Do you find yourself wondering?

– When will the hurt go away?

– Will I ever stop feeling so lonely?

– Will I ever be happy again?

These are common feelings of grief – the intense sorrow and pain that we feel when we lose someone as a result of

• • Death
• • Illness
• • Relationship breakup
• • Separation
• • Divorce

Grief can leave you feeling overwhelmed and lonely. You often feel like no one understands what you’re going through. You may feel pressured by your family, friends, and boss to move on and get over your loss, but you don’t seem able to. At times, it all feels so hopeless, like you will never have a “normal” life again.

You may feel numb, unable to feel anything... or you may feel angry one minute and sad the next. Sometimes you may think that you’ll never stop crying. You may be forgetful, absent-minded, and have trouble focusing at work. You may find it difficult to sleep at night, and yet you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning. During the day, you may feel tired, lethargic, and lacking in energy . . . or you may feel restless, tense, and edgy. You may have a knot in your stomach that just won’t go away. Your friends may ask you to do things, and you just don’t want to leave your home. Sometimes, you just want the world to go away and leave you alone. And through it all, you wonder if life will ever seem “normal” again.

These are all common physiological, emotional, and mental, symptoms of grief.

Grief is a normal experience that occurs when one has experienced a loss, a process that is unique for each person. There is no “right” way to grieve and no set timetable.

While a loss can seem like an ending, it can actually be a beginning... just as the life of the caterpillar must end before the life of the butterfly can begin. As you learn to integrate the loss into your life, the metamorphosis begins.

Karen can help you learn how to navigate your own grief-healing journey and to emerge renewed with a much better understanding about life, relationships, and yourself. Sorting through your feelings – understanding and learning effective coping strategies for common grief reactions – and feeling heard and understood are all benefits of working with a skilled professional who is experienced in grief and loss counselling. Karen uses her own personal experiences of loss, as well as her extensive education, training and experience, to provide you with the necessary skills and understanding to support you on your own life-changing grief journey.