Grief or Loss

I support clients navigating grief and loss by providing compassionate, culturally responsive care. Using evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and trauma-informed techniques, I help clients process emotions, manage grief-related challenges, and find meaning after loss. My work acknowledges the diverse ways grief is experienced, empowering clients to heal and rebuild their lives at their own pace.

Loss is a normal part of life, and the grief that accompanies it can be transformational. People often fear and try to escape their grief because it's so painful, yet allowing ourselves to experience it with love can break our hearts wide open, making us more appreciative and compassionate human beings. I was trained as a grief counselor in my graduate school years, and have always treasured the humbling experiences of seeing people become more alive through navigating their grief.

I have a number of years of experience and specific supervision working with grief. Not only acute grief as in the death of a loved one or loss of relationship, but the many other griefs that are an inherent part of the human experience, especially unprocessed grief that lives beneath the surface of mental health disturbances.

Any kind of grief and loss is breathtaking. You are left feeling shocked, forgetful and helpful. But grieving shouldn't be done alone. I am here to listen and give you the support to feel without judgment or expectations. Your grieving process will be validated and you will begin to find light, meaning, and purpose again. Even though you will forever miss your loss, you will find a new path. Your journey will continue and you will find joy again.

I have had extensive professional experience in helping patients and their families in Palliative Care and Senior Centers, who are grieving the loss of loved ones.

This is really the human experience in that we all endure a variety of losses in life - from unmet expectations to changing relationships to retirement to the illness and/or death of a loved one - and we process that grief in a culture that does not support us as well as it could/should. Along with my own experiences with grief and loss, I have taken multiple classes and witnessed alongside numerous clients in their stories of grief and loss.

I provide a safe and empathetic environment for clients to express their feelings of loss, helping them navigate the complex emotions associated with grief. In addition, I encourage clients to share their stories, allowing them to reframe their experiences and find meaning in their loss. This process can facilitate healing and acceptance.

I specialize in helping individuals navigate grief and loss, offering support during one of life’s most challenging times. I help clients process painful emotions, honor their memories, and find ways to heal. Whether you're grieving the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or other forms of loss, I provide a compassionate space to explore your feelings, find meaning, and work toward emotional healing and peace.

I have been working with individuals that struggle with Grief and Loss issues since 2017. Basing my concepts on the 5 stages of grief and also challenging clients to continue adding meaning in their lives after the loss. I believe that grieving is a process that should not be rushed and the goal of therapy is not to encourage clients to forget about the loss but to live a meaningful life despite the loss they experienced.

The grief process is disorienting, non linear and, often, lonely. But it's also profoundly natural. The work of grief is holding space for all the emotions and memories to show up as they need to, and to do so with enough internal safety to not become lost. Grief is exhausting and profoundly meaningful work.

In the work of death and dying, I'm a certified End-of-Life Doula for the terminally ill. I completed a masters-level internship at Solace House, a grief counseling center. In foster/adoption work, I'm a TBRI Educator and Trainer from the TCU Institute for Child Development and work with families who have adopted locally and from over 25 countries. While it may seem counter-intuitive, I find joy in walking through the end of life with families and am trained in Dignity Therapy for patients.

I took electives in graduate school around grief and loss and how to best approach and treat them as a mental health clinician. I then began working in palliative care and then Hospice (where I still work occasionally) where I had the distinct honor of working with patients, families, and caregivers around end of life issues and anticipatory grief. This work became a major passion for me and remains so at this time.

I am passionate in working with clients struggling with grief or loss. Loss may include the death of a loved one, as well as other types of losses such as the loss of an important piece of your identity, the loss of a friendship, the end of a particular phase of life, etc. With any type of loss, I believe that allowing space to grieve is vital to our healing and ability to move forward. I also have a particular love for helping adults process the death of a parent early in life.

Claudia completed The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care - Foundations Program, where she offered spiritual care and counsel for the sick, dying and their families.

Nothing in life can prepare us for losing someone we love. When these losses occur in your childhood, though often not intentional, the support you needed to attend to the pain and confusion may not have been available leaving you alone with intense emotions and an inability to cope. This may have created further trauma during this vulnerable time in addition to the loss itself. You may find yourself triggered during any form of loss as an adult. Healing for your broken heart is possible.

Coping with loss is about managing the immediate responsibilities, and the lingering issues that happen after everything gets quiet. This is not just about life and death, although that is certainly part of it. This is about acknowledging that all things are temporary, and that we must decide to make meaning with the time and opportunities available to us. If that's a project you would like help with, send me an email and we'll get to it.

Grief can feel like a wave that crashes over you when you least expect it, leaving you feeling lost, overwhelmed, or even numb. Losing someone or something important to you can shake your world in ways you never imagined. It’s okay to feel the way you do, and you don’t have to face it alone. Together, we can work through the pain, honor your loss, and help you find a way to move forward with hope and healing. You deserve support as you navigate this journey.

Grief is not something that can be "fixed." It’s a deeply personal, nonlinear journey that can feel isolating and disorienting. I’m here to hold space for you—gently and with compassion. We can honor what you’ve lost while also making space for what remains. There is no “right way” to grieve, but there are ways to feel supported and connected as it moves through you. There are ways to find a relationship with your grief that are less overwhelming and painful.