Grief Counseling

We don’t heal from grief; we heal through it.

As a spiritual depth psychotherapist, end of life doula, and grief counselor in Oakland, CA; I help folks transform after loss. The process of grief is a wonderful teacher; offering the opportunity to explore and review your life, deal with unfinished business, and express a full spectrum of feelings.

Sadly, too many of us learned to suppress our grief. We might suffer in isolation and silence; tethered to, and weighed down by the past. Yet no matter how hard we might try to fight it, grief doesn’t go away. At some point it will likely surface and demand to be acknowledged and tended to. This is a good thing!

Grief is a perfectly normal and natural part of being human. In fact, there is evidence that our great ancestors were engaging in the ritual of burying their dead before there was language. Loss is inherent in the human experience. Yet too many of us were never held and seen in our grief, and we may have needed to numb ourselves to life in order to cope.

You may be experiencing grief with:

the death of a loved one (or anticipating their death)
a life-altering or life-threatening health diagnosis
the loss of a pet
the end of a relationship
job loss
unfulfilled hopes and/or dreams
deep disappointment
loss of a community or group
losing a part of your identity
loss of a home or place
climate change
childhood trauma or neglect

Getting to Know Grief

There is no drug or form of therapy that will “fix” the experience and confusion of loss. There is nothing to fix; only what needs to be felt and expressed.

In our work together, we can help you learn how to greet your grief. We weren’t meant to grieve alone: we need to know that we belong. Together, we will meet your various losses over time as your heart expands to hold each and every one.

Although grief is universal, is it also as unique as you are. I will honor and respect your own personal path with grief, knowing that there is no “right" or “wrong” way to grieve. In a culture that is death and grief phobic, it takes tremendous courage to confront your losses. When you do so, your heart breaks open.