Grief & Loss

Compassionate Presence in Bereavement

I'm so sorry your life circumstances have brought you to this page. My heart is with you. I hope to be helpful to you as you navigate this lifelong journey.

A Pain like No Other

The overwhelming pain of losing a loved one is all-consuming. Grief can touch every part of your life, making it hard to find a moment’s peace, or the energy to get get out of bed. You may feel pressured by society, or even well-meaning friends and family, to "just get over it" and move on, get back to living. They may hope to distract you with things that no longer have any meaning to you, “wtf?!? You want me to go to dinner when my person is dead?” Your entire world-view has been disrupted and they just don’t get it.

  • So maybe you stop talking about your person.
  • Maybe you go to dinner anyway so others won’t worry about you.
  • Maybe you isolate so you can be in your grief without having to take care of others who can’t stand to see you in pain.
  • And, maybe you don’t have to be alone in it.
therapy counseling for grief and loss - Washington state and Oregon - Jen Daugherty

A Place for All of It—Working with Jen

I aim to provide a compassionate space where you can fully experience and express your grief. You can share stories of your loved one—stories filled with love, regret, joy, sadness, guilt, and more love. You can laugh in here without me assuming, “You’re all better now.” You can cry, and wail, and scream in here without worry that I’ll think you’re crazy or crumbling or doomed.

This is a spacious, safe, and accepting space. You are invited to feel all your feelings without judgment or expectation.

The Myth of Healing

Grief doesn't simply disappear with time. The old adage that "time heals all wounds" can feel like a cruel joke when you're in the throes of bereavement. I do not consider grief a disorder to be fixed. Even when it’s complex, complicated, or prolonged. Grief is the natural and living expression of the deep love you have for your person.

Instead of waiting for the pain to fade, our time together helps you increase your capacity to sit with your grief—creating a space for it and around it. By allowing yourself to fully experience and process all the complexities of your changed world, your heart-space grows.

You learn to be with your grief while also cultivating ways to be with life. Admittedly, it won’t be a return to your pre-grief life but one created by, and fully encompassing, the love you created with your beloved.

Companioning Your Grief

Dearest Bereaved One,

Having someone to accompany you in this process can make all the difference. Not by reducing the pain or making it go away—that’s not my motivation and it’s simply not possible. I hope to companion grief with compassion and grace, offering support and understanding as we navigate your individual experience—painful and precious, universal yet unique. Sacred.

I'm here to be helpful. It would be my honor and privilege to companion your grief with you.  Together, we’ll travel this sacred road and find ways to honor your loss and your life.

My kindest wishes to you,

Jen

Twice bereaved daughter
Traumatically bereaved sister

Psychotherapy with Jen Daugherty, LPC / LMHC
throughout Washington & Oregon: (360) 226-4827
All sessions provided by teletherapy (online counseling).
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