Grief Counseling Seattle

Holistic Healing: Find Comfort and Hope with Grief Counseling in Seattle

 
Black woman sitting on bed with white and tan linens. She's wearing a blue sweatshirt, khakis. She has braided hair put up in a bun. She's resting her head on her first against her lips with eyes closed. Representing grief counseling in Seattle.

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You’re physically, mentally, and emotionally tired. You found out some tough news. You still can’t fully believe it; a big part of your life has changed forever. You’re crying and your heart hearts. You wonder who you are now. You’d like to make sense of everything that’s happened and make it simple, but you know it isn’t. The pain feels so intense. You wonder what is best for you right now or what will help. Moving forward seems impossible, you can’t see the future. It’s a confusing time and people tell you that you aren’t yourself.

 As time goes on, you feel like you’re doing what you ‘should’ but question if you’re grieving ‘appropriately.’ Sometimes you cry, other times you feel numb. It’s hard to make decisions. You worry if you ask for help, people will think you’re looking for attention or if you’re open with people about what’s happening, they’ll think you’re a burden. People you do speak with mean well, but usually share toxic positivity that doesn’t help and makes you feel worse. Sometimes you ask, ‘why me?’ or ‘what will happen if things get worse?’ You feel alone, afraid, and stuck. You avoid certain situations which has led you to feeling even more isolated. When you see people being joyful, you often feel pain, envy, or even anger at times.

I help clients dealing with grief and loss cultivate self-compassion, acceptance, and hope. Through concrete strategies and guidance, we will work to re-clarify your values, build resiliency, and adapt to life changes. If you’re ready to reach out for support, schedule a free consultation today.

 
 

Types of Loss That Can Benefit From Grief Counseling In Seattle

 
 

  • Death/Bereavement

  • Illness

  • Loss of physical abilities

  • Pet Loss

  • Job Loss/Change

  • Societal/Collective Grief

  • Suicide

  • Loss/Change of faith

  • Trauma

  • Family of origin issues

  • Aging parents

  • Betrayal/Infidelity

  • Secrets

  • Generational Grief

  • Loss of resources (home, business, money)

  • Loss of community/Move

  • Retirement

  • End of relationship (friendship, family, divorce, romantic, business)

  • Resentment

 
 

Signs It’s Time To Start Grief Counseling in Seattle

  • You’re experiencing intense sorrow and pain over your loss

  • It’s hard to focus on anything else but the loss

  • Your body is feeling the impacts of stress. You may feel aches and pains

  • You feel numb and disengaged

  • You’re struggling to move forward doing regular activities

  • You’re chronically irritable or angry

  • You’re struggling to accept the loss

  • You desire clarification for your choices moving forward

  • You feel overwhelming guilt, shame, or responsibility for the loss

  • You’re struggling to cope with loss as a family

Two hands in black and white holding one another, symbolizing grief counseling.

Image from Pexels by Pavel Danilyuk

 

Questions About Grief Counseling in Seattle

  • Therapy can provide a safe, contained space for you to process your loss at your pace. Through building a safe, respectful therapeutic relationship, I can help you process your emotions, explore your change in identify, and build hope for the future. Check out my Comprehensive Guide to Grief Counseling in Seattle for more answers.

  • For many people, grief never fully goes away. Instead, their relationship to grief and the associated events and feelings change. The relationship to what was lost changes.

  • Grief can be made worse if you or others are pushing you to move forward when you aren’t ready. There is no way to rush the process or get to a specific destination. Unhelpful comments and unsupportive relationships or environments can also slow down the grieving process and make things worse. Depending on the intersectionality of identifies, your grief may be made more complicated by oppression, disenfranchisement, and isolation.

  • Acceptance is an ongoing action, not a one and done box to check. You can think about acceptance as coming to life with your arms opened instead of shut. Sometimes you need to keep your arms shut to protect yourself, and that’s okay for a time. At some point that ‘closed off’ stance will keep you from living a life you want to live. Therapy can help you build psychological flexibility and practice acceptance.

  • Be a good listener, be non-judgmental, ask questions if it feels appropriate. Many people experiencing grief feel further isolated due to others’ discomfort about not wanting to talk about the loss. Ask the person if they want to talk, let them know you’re there to listen. Ask them if you can help find resources for them. Don’t assume you know what they are thinking or feeling.

  • Systems Theory is rooted in the idea that no one exists independently outside of their context. In our grief counseling work, I strive to understand you within your context which leads to a more holistic understanding.

  • No. Grief counseling is helpful when dealing with any life altering event that leads to a sense of loss. There are man different kids of grief, including but not limited to ambiguous grief, disenfranchised grief, complex grief, anticipatory grief, and more. If you are struggling with grief and loss in any way, please reach out to someone for help whether that’s a personal or professional contact.

Get unstuck and back to a life that gives you joy. I am here when you’re ready to start grief counseling in Seattle.

Want to learn more about Chelsea? My work focuses on individuals and families dealing with anxiety, grief, and medical trauma, with a special focus on infertility, pregnancy loss, menopause, and health issues.