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Grief and Loss Counselling
Your pain makes sense in the face of loss, yet holding your grief together day after day can feel emotionally draining.
Grief and Loss Counselling in Toronto and across Ontario
Grief is one of the most painful and human experiences we go through. It can follow the death of a loved one, but it can also emerge after many other kinds of loss, including relationship changes, health challenges, infertility, career shifts, or major life transitions.
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Grief does not follow a straight line. It can feel overwhelming one moment and distant the next. You may feel sadness, anger, guilt, numbness, relief, or exhaustion, sometimes all at once. Therapy offers a space to hold these experiences with care, without pressure to grieve in a particular way or on a specific timeline.
Understanding Grief and Loss
Grief is a natural response to loss, but that does not make it easy. It can affect emotions, thoughts, the body, and relationships. Some losses are clearly recognized by others, while others feel invisible or minimized, which can make grief even harder to process.
Losses that may lead to grief include:
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Death of a loved one or a pet
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Separation, divorce, or estrangement
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Pregnancy loss, infertility, or reproductive loss
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Chronic illness or changes in health
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Loss of a job, role, or sense of purpose
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Migration, displacement, or loss of community
No matter the source, your grief is valid.
Different experiences of Grief
Grief can take many forms, and some are not always openly acknowledged.
Disenfranchised grief
This refers to losses that may not be recognized or supported by others, such as the loss of a pet, a miscarriage, infertility, or the end of an important relationship. When grief is unseen, it can feel especially isolating.
Anticipatory grief
Sometimes grief begins before a loss has fully occurred. This can happen in the context of chronic illness, infertility, or ongoing uncertainty about the future. It often involves both mourning what has already changed and fearing what may come next.
Complicated or traumatic grief
When a loss is sudden, violent, or deeply distressing, grief can feel stuck or overwhelming. You may experience intrusive memories, intense emotional reactions, or difficulty making sense of what happened. Therapy can help process both the loss and the trauma surrounding it.
Therapeutic Approaches to Grief
Because grief is personal, therapy is tailored to your needs and experience. Approaches may include:
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to support coping with distressing thoughts
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Mindfulness practices to help stay grounded during intense emotions
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Narrative therapy to explore the meaning of the loss and your story
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to support living alongside grief
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Accelerated Resolution Therapy for distressing or intrusive memories
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Supportive talk therapy to allow space for expression and reflection
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There is no single right way to grieve. Therapy adapts to you.
How Grief Counselling can help
Grief counselling is not about fixing your pain or pushing you to move on. It is about creating space for your experience and supporting you as you adapt to life after loss.
In therapy, we may focus on:
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Making sense of complex or conflicting emotions
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Developing ways to cope when grief feels overwhelming
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Processing unresolved feelings related to the loss
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Honoring what or who was lost while reconnecting with your life
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Finding meaning, continuity, or grounding after loss
The pace of therapy is guided by you.
Grief & Loss Counselling in Toronto & Ontario-Wide
Grief does not disappear, but it can change over time. Therapy can help you carry your loss in a way that feels less overwhelming and more integrated into your life. I offer grief and loss counselling virtually across Ontario and in person in Toronto. You are welcome to book a free 15-minute consultation to talk about what you are experiencing and see if this feels like a good fit.
Grief and Loss Counselling at Hedefa Psychology Clinic
At Hedefa Psychology Clinic, grief counselling is offered with sensitivity, respect, and cultural awareness. I recognize that grief is shaped by personal history, relationships, identity, and cultural context.
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My approach is trauma-informed and compassionate, with attention to both emotional processing and nervous system regulation.
