Virtual Grief & Transitions Coaching
"So, now what? What's NEXT for you?"
Helping clients find greater freedom, growth and independence in their lives.
Helping clients find greater freedom, growth and independence in their lives.
Grief Coaching vs. Grief Counseling/Therapy
You’re ready for grief coaching if...
Coaching tends to be future oriented, may be shorter term than counseling, and for a predetermined length of time. Coaches don’t diagnose or treat mental health disorders, listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Coaching generally isn’t billable to insurance. There’s no collaboration between other health care providers. Coaching is about helping the client create a plan to take actions to move forward in their lives and goals.
If you’re experiencing deep trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe depression, psychosis (loss of contact with reality), thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or threats to self or others, you’re better suited for therapy.
Coaching clients need to have a baseline level of day-to-day functioning. If you’re in acute (early) grief, within the first year to two years after death/s, and/or have experienced unexpected sudden, traumatic death/s (homicide, suicide, accident, natural disaster, heart attack, missing person, etc.), you’re more likely suited for counseling than coaching.
If you're not experiencing mental health problems such as described above, coaching may be appropriate.
Everyone wants to feel listened to and understood, yet it's paramount in grief--having a place to share your story in a way that you're believed and heard. A lot of times, people are shut down in that process, either because the people around them are grieving themselves and don't want to be triggered, or maybe it's a disenfranchised type of loss that isn't recognized as "valid" by society, or for a lot of different reasons.
Allowing people to be heard and to share their story and experience, and thus be able to work toward their own meaning is so important. Your relationships with others and with yourself is changing. That is inevitable, though you have more control than you may think that you do. I can help you to tap into that and to leverage your resources.
When clients first contact me, these are things I often hear from them:
-"I feel stuck. I'd like to have a purpose, to feel fulfilled in life."
-"I don't really know what I want now."
-"I feel sort of hopeless. I'd like to feel happy and serene."
-"I want to go forward, but I feel stuck."
-"I'm usually the strong one. I don't want to look vulnerable or feel like a whiner."
I work with people who are lifelong learners. They're active in their grief. They're determined, keep moving forward, keep getting back up and trying. They're curious, too. They ask themselves "what's next for me?" They used to feel like they had forward momentum. However, currently, they may feel stuck and overwhelmed.
If you (or someone you know) are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and like you're stuck and would instead like to have a plan, feel more grounded, more connected to others and to regain control of your life following transitions and loss, please contact me.
You’re a fit for grief counseling/therapy if...
Therapists look at past and present patterns, and can diagnose, assess and treat mental health disorders that are included in the DSM. Therapy may be billable by insurance. It tends to be open-ended in terms of length of time, number of sessions, and other limitations which may be dictated by insurance, including the requirement of a mental health diagnosis. Therapists may collaborate with other health care professionals i.e. primary care doctor, psychiatrist, etc. regarding a patient/client’s mental health care planning. Therapy aims to help patients/clients gain insights into their problems, and can be long-term.
If you're not able to get out of bed in the morning, not showering or bathing, neglecting self-care, abusing drugs or alcohol, or feeling like you want to actually die, you’re more likely in need of counseling or even crisis intervention. Basically, if there’s a high level of emotional distress, you should start with counseling/therapy.
** Please contact 988 which is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) or contact 911 if you’re having thoughts or intentions of harming yourself in any way**
