Grief Therapy in Bellevue & Online
Grief can follow the death of someone you love. It can also emerge after a relationship ends, your health changes, a hoped-for future no longer feels possible, or the life you once loved is irrevocably changed. Some grief is visible and readily understood by others, but other losses are harder to name. You may be grieving a person who is still alive, a former version of yourself, a place that no longer feels like home, a community or belief system, the possibility of becoming a parent, the end of a career, or a sense of safety you once took for granted.
Whatever brought you here,
you don't have to make sense of it alone.
In-person grief therapy in Bellevue and online therapy throughout Washington, Massachusetts, and participating PsyPact states.
My Approach
My approach to grief therapy is grounded in relational psychodynamic and existential practices. Together, we'll look not only at the loss itself, but also at the relationships, expectations, and earlier experiences that shape how you are responding to it.
Grief can also raise difficult questions about relationships, mortality, identity, responsibility, and meaning. Rather than offering simple answers or pressure to feel any particular way, therapy provides space to approach these questions honestly, understand what you may be avoiding, and find a way to carry the loss while continuing to live.
If you have questions or are ready to see if we'd be a good fit to work together, schedule a free 15-min phone consultation on my contact page.
How Grief Comes up in Therapy
Grief isn't just sadness. It can bring up many different reactions. Here are some:
DISBELIEF/NUMBNESS
You may understand what happened intellectually while still feeling as though it has not fully registered. Numbness, disbelief, and emotional distance can be ways of protecting yourself from a reality that feels too overwhelming to absorb all at once.
MIXED EMOTIONS
Grief often includes emotions that are difficult to admit. You may feel guilty about what you said, what you did not do, or moments when you feel okay. Anger, resentment, and even relief can exist alongside love and sadness without diminishing the importance of what was lost.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Loss can leave behind unresolved conflicts, unanswered questions, and conversations that can no longer happen in the way you wanted. Therapy can offer space to explore the full complexity of the relationship rather than reducing it to only its best or worst moments.
IDENTITY & MEANING
A significant loss can alter how you understand yourself and the future. You may be grieving not only a person or circumstance, but also a role, identity, community, or version of life you expected to have. Therapy can help you begin to understand who you are within this changed reality.
FEELING UNSUPPORTED
Support is often strongest immediately after a loss and gradually fades, even while your grief remains. You may feel pressure to appear better, avoid repeating yourself, or protect others from your feelings. Therapy provides a place where the loss does not become too old or inconvenient to discuss.
AVOIDANCE & OVERWHELM
You may cope by staying busy, withdrawing, distracting yourself, or avoiding reminders of what happened. At other times, grief may arrive suddenly and feel impossible to contain. Therapy can help you approach the loss gradually while developing a greater capacity to remain present with difficult feelings.
ANTICIPATORY GRIEF
Grief can begin before a loss has fully occurred. You may be living with a loved one’s illness, an expected separation, or the anticipated losses associated with climate change. Anticipatory grief can involve sadness, anxiety, guilt, helplessness, and the strain of trying to remain present while also preparing for what may come.
AMBIGUOUS LOSS
Some losses are difficult to define because there is no clear ending or socially recognized event. You may be grieving someone who is still alive, a relationship that has changed, a loss of health or identity, or a future you expected to have. When others do not fully understand what has been lost, grief can become especially isolating and difficult to process.
Frequently Asked Questions
1 / Do I need to be in a crisis to see a therapist for grief?
No, you do not need to consider yourself to be in a crisis to seek help. Grief is often experienced slowly, and its impacts masked by pressure to keep going. If you are reading these words, you are likely feeling the weight of a loss. You aren't a stranger to its impacts. You may be wondering if there is a way to mourn more thoroughly, understand what happened more clearly, and begin to feel whole again. Seeking help is a good first step, whether your life is in shambles (i.e., crisis) or whether your life looks fine on the outside but feels awful.
2 / Does grief counseling always follow a death? Or do people seek therapy for other losses?
Loss can take many forms. Death is one. However, there are many other versions of loss that bring with them pain, confusion, disillusionment, and anger. You may realize that your marriage isn't what you thought it would be. You may have an injury that keeps you from doing what you love. You may grieve future losses, as one does for the declining health of a loved one, the gradual disruption of an ecosystem, or an anticipated relocation.
3 / What are your fees?
The initial consultation is a free 15-min call that helps us understand whether I'm the right therapist for you. Regular sessions are $220 and last 45 minutes.
4 / Where are you located?
My office is located at 1611 NE 116th Ave, Bellevue, WA 98004 and I can meet with you virtually anywhere in Washington, Massachusetts, or in any participating Psypact state (see which states qualify here). My office is conveniently located near the I-405 and I-520 interchange and only minutes from downtown Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Seattle. You can learn more about the setting, parking, and appointment availability on my Bellevue therapy office page.
5 / Can we talk before I commit to anything?
Absolutely. Everyone first gets a free 15-min consultation to help us decide whether I'm the right provider for you. This call is usually a video call but can also be done on the phone if you prefer. I encourage you to schedule a consultation with me so we can talk about what brings you to therapy and any questions or concerns you may have. My role as a psychologist, bound by legal and ethical considerations, is to help you find a good fit: if that's not me, I always do my best to give you names of other providers who might be better for you.
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