Grief, Loss & Life Transitions in Burnaby, BC
Grief and loss counselling at Harbour Counselling & Wellness supports people in Burnaby, BC — in-person or online — navigating the death of a loved one, major life transitions, identity shifts, and losses that don't always get acknowledged as grief. Sessions integrate relational, somatic, and trauma-informed approaches to help you carry what matters alongside what has changed.
Grief is not only about what we lose - it is about what changes because of that loss.
How I approach grief and life transitions
Together, we may explore:
the grief of what has ended or changed
the grief of what never had the chance to exist
the ways loss lives in your body, emotions, and relationships
the parts of your experience that have gone unseen or unacknowledged
how to honour what mattered while creating space for what is still unfolding
My approach is rooted in the understanding that grief is not only an individual experience—it is shaped by our relationships, histories, cultures, communities, and the experiences we carry across generations.
I integrate relational, somatic, energy & body work (if desired) along with trauma-informed approaches to support you in listening to your experiences with compassion and curiosity. This may include exploring not only your thoughts and stories, but also how grief moves through your body and shapes the ways you relate to yourself and the world around you.
Our work is not about forgetting, moving on, or leaving parts of yourself behind.
It is about creating a relationship with grief that allows love, memory, identity, meaning, and possibility to exist alongside change and loss.
You do not have to arrive with your grief neatly packaged. You do not have to know exactly what you need before we begin.
We will listen together.
We will make room for what is here.
And we will explore how you can continue becoming while honouring all that has shaped you, all that has changed, and all that is still possible.
You may be seeking support after the death of someone you love, the ending of a relationship, a major life transition, a change in identity, a shift in family roles, migration, caregiving, changes in health, or the loss of a future you imagined would unfold differently.
Perhaps you find yourself asking:
Why am I still feeling this way? Why does this keep showing up? Why does it feel like I lost more than one thing? Why does nobody seem to truly understand what I’m going through?
Many people come to grief carrying more than the loss itself. There may be responsibilities you continue to hold, relationships that have changed, parts of yourself you no longer recognize, or emotions that were never fully witnessed or given space.
Grief can live in our bodies, our relationships, our identities, our memories, and the stories we carry about ourselves and our lives.
You do not have to move through grief by simply “letting go” or returning to who you were before. Some losses change us. Some transitions ask us to become someone new.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime.
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Grief following death
Relationship endings and changes
Migration, displacement, and changes in home or belonging
Major life transitions
Ambiguous or complicated loss—grief that is unclear or unresolved or hard to name
The loss of a hoped-for or imagined future
Finding meaning while grieving
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Grief moves through the whole body. While conversation can be one way to process grief, the body is another. We feel the weight of sadness, the mental fog, the physical tension. The body is a place to listen for what craves space, support, or expression.
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Yes, of course. Ritual, ceremony, spirituality, and other practices offer ways of relating to grief. If this is a way you want to honour your person, relationship, identity, or chapter of life, I welcome exploring that with you. Your beliefs, traditions, culture, and relationship to spirituality is fully welcomed.
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Absolutely! Grief is shaped by the contexts and experiences in which we live. Grief may be inherited or carried across generations. There might be expectations that feel challenging to shift away from. You may not want to set hard boundaries, for example, but feel ok with flexible ones. Our grief work is sacred. We want to hold the complexity of it while also giving room to what feels easier to manage during a challenging time.
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Over time, you may develop new forms of meaning, identity, connection, and possibility. You will likely have more tools and resources to navigate your emotions and the complexities of relationships. You might be sleeping better or feeling clearer. You might start enjoying the things you once used to or find new hobbies or interests to engage in. The truth is: grief does not always disappear. We begin to rebuild or live our lives anew around the grief.
In our grief work, there is space for your experiences to be felt, understood, and integrated, while beginning to envision a future reimagined.
You can honour what’s lost and live well.
Both can exist.