Kimberly Schildbach Therapy
You are not broken, your heart is.
You might be stunned right now. You have just lost someone you love dearly and you're feeling adrift and frightened.
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Or you've lost someone in the past and a new life experience is bringing the grief up all over again.
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Whatever loss you are dealing with I'm glad you found your way here.
Living after the loss of a loved one, a baby, your health, or a relationship is painful.
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Grief is a healthy, sane response to loss. It's not something to "get over" or "move through".
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It can make you feel crazy, but you are not crazy.
Grief is extremely painful but it's not "bad".
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Grief shows us who and what we love dearly.
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As you go through your life, grief will change and new challenges will present themselves with new experiences. That is why it's normal to seek grief counseling even if years have passed since your loss.
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Regardless of the source of your grief, all grieving is legitimate and needs to be attended to.
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Grief is not something to get through, it's a healthy response to loss.
And because I don't believe grief is something to be fixed I don't prescribe a course of treatment.
I would like you to know that during our meetings, I will provide you a place to say "this hurts" without judgement, platitudes or impatience. A place to ponder who you are now without your person, pregnancy, or marriage. A time to remember your loved one. In our meetings you can take all the time you need.
I will validate the fact that you might not feel safe in the world right now. That laughter might feel like betrayal. That sometimes you feel very angry.
I will gently remind you to practice small acts of self-care. Not because this will diminish your pain but because you deserve kindness every day. I will acknowledge your pain as you find your new normal. I've got big, wide shoulders and I can handle all your big feelings.
The first step to getting started is to set up a free 15 minute consultation call. Â
Grief counseling is a safe and supportive place for you to be with your pain.
How has it been for you?
Do you feel like you're the only person you know who's dealing with death?
Their is no way to "do grief wrong" it may be painful but it is never wrong. You need an empathetic ally to help you as you find your new normal.
Do you downplay your
grief when around other people?
It's okay to figure out a way to grieve that feels comfortable for you. Grief can ebb and flow - sometimes you want to talk - sometimes you don't. How you grieve is unique to you.
Do your shift moods rapidly? One minute you're sad then you're anxious?
There is a wide and normal range of emotions associated with grief. Grief can be crazy making, but you are not crazy. I'll remind you of that each time we meet.
**these were heavily influenced by Sharing Kindness' excellent grief support resources
Grief Overload
Kimberly Schildbach - Grief Counselor in Boston and all of Massachusetts
Losing your person, job, past health status can bring on other losses in your life. Or maybe this loss is not your first loss in life and you feel constantly under fire. It might feel like an avalanche you can't escape from.
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With one loss you might also have lost:​
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A sense of security.
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A sense of purpose.
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A sense of belonging and community.
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A sense of identity.
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This is what we call a grief overload. We are suffering from multiple losses when to the rest of the world it looks like we've only suffered one loss. Our whole world is upside down and those around us might not truly understand.
Therapy can be a safe and supportive space where you can talk about the losses you've encountered without judgement or platitudes, receive gentle nudges from me to attend (even in tiny amounts) to you self care, and brainstorm together ways to help you find enjoyment in life again.
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Life can still be beautiful after multiple losses. Together we'll help you find the beauty.
