Therapy for Grief and Loss
Have you experienced a loss, such as the death of a loved one? Are you struggling to find meaning and purpose? Does the pain of grief keep you from living well and finding happiness?
You are not alone.
Millions of Americans are affected by grief and loss each year, and too many will struggle alone - but it doesn’t have to be that way.
I am Mark Veldkamp, and I am a private practice therapist conveniently located in Downtown San Diego. I help teens, college students, and adults who are struggling with grief and loss, and I would love to work with you.
If you are interested and ready to work together, contact me today. To learn more about grief and how therapy can help, read on.
Do I need therapy for grief?
Grief is a normal, healthy response to loss.
Most grief happens after losing a loved one. We feel hurt, sad, afraid, and lonely when we lose someone we care about because we care about them. Everyone experiences grief differently - some experience grief for a few days or weeks, some for a few months, and others will continue to grieve for years and years after the loss. Some will initially feel “numb” after a loss, only to have grief emerge later on.
Sometimes grief can happen around the loss of one’s identity– loss of career, loss of health, loss of parenthood, etc. We grieve the life we could have had, the future we planned for ourselves, or the life we once enjoyed.
Grief can sometimes be about the loss of a sense of safety and security. Some people will experience flashbacks, intense fear, nightmares, or intrusive, disturbing thoughts after a loss. The loss itself may have been a traumatic experience, such as a car accident or an unexpected death. The trauma keeps us from processing the grief in a healthy manner, and so we get stuck.
No matter what brought about your grief, and no matter how long you’ve been struggling with the loss, therapy can help.
I provide therapy for grief to help teens, UCLA students and faculty, and other adults from all over Los Angeles because no one should have to face loss alone.
If you or a loved one are struggling with grief and loss, contact me today.
How can therapy help?
Therapy for grief helps you learn to grieve well, pick up the pieces, and courageously move forward on your life’s journey. No matter where you are with your grief, therapy can help by:
1. Receiving emotional support and care. You don’t have to do this alone. Whether you are anticipating a loss, experiencing a new loss, or continuing to grieve losses from the past, I am able to provide support. I can help you manage difficult feelings of sadness, anger, and heartache.
2. Providing a safe space to process and reflect. Therapy provides a confidential, judgment-free space to work through loss. You have the chance to share your thoughts, feel your feelings, and notice new things about yourself. I act as your guide through the grief journey, and we take things at your pace.
3. Discovering strategies for coping and grieving well. Grief sometimes makes us forget to take care of ourselves, and so my job is to help you begin to do that again. You get to learn new, personally tailored coping strategies for dealing with the pain of loss in a healthy manner. That way, your mind and body are in prime condition for working through difficult times.
Interested? Let’s Work Together!
Ready to get scheduled for your first session? Interested in learning more about me? Let’s connect– I would love to hear from you.
I provide individual therapy for people from all over the San Diego area - Downtown San Diego, Little Italy, Point Loma, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Hillcrest, North Park and beyond. Additionally, I offer virtual therapy, also known as teletherapy, to residents of California.
I founded my own practice because I believe that no one should have to face life’s challenges alone.
I know that, together, we can get things back on track.