Grief Therapy - FAQ
How do I know if what I'm feeling is normal grief or something that needs professional support?
Grief has no fixed timeline or "normal" shape, and there's no wrong way to feel it. That said, if grief is interfering with your ability to function months or years later, if you're relying on unhealthy coping to get through it, or if you simply feel alone carrying it, that's reason enough to reach out — you don't need to hit some threshold of severity first.
What is grief therapy, and how is it different from just talking to friends or family about my loss?
Grief therapy gives you a space that isn't shaped by anyone else's discomfort, timeline, or need for you to be okay. The people who love you often want to fix your pain or move you toward "better," even with the best intentions — a therapist can simply be with you in it, without an agenda. I help you make sense of the loss, understand what your grief actually needs, and find a way to carry it that doesn't require you to leave any part of the relationship behind.
Is it normal to still be grieving years later?
Yes. Grief isn't something you finish and file away — it's something you learn to carry differently over time. Some losses reshape you permanently, and a good grief process isn't about "getting over it," but about finding a version of your life where the loss has a place instead of a chokehold.
Where are you located, and do you offer telehealth for grief therapy?
I'm based in Redondo Beach and see clients throughout the South Bay and greater Los Angeles area, in person and via telehealth. Grief can make even small logistics feel like too much some weeks, so many clients appreciate having the flexibility to move between the two as needed.
What if my grief is complicated by anger, guilt, or relief?
These feelings are far more common in grief than people expect, and they don't make you a bad person or mean your love wasn't real. Complicated relationships often leave complicated grief — you can miss someone and be angry at them, grieve someone and feel relief at the same time. Untangling those layers, without judgment, is exactly the kind of work I do.
Do you work with grief alongside trauma or other struggles?
Often, yes. Sudden or traumatic loss, in particular, can leave both grief and trauma responses intertwined, and treating only one piece rarely resolves the whole picture. I specialize in trauma, ADHD, and grief together, which means we can address the full weight of what you're carrying rather than working around it.
Can grief therapy help with anticipatory grief, before someone has died?
Absolutely. Grieving someone who is still here — through a terminal diagnosis, advancing dementia, or a long decline — carries its own particular weight, including the strange guilt of grieving in advance. I help clients hold both realities at once: staying present with the person they love while beginning to process what's coming.
How long does grief therapy typically last?
It depends entirely on the loss, your history, and what else is present alongside the grief. Some clients come for a defined period around a specific loss; others return in waves, as grief tends to resurface around anniversaries, milestones, or unexpected reminders. I follow your pace rather than a fixed program.
Do you only work with grief after a death, or other kinds of loss too?
Death is one form of grief, but far from the only one. I also work with clients grieving a divorce, an estrangement, a diagnosis, a miscarriage, a job, an identity, or a future they'd planned on that isn't coming. If it feels like a loss to you, it's valid work for us to do together, whether or not anyone else would call it that.