Grief and Loss Counselling

Grief touches life in many ways. It may arrive after the death of someone you love, or emerge through other forms of loss such as changes in health, identity, relationships, roles, or life direction. Sometimes grief is recent and raw. Other times it has been quietly carried for years. There is no timeline for when grief should arrive, how it should look, or when it should soften.

In grief and loss counselling, I offer a steady and compassionate space where your experience is welcomed as it is. This is a place where we walk alongside each other, paying attention to what your grief is asking for, rather than trying to move it along or make it fit a particular shape. Sessions are available in person in Victoria and online across British Columbia.

Grief is deeply personal

Some people feel waves of sadness or longing. Others notice anger, numbness, guilt, relief, or a quiet sense of disorientation that is hard to name. These experiences often shift without warning, which can feel unsettling or isolating. Many people wonder whether what they are feeling is “normal,” or feel pressure, from others or from themselves, to grieve differently.

Here, there is no expectation to grieve well, quickly, or positively. Your grief belongs to you.

Understanding Your Grief

Grief Can Feel Strange

Grief is a natural response to loss, yet it can feel anything but natural when you are living inside it. Grief may show up emotionally, physically, relationally, or in the way you understand yourself and the world. Some people notice changes in sleep, appetite, or concentration. Others describe a persistent ache, moments of intense yearning, or a sense that life has lost its familiar rhythm.

Grief is Shaped by Context

Cultural messages, family expectations, and past experiences often influence how grief is expressed or contained. You may have learned to stay strong, to stay busy, or to minimize your pain in order to protect others. Over time, this can leave little room for your own experience to be acknowledged.

Grief counselling offers space to gently notice and loosen these expectations, and to reconnect with what feels true for you.

Grief does not move in a straight line

It often resurfaces around anniversaries, holidays, life transitions, or unexpected reminders. Even years later, moments of grief can reappear, sometimes when you least expect them. This does not mean you are moving backward. It reflects how loss continues to live alongside your life, changing as you change.

Together, we can explore how your grief has shaped you, what it has asked of you, and how you might carry it with greater care rather than resistance. Over time, many people notice a shift not in the presence of grief, but in their relationship with it.

How Counselling Can Support You

Grief counselling is not about fixing grief or finding a way around it. Instead, it is about creating space for your experience to be seen, spoken, and held with respect. Our work is collaborative. You set the pace, and we remain attentive to what feels most important to you.

In sessions, we may explore the emotions you are carrying, whether that includes sorrow, anger, regret, love, relief, or feelings that do not yet have clear language. We can look gently at how grief is showing up in your daily life and relationships, and how it may be affecting your sense of identity or direction.

Loss often reshapes how we understand ourselves and the future we imagined. Questions about meaning, belonging, or who you are becoming are welcome here. For some, grief is shaped by sudden or traumatic loss. For others, it connects to ongoing or ambiguous experiences of loss. Counselling offers a place to explore these layers without pressure to arrive at answers.

My approach is grounded in compassion, collaboration, and respect for your lived experience. We move together, adjusting as needed, and making room for both what hurts and what sustains you.

What To Expect in Sessions

A Calm and Supportive Space

Sessions offer a calm, respectful, and collaborative environment where your story is met with care. We move at a pace that feels right for you. There is no requirement to share more than you are ready to, and silence is always welcome.

Led by What You Are Carrying

Our conversations are guided by what feels most present for you. Some sessions may focus on emotions or memories connected to your loss. Others may explore how grief is affecting your relationships, work, or sense of self. At times, we may simply sit with what feels heavy, without trying to resolve it.

Honour Your Loss, but Continue Living

Grief does not disappear, but it can become something you carry with greater gentleness and meaning. Grief and loss counselling offers a place to walk alongside that process, one step at a time, while honouring both your loss and your capacity to continue living. If you are curious about counselling for grief and loss, you are welcome to reach out when it feels right.