Grief & Loss

Addressing Grief and Loss
Grief can be a debilitating experience, often affecting both the mind and body. It can feel like an overwhelming weight that makes everyday life seem exhausting and difficult to bear.
Grief often begins with denial, which is a natural psychological defense mechanism. When we experience the loss of a loved one, pet, relationship, or any significant part of our life, it disrupts our sense of self and identity.
The process of maintaining one’s sense of self while processing loss can be complex and emotionally challenging. However, with the right guidance and support, including grief and loss counseling, it is possible to navigate this difficult time and emerge stronger.
At Plans For Healing, we offer experienced therapists in Maryland to work with clients to explore these emotions and help them cope with the loss, fostering emotional recovery, healing from trauma therapy, and growth.
Our Compassionate Approach
At Plans For Healing, we provide a safe and supportive space to help you navigate the complexities of grief. Trauma therapy allows you to lower the walls of denial and begin the healing process at your own pace.
Our approach is gentle, empathetic, and compassionate. You lead the way, determining the pace of your healing journey. Through our work together, we focus on helping you reorganize your sense of self and shift perspectives, ultimately answering the question, “Who am I now?”
We understand that every loss can also bring unexpected gains. While grief may feel overwhelming, working through it with professional guidance or teletherapy services in Bethesda can be a cathartic process that ultimately strengthens your resilience and helps you emerge more empowered than before.
I love what I do because I get to work with people just like you.
I get to see the smile return, the laugh lines form, and the return of a spark to someone’s eye when they realize life can be good again. It’s not always immediate. It takes time, dedication, persistence, and patience. But the reward is worth the effort.
I’ve learned so much in my work over the 25+ years I have been in the mental health field. There is nothing more honorable or awe-inspiring than to be invited in to share someone’s life journey, even when it is filled with hardship and heartbreak.
There are so many different ways to examine our lives and how we live them. I love the exploration and helping people find creative solutions.
I am well practiced in establishing rapport and engaging individuals who are suffering from anxiety, depression, overwhelm, feelings of loss, disconnection, and identity insecurity.
I am a certified clinical trauma professional and a certified life and health coach using a strengths-based and integrative approach that focuses on the mind/body connection to decrease symptoms and enhance wellness. Clinically, I draw from CognitiveBehavioral Therapy, Self-Psychology, and Internal Family Systems.
Whether working online or in person with clients, I provide a comfortable, confidential space to explore feelings and concerns. My style is warm and empathic. When it makes sense, I like to incorporate humor to help put clients at ease.
…I’ve worked in a variety of settings, including hospital emergency medicine, police-based mobile crisis unit, veteran services, treatment foster care, and as a care manager for at-risk seniors.
…I enjoy singing and songwriting, which led to my recording an album of my own original music a few years ago. I believe in music as medicine and encourage all my clients to find or return to creative outlets as an adjunct form of therapy.
