PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS FOR GRIEF & LOSS IN EDMONTON
Grief Counselling in Edmonton
TRUSTED EDMONTON THERAPISTS SPECIALIZING IN GRIEF & LOSS
Compassionate Support for Loss and Healing in Edmonton
Grief is a painful and isolating experience. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a miscarriage, a divorce, or another life-altering change, grief can take many forms. The emotional toll can feel unbearable, disrupting your sleep, thoughts, energy, and sense of meaning. But grief doesn’t have to last forever.
At Solace Psychology & Wellness, our counsellors in Edmonton and St. Albert provide effective, evidence-based grief counseling to help you navigate this difficult time with care and support. We understand that grief is not a linear process, and there is no “right” way to mourn. Our grief therapists offer proven tools to help you heal and move forward at your own pace with warmth, patience, and genuine understanding.
Direct billing is available for select insurance companies.
Find Peace from Anxiety and Stress
Grief Counselling in Edmonton
Our empathetic team of Grief Counselling Psychologists support many families in Edmonton and St. Albert with grieving and healing after loss.
Grief is a natural response to loss. Though it’s often thought of in relation to death, grief can occur with any type of loss that you may experience. It might be the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a relationship, job, or something else entirely. Often, the pain of loss can feel overwhelming. Research suggests that there are 5 stages of grief where we tend to experience all kinds of difficult, unexpected emotions, from shock or anger, to fear, disbelief, guilt, and profound sadness. The pain of grief can also disrupt your physical health, making it difficult to sleep, eat, or even think straight. There are all normal reactions to loss – and often, the more significant the loss, the more intense your grief will be.
Even subtle losses in life can trigger a sense of grief. For example, you might grieve after moving away from home, graduating from college, or changing jobs. Whatever the cause of your grief may be, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain that, in time, can ease your sadness and help you come to terms with your loss, find new meaning, build resilience, and eventually move on with your life.
Inevitably, the grieving process takes time. Healing happens gradually; it can’t be forced or hurried – and there is no “normal” timetable for grieving. It is important to be patient and compassionate with yourself and allow the process to naturally unfold.
The pain of grief can often cause you to want to withdraw from others. However, research shows that having the face-to-face support of other people is vital to healing from loss. Sharing your loss with others can make the burden of grief easier to carry, as you feel comfort in knowing that you are not alone.
Offering in-person grief counselling sessions in Edmonton and St. Albert, as well as virtual sessions across Alberta.
Grief Counselling Can Help with:
Coping with stress and overwhelm due to grief – Learn how to manage the emotional, physical, and mental strain that loss can bring.
Processing sadness, longing, anger, and regret – Make space for painful emotions without judgment, and understand how they’re part of your healing.
Rebuilding your self-identity and life around the loss – Discover who you are now and create a meaningful life after loss.
Addressing unresolved issues or relational problems – Work through unfinished conversations, guilt, or complex grief tied to past dynamics.
Returning to everyday functioning – Regain the ability to focus, sleep, care for yourself, and engage in daily routines.
Processing the loss and making meaning – Explore the significance of your loss and how it shapes your personal story.
Repairing and healing your heart – Move from pain toward peace through compassion-based and evidence-informed therapy.
Navigating anniversary dates, holidays, and life transitions – Prepare for and move through difficult milestones with support and tools.
Grieving non-death losses – Including miscarriage, infertility, separation, estrangement, pet loss, loss of health, or life changes.
Complicated or traumatic grief – Support for those experiencing prolonged, intense, or trauma-related grief responses.
Spiritual or existential aspects of grief – Reflect on the meaning of life, death, and your beliefs in a safe, open space.
Types of Loss
Coping with grief is one of life’s biggest challenges, but there are healthy ways to cope with your grief and heal. Any loss can cause grief, including:
- Loss of a loved one
- Divorce, separation, or romantic relationship breakup
- Miscarriage
- Loss of health or abilities / chronic disease or pain
- A loved one’s serious illness
- Death of a pet
- Loss of a friendship
- Loss of a job
- Loss of financial stability
- Retirement
- Selling the family home
- Adult children moving out of the home (empty nesting)
- Loss of safety after trauma
UNDERSTAND YOUR GRIEF SYMPTOMS
Disorders Related to Grieving
Coping with the emotions and experiences of grieving can be challenging, and sometimes can lead to complicated grief or other related disorders. Whether you need to process your loss, rebuild your life or learn to manage a whole lot more, our grief counsellors are here to guide you along the way. They not only specialize in grief counselling, but also provide evidence-based therapeutic strategies to help you cope with depression, PTSD, and other mental health disorders that may accompany grief.
Prolonged Grief Disorder
If you have been significantly struggling with the loss of someone close to you for at least one year (6 months for children and teens), you may be diagnosed with Prolonged Grief Disorder. This is a relatively new disorder that the American Psychiatric Association has included in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR).
Prolonged Grief Disorder can involve:
- An intense yearning or longing for the person
- Constantly thinking about the person or memories involving that person (may become preoccupied with circumstances of the death)
- Feeing as if you’ve lost a part of yourself
- Intense sadness, anger, sorrow, loneliness or emotional numbness
- Feeling that life is meaningless
- Disbelief about the death
- Avoiding reminders indicating that the person has passed away
- Difficulty engaging with friends or partaking in enjoyable activities
- Difficulty planning for the future
- Significant impairment in day to day functioning (work, school, social activities, eating, sleeping) *You may be off work due to the loss.
Anticipatory Grief
When you acknowledge that you will lose someone in the near future, you may experience Anticipatory Grief. This involves experiencing the emotions and thoughts associated with grief and loss before you actually lose someone. This type of grief can be understood as grieving the loss of the life you had imagined together, and the hope and dreams that you had for this person. We often see this when someone close to us is diagnosed with a terminal illness or when there are pregnancy complications and anticipated perinatal loss.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Experiencing intense loss can also result in PTSD, particularly if the loss was traumatic. It may be difficult to regulate your nervous system as you may easily become triggered when reminded of the incident. PTSD may involve: flashbacks, distressing thoughts of the event, physical signs of stress, nightmares, avoiding reminders of the event, being easily startled, hypervigilance, difficulty with concentration or memory, ongoing negative emotions, social isolation, or difficulty experiencing positive emotions.
Major Depressive Disorder
Since experiencing loss can be debilitating, a common concurrent disorder is Major Depressive Disorder. Symptoms may look like: feeling intense sadness, lack of motivation, difficulties with concentration, suicidal ideation, emptiness and hopefulness, fatigue, angry outbursts, irritability, frustration, and loss of interest in usually enjoyable activities.
HOW COUNSELLING AT SOLACE CAN HELP
Counselling for Grief in Edmonton
Grief can be overwhelming. You may feel lost, angry, numb, anxious, or stuck. You might be struggling with regrets, what-ifs, or a sense of guilt. Sometimes people feel pressure to “move on,” even though they’re not ready.
Everyone will experience the process of grieving within their lifetime. Having a reliable, compassionate support system is essential to healing and recovery. We never truly forget about our losses, but rather, we learn to rebuild our life surrounding the loss, allowing us to move forward in a healthy, productive and meaningful manner.
Your Path to Healing Starts Here
Benefits of Grief Counselling
Grief counseling provides a safe space to:
Understand the grieving process while having support with enduring the waves of grief
Express painful emotions in a non-judgmental setting
Explore the meaning of your loss
Reconnect with your values and identity
Develop healthy coping strategies
Rebuild a sense of purpose and hope
Whether you’ve experienced a recent loss or you’re carrying unresolved grief from years ago, it’s never too early or too late to begin your healing journey.
“Grief is like the ocean; it comes in waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.”
– Vicki Harrison
Gentle Support Through Life’s Hardest Losses
What to Expect in Grief Therapy at Solace
At Solace Psychology & Wellness, we tailor our approach to meet your individual needs. Your therapist will walk alongside you, gently helping you unpack your story, honour your loss, and find pathways toward healing. We will work at your pace, with a gentle approach. Sessions may include:
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) – Helps you explore attachment, emotional regulation, and relational patterns impacted by grief.
Narrative Therapy and Memory Work – Encourages you to tell your story, honour memories, and reconstruct meaning after loss.
Self-Compassion Practices – Gently shift from self-criticism to kindness as you navigate painful emotions.
Mindfulness and Grounding Tools – Learn to stay present and regulate overwhelming thoughts or feelings in your body.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) – A body-focused approach that supports healing from trauma and stress stored physically in the nervous system.
Support Around Rituals, Anniversaries, or Transitions – Prepare for significant dates, holidays, or life changes that may resurface grief.
Grief Psychoeducation – Understand the normal and varied experiences of grief, so you feel less alone and more empowered in your process.
Traditional Talk Therapy – Offers a confidential, judgment-free space to process your emotions, thoughts, and grief-related challenges.
COMPASSIONATE & PROFESSIONAL CARE
Therapists who Specialize in Grief Counselling in Edmonton
What makes our team at Solace Psychology & Wellness truly unique is the heart we bring to this work. We’re not just trained professionals; we’re compassionate humans who genuinely care. Each of our therapists is deeply committed to walking alongside you with empathy, respect, and presence. We understand that grief is personal, complex, and often isolating, which is why we create a space where you feel seen, safe, and supported. We take a whole-person approach, blending research-backed strategies with warmth and connection. When you book with us, you’re not just starting therapy, you’re finding people who wholeheartedly want to help you heal.
Grief is the measure of love we carry in our hearts; a testament to how deeply someone touched our lives and the bonds that will always remain.
— The Solace Team
Don’t live in Edmonton?
In addition to in-clinic sessions in Edmonton and St. Albert, our psychologists offer secure virtual grief therapy sessions (video or phone) for anyone living in Alberta. Access quality therapy from the comfort of your own home.
Book your grief counselling session in Edmonton or St. Albert.
YOUR TRUSTED EDMONTON GRIEF THERAPISTS
Solace Psychology & Wellness
EDMONTON: hello@solacewellness.ca | 780-702-1079 | #205, 2435 90B Street SW, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6X 1V8
ST. ALBERT: StAlbert@solacewellness.ca | 780-702-1079 | #508, 1 Tache Street, St. Albert, AB, Canada, T8N 1B4