FAQs about grief therapy in the Bay Area

Grief therapy helps you process your emotions and reactions to the losses you’ve experienced

As we’re reducing the stigma around mental health and therapy, more and more people are going to therapy. That’s great! But when you’ve never been to therapy before, how do you know what to expect once you get started?

Like most people, you probably started searching something like “grief therapists near me” or “online grief therapy in California”. But those search results can feel intimidating- how do you tell which of the many options is going to be a good fit?

FAQs about grief counseling in the Bay Area

I know it can be rough and even start to feel discouraging. But don’t worry, I’m here to help! I’ve gone through this process with many people and helped them find their right fit therapist.

Question 1: How do I know if I need grief counseling?

Grief is a normal part of life. Every one of us will lose something or someone we love and care about. You might need grief therapy if you are worried that your reaction to your loss is more extreme than it should be, or that it’s going on for too long. These are subjective measures, and I can help you decide if therapy will be helpful during a free consultation.

Question 2: What should I ask a grief therapist before meeting with them?

Ask anything you want that would help you feel comfortable with them! When we talk about grief and loss, we often get into some of the deep parts of your inner world, so it’s important that you feel safe and like you can trust your therapist. Prospective clients usually ask me questions about my training, the modalities and methods I use to treat grief symptoms, and about how therapy works. (You can also learn more about me here!)

Question 3: How long will therapy last?

This is such a great question and also one that’s hard to answer because everyone is different and makes progress on their own pace. Most of my clients feel like they’re ready to be done after 12-16 sessions which takes about 3-4 months. Some people choose to continue therapy to process other things that came up as we explored their grief. In the first few sessions, we’ll talk about what’s going on for you, create goals for our time together, and how we’ll know when you’re done with therapy.

Question 4: What is the difference between a counselor, therapist, social worker, and psychologist in the Bay Area?

In California, licensed mental health professionals come in many forms. Some have a master’s degree in therapy (professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers). Others have a doctoral level degree (psychologists). The state has very similar training and testing requirements for therapists regardless of which type of degree they have, so you can be assured that any licensed professional has a good foundation of education and training no matter which letters they have after their names. The main difference is that only doctoral level professionals can prescribe medication and do state disability evaluations.

As a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), I have a master’s degree in providing psychotherapy. I have additional training to specialize in helping people through grief. Even though my license says “marriage and family”, I mainly work with individuals to help them process their losses and move through grief.

Question 5: How often will we meet?

I find that my clients get the best results meeting weekly. My ultimate goal is to get you to a point where you don’t need therapy anymore, and weekly sessions are usually the most helpful for you to reach your goals sooner than later. If you’re having trouble committing to meeting every week, therapy might not be the best fit for you right now. Sporadic sessions can do more harm than good!

Question 6: Do you have experience working with the issues I am looking for help with?

If you’re looking for help with grief, then the answer is yes! If you have a more specific question or concern, feel free to schedule a 15 minute consultation with me. I’m not here to pressure you into something that won’t be helpful for you! I want to make sure you get to the exact right therapist who can help you and your unique concerns.

That’s a lot! What’s next?

I hope this helps you find the right therapist in the Bay Area. If you are still feeling stuck, feel free to contact me for a free 15-minute video consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help direct you to the right person. If you are looking for help with grief, you can read more about how I can help here.