Grief & Loss
Counseling
Julie Brown, LMFT
Does the weight of your grief feel too heavy to bear?
Are you struggling to make sense of death or loss? Maybe its the death of a family member, a cherished friend or loss of a relationship.
Renown grief expert and teacher David Kessler says, “when we run from grief, we’re in the pain longer,” and “we have to grow around the grief not make it smaller.”
It’s really hard. Let’s face it! Our society has a difficult time talking about death and loss. After the initial news, memorial services or good-byes, people begin to move on but the bereaved are still left with the profound loss.
There’s no right way to grieve.
I know that to be true after more than 15 years of helping my patients navigate the loss of loved ones.
If you’re not sure how to move forward and are worried life will never feel normal again, therapy can help with:
expressing the feelings openly without judgement
making sense of the profound loss
addressing distorted thinking patterns and managing emotions
creating rituals for saying good-bye and honoring the loved one
“Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape.”
-C.S. Lewis
You don’t have to handle grief alone
My approach to grief counseling uses a blend of evidence-based practices including the following:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) identifying and limiting thought, behavior and emotion patterns that intensify distress.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages acceptance of painful feelings rather than suppressing them. Helps you take value-driven actions to live a meaningful life.
Narrative Therapy focuses on the telling of your grief story and then rewrite the personal narrative to integrate loss rather than letting it control you.
Expressive Therapies uses writing & journaling, art, music to help you process complex emotions that may be challenging to verbalize.
MIndfulness-Based techniques helping you to be present in the world and manage emotional pain.
How Therapy With Me Can Support Your Healing Journey
Together we will work on helping you…
reconnect with yourself and others.
experience a sense of healing and comfort.
create a meaningful life.
integrate the loss by telling your story.
be more present in your life.
express your feelings in a healthy manner.
understand that waves of emotion is normal bereavement.
accept your feelings as part of the grieving process.
be kind to yourself and embrace self-compassion.
About Juliane
Thank you for visiting my website. I’d love to hear from you. Just a little bit about me…
I’ve lived in the East Bay for most of my life and raised three adult sons in El Cerrito. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, watching a good Netflix series, choral music, playing the piano, gardening, journaling, knitting, and going on long walks with my husband of 35 years. I’ve worked in other careers, such as visual merchandising in retail and public education. With the exception of being a mom, my career as a psychotherapist has been my favorite and most meaningful job. Walking along side my clients toward healthy patterns and healing is a cherished position that I feel so lucky to hold.
Whitworth University, BA in International Studies
The Wright Institute, MA in Counseling Psychology
ADHD-CCSP Certification for Intensive Training
CHADD, member
CAMFT, member
Education & Credentials
I offer every new client a free consultation. It’s your chance to ask any questions and see what it’s like to work together. If you decide we’re a fit we’ll schedule an intake session which allows us to go deeper into what brings you to therapy. Usually the first three sessions with me are centered around assessment and goal setting.
Your therapy sessions are tailored to your unique challenges, offering a supportive space to gain insight, build skills, and create change.