Grief & bereavement counseling in Santa Rosa

The losses I sit with

People reach out after every kind of loss: the death of a partner, a parent, a child, or a friend; the loss of a pet; an anticipated loss while someone is still dying; or one of the quieter losses that rarely get named, like a diagnosis, a role, or a future you thought you'd have. You don't need to explain why a loss matters, or worry that it's too small to bring.

How grief counseling works

Grief rarely moves in the neat stages people expect; for most of us it comes in waves, doubles back, and shows up in the body as much as the mind. There's no single right way to grieve and no timeline you're meant to keep. Together we make room for whatever yours actually looks like: the sadness, but also the anger, guilt, relief, numbness, or the ordinary days that suddenly ambush you. The aim isn't to “get over” a loss but to carry it in a way you can live with.

If it helps to read more first, my article on navigating the five stages of grief looks honestly at where that model helps and where it falls short, and I've also written about coping with the loss of a pet.

Years alongside hospice and bereavement

Grief has been central to my work for a long time, including years spent supporting people and families through hospice and bereavement. Sitting with people at the end of life, and with those they leave behind, taught me most of what I know about presence: that showing up steadily, without flinching and without rushing anyone, matters more than having the right words.

My work with loss is also personal. I've faced serious illness myself, and that experience shapes how I sit with people through their own hardest stretches, with patience, and without pretending there are easy answers.

When grief and other struggles overlap

Loss often arrives tangled up with anxiety, depression, a life transition, or strain in a relationship. When that's the case, grief work sits naturally within individual therapy, and we follow whatever most needs attention rather than a fixed script. You can also read more about how I work.

In person in Santa Rosa, online across California

My office is at 5755 Mountain Hawk Drive, Suite 206, in Santa Rosa, and I see clients in person from across Sonoma County. When getting to one place is hard (which grief can make it), I also offer secure telehealth sessions throughout California. You can read more about online therapy across California.

I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA LMFT #139263). You can verify my license with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, or read more about how I work.