Grief & Loss Counseling
Compassionate Grief Counseling in Springfield, Missouri and Telehealth
Grief can touch every part of our lives. While we associate grief with the death of someone we love, grief can also arise from many other kinds of loss and significant life changes.
At Embrace Hope Therapy, I provide a compassionate and supportive space where you can talk openly about your loss, make sense of the emotions you are experiencing, and find ways to move forward while honoring what has been meaningful to you.
There is no timetable for grief and no single “right” way to grieve. Your experience is uniquely your own. Counseling is not about forgetting, “getting over” your loss, or rushing toward acceptance. Instead, our work together can help you understand grief, learn to carry your loss in a way that feels more manageable, and gradually rediscover hope and meaning in your life.
Supporting individuals through grief and loss is an important focus of my practice. In addition to my experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I have pursued specialized education and certification in grief counseling.
I completed certification through The American Academy of Grief Counseling in Spring 2023, expanding my knowledge and skills in providing therapeutic support to individuals experiencing bereavement, grief, and loss.
In Spring 2025, I completed David Kessler’s Grief Educator Certificate Program, an intensive training focused specifically on understanding grief and helping people navigate the many ways loss can affect their lives.
This additional training complements my years of clinical experience and allows me to approach grief counseling with both professional knowledge and genuine compassion for the individuality of each person’s experience.
Grief Can Take Many Forms
Loss does not look the same for everyone. You may be grieving a recent death, carrying a loss from many years ago, or struggling with a change that others may not fully recognize as grief.
Some of the types of grief and loss we may address in counseling include:
Death of a loved one
The death of a spouse, partner, parent, child, sibling, family member, friend, or another important person can profoundly change your life.
Anticipatory Grief
Grief can begin before a loss occurs. If someone you love has a serious or life-limiting illness, your may find yourself grieving changes that are already happening while also anticipating what may come.
Sudden or Traumatic Loss
An unexpected death can leave little opportunity to prepare emotionally. Accidents, suicide, violence, unexpected medical events, and other sudden losses my bring grief together with shock, unanswered questions, or traumatic stress.
Loss Associated with Aging or Illness
Grief may occur gradually as you or someone you love experiences changes in health, independence, memory, mobility, roles, or abilities. Conditions such as dementia can bring repeated experiences of loss even while the person you love is still physically present.
Relationship Loss
Divorce, separation, estrangement, the end of a friendship, or significant changes within a relationship can create genuine grief. You may be grieving not only the relationship itself but also the future you expected to have.
Life Transitions and Other Losses
Retirement, an empty nest, changes in health, loss of independence, relocation, career changes, infertility, miscarriage, changes in family roles, and other major transitions can involve grief even when the change is expected or chosen.
Disenfranchised or Unrecognized Grief
Sometimes a loss is deeply meaningful to you but is not fully recognized or understood by others. When you feel as though you do not have permission to grieve - or that others expect you to move on quickly - the experience can feel especially isolating. Your loss deserves to be acknowledged.