​​When Grief Feels Complicated

Not everyone feels sad when someone dies, and that's okay. You might feel:

• Relief if the person suffered from illness or if the relationship was difficult

• Anger at the person who died, at yourself, or at the situation

• Guilt about things said or unsaid, or about how you're feeling now

• Numbness or feeling disconnected from your emotions

• Anxiety about your own mortality or the future

• Confusion about why you're not grieving the "right" way

These complex emotions can make others uncomfortable, leaving you feeling isolated or misunderstood. You might find yourself pretending to feel differently than you actually do, which only adds to the burden.

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When the Circumstances Feel Shameful

Some deaths come with circumstances that feel too private or shameful to talk about openly. Losing someone to:

• Drug overdose or addiction-related causes

• Suicide or mental health crisis

• Violence or accidents involving risky behavior

• Complications from stigmatized illnesses

These losses often carry additional weight - not just the grief of losing someone, but also shame, guilt, anger, or complicated feelings about the circumstances. You might worry about judgment from others or struggle with questions that have no easy answers.

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A Space Free from Judgment

Therapy offers something that well-meaning friends and family often can't: a place where you can speak honestly about your experience without worrying about making others uncomfortable or receiving unwanted advice. Here, you can:

• Express whatever you're actually feeling, not what you think you should feel

• Talk openly about complicated circumstances without fear of judgment

• Explore guilt, anger, or relief alongside or instead of sadness

• Process the relationship you had with the person who died, including difficult aspects

• Work through practical concerns about how grief is affecting your daily life

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When No One Seems to Understand

You might feel like your emotions are too complex or unique for anyone in your life to truly understand. Maybe your loss doesn't fit into neat categories, or the person who died had a complicated role in your life. Perhaps you're grieving someone you weren't "supposed" to be close to, or you're dealing with multiple losses at once. These experiences can feel incredibly isolating. When others try to help with phrases like "they're in a better place" or "at least they're not suffering," it can feel like they're missing the point entirely.

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Witnessing Your Journey

I'm here to witness your grief exactly as it is - not to fix it, rush it, or judge it, but to sit with you in whatever you're experiencing. Grief is deeply personal, and healing happens when you have space to be honest about your reality.

Together, we can:

• Honor your unique relationship with the person who died

• Navigate complicated emotions without trying to make them simpler than they are

• Process difficult circumstances surrounding the death

• Find ways to carry your grief while still engaging with life

• Develop coping strategies that work for your specific situation

• Create meaning from your loss in your own way and time

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Moving Forward, Not Moving On

Grief doesn't have an expiration date, and healing doesn't mean forgetting or "getting over" your loss. It means learning to carry your grief in a way that allows you to live fully while honoring what you've experienced.

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Ready to Be Heard?

If you're struggling with grief that feels too complicated, shameful, or misunderstood to share with others, you don't have to carry it alone. Whether your loss was recent or years ago, whether the circumstances were straightforward or complex, your grief deserves to be witnessed and honored.

Let's create a space where your truth can be spoken and your healing can begin.