Grief is a common and natural experience when we encounter loss. It may involve death of a loved one or friend, divorce, ending of a career, moving into a different stage in life, serious illness, or other significant losses. Emotionally, we may feel profound sadness, shock, denial, anger, guilt, and even numbness. Working through grief involves making sense of the loss, taking the time to mourn, and gradually regaining the fullness and connections of our lives with this new absence.

With trauma, we experience not only intense fear, but often a deep sense of guilt, shame, and anger in its aftermath. Whether the trauma involves physical or sexual assault, military combat, natural disaster, or prolonged ongoing neglect, abuse, or violence, the experience may disrupt our sense of self, relationships with others, and how we see our place in the world. The distress could lead us to avoid reminders of the painful experience, leaving us to believe we are alone in our suffering. We may feel stuck and disconnected from the world, affecting our sense of safety, ability to trust others, agency and power, self-esteem, and intimacy with others.

Our clinicians have extensive experience working with clients struggling with difficult grief and traumatic experiences to heal meaningfully. With grief, we help you process the loss emotionally and restore a fuller sense of self and agency to face and bear the challenges of life. With trauma, we specialize in the assessment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and evidence-based trauma-focused treatment approaches (e.g., Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy).