Grief & Loss Therapy

Children grieve in ways that often look very different from adult grief. Instead of talking about sadness, grief may show up through behavior—regression, irritability, withdrawal, play themes, physical complaints, or big emotional swings. Children also move in and out of grief; they may seem fine one moment and overwhelmed the next.

Because of developmental factors, children often engage in magical thinking. They may quietly believe they caused the loss, could have prevented it, or that certain thoughts or behaviors make it worse—even if they never say this out loud. These unspoken beliefs can shape how grief settles in the nervous system.

Children don’t “get over” grief by talking it through once. They process loss slowly, in layers, and often through play and relationship. With attuned support, they can make sense of what happened in developmentally appropriate ways and continue to grow around the loss, rather than carrying it alone.

Yes. Children can experience traumatic grief, complex grief, and cumulative grief, especially when a loss is sudden, frightening, or layered with instability (such as conflict, relocation, or multiple losses). Traumatic grief can interrupt a child’s sense of safety and show up as anxiety, regression, aggression, perfectionism, or emotional shutdown. With attuned, developmentally appropriate support, children can process grief in a way that restores regulation and supports healthy growth rather than long-term distress.

It is never too late. Grief does not follow a timeline, and unprocessed loss often resurfaces during new developmental stages, transitions, or stresses. Children (and adults) may revisit grief years later as their capacity to understand and integrate the loss deepens. Therapy offers a safe space to gently work with what may have gone underground, allowing grief to move instead of remaining stuck.

Absolutely. We all grieve many kinds of losses, including divorce or separation, adoption or foster placement, loss of a pet, miscarriage, infertility, illness, disability, moves, school changes, or the loss of a hoped-for future. These experiences can deeply impact a nervous system and sense of self, even when others minimize them. Therapy helps us name, express, and integrate these losses in a way that supports resilience and emotional health.

Infant loss can affect parents in very different ways—even within the same family. One parent may want to talk, remember, and mark the loss openly, while another may cope by staying busy or minimizing reminders. Neither response is wrong. Grief after infant loss often includes shock, profound sadness, anger, guilt, numbness, and a sense of identity disruption. Therapy can help parents understand each other’s grieving styles, reduce isolation, and find ways to stay connected while honoring the loss.

Grieving together does not mean grieving the same way. Families benefit from creating space where each person’s experience is respected without pressure to “move on” or feel a certain way. Children, parents, and siblings may all need different forms of expression—play, ritual, silence, storytelling, or movement. Therapy can support families in finding shared language, meaningful rituals, and moments of connection while allowing individual grief to unfold at its own pace.

Yes. Infant loss, miscarriage, stillbirth, and pregnancy loss carry profound grief that is often minimized or misunderstood. These losses affect parents, siblings, and the family system as a whole.

I support families navigating both the acute pain of loss and the long-term impact it can have on attachment, parenting, and identity. Grief after infant loss is not something to “get over”—it is something to be gently integrated.

Teens often grieve internally. They may appear detached, irritable, numb, or “fine,” while carrying intense emotions beneath the surface. Grief can show up as risk-taking, withdrawal, changes in identity, or sudden shifts in mood or motivation.

Teens are also navigating autonomy, privacy, and identity, which can make grief feel especially isolating. Therapy gives teens a place where they don’t have to protect anyone else or explain themselves.

That’s okay. Therapy does not require talking. Many teens process grief through presence, creative expression, metaphor, silence, or shared activities. Talking often comes later—if it comes at all.

What matters most is that your teen feels respected, not pressured, and emotionally safe. Regulation and connection come first; words follow when they’re ready.