reminders
Sleep disturbance—sleeping a lot or very little
Constant thinking about the loss
Low motivation, sense of futility
“Grief Brain”—brain fog, difficulty remembering things
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Loss of appetite, nausea
Exhaustion or fatigue
Muscle weakness or tightness
Heavy chest
How long does grief last?
Grief does not follow a predictable schedule or move neatly through one stage after another. So many of us know the 5 stages of grief as described by Elizabeth Kubler Ross: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. People sometimes worry if they don’t experience one of these stages or if they seem to be going out of order. Grieving is not a linear process and there is no right way to do it. Grief models created by psychologists and doctors may provide guideposts, but they are not prescriptive or to be followed rigidly.
Though grief is with us our all our lives, we do know the intensity of the pain lessens over time, and with support, people report remembering with more love and less pain.
What is a Certified Grief Educator?
As part of my commitment to on-going education and seeking out ways to deepen the work with clients, I have completed specialized grief training programs with Our House Grief Support Center, where I also had the privilege to work as an intake coordinator, and the highly regarded grief expert David Kessler.
A Certified Grief Educator is committed to providing the highest level of grief support through education, experience, and insights into the often unacknowledged rocky terrain of grief.
Certified Grief Educators completed a certificate program designed by world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler. We bring his unique methodology, tools, and decades of experience to help people navigate the challenges of grief.
