Grief Therapy in Walnut Creek
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Explore Our Specializations
Grief can come from many kinds of loss: death, breakups, illness, identity shifts, or major life changes. In therapy, we make space for it all, whether your grief is clear or complex, recent or longstanding. You might be navigating miscarriage, caregiver stress, the loss of a pet, or other layered experiences. Or even anticipatory grief, which is the distress felt when knowing a loss is coming but hasn’t happened yet. This might occur long illnesses or life transitions like divorce or job loss. Therapy can help you process those emotions and stay connected to what matters most, even as things change.
Grief is sometimes portrayed as a series of neatly defined stages while in reality, it’s much more complicated and unpredictable. The idea that grief is just about moving through stages in some methodical way can create unrealistic expectations and add pressure to an already devastating experience. Grief isn’t something you just 'get over'. It’s a deeply personal journey with its own rhythm, weight, and complexity.
What can be more useful, particularly with grief support, are the tasks of mourning — steps that can help you process, adapt, and heal at your own pace and timeline. This can involve honoring the memories of your loved one, learning how to integrate the loss into your life, or finding joy and purpose amidst the pain. Anniversaries, birthdays, and significant dates can also bring a flood of emotions. We explore manageable ways to cope, whether it’s creating space for reflection and a solid support system, or allowing yourself to skip certain traditions without guilt or worry. We focus on what you need in the moments you're in with space to grieve in your own way. So that you can embrace the future or just the next day with genuine hope and peace.
We Help With:
Grief support for loss of a loved one
Help coping with death or bereavement
Navigate complicated or anticipatory grief
Therapy for non-death-related loss
Space to process ambiguous grief
Support after miscarriage or infertility
Healing from pet loss or caregiver burnout
Grief therapy for sudden or traumatic loss
Understand grief without pressure to 'move on'
Culturally sensitive and inclusive grief care
Our Counselors who Specialize in Grief Therapy
Ashley Nazario, LCSW
Samantha Weiss, LCSW
What we help with:
Grief support for loss of a loved one
Help coping with death or bereavement
Navigate complicated or anticipatory grief
Therapy for non-death-related loss
Space to process ambiguous grief
Support after miscarriage or infertility
Healing from pet loss or caregiver burnout
Grief therapy for sudden or traumatic loss
Understand grief without pressure to 'move on'
Culturally sensitive and inclusive grief care
Shalini Vincent
grief healing is less about letting go and more about healthy ways to hold on to the love and memories that remain
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Our Preferred Evidence-Based Treatments
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment that helps change distressing thought patterns that contribute to anxiety and depression. Through CBT, you'll learn to identify and challenge negative thoughts, reframe irrational beliefs, and replace them with healthier, more realistic perspectives. CBT also focuses on breaking patterns of self-doubt and worry by learning how to re-evaluate situations and adopt more constructive thinking. These tools empower you to make lasting changes in how you think and respond.
ERP is a structured therapy that helps reduce distress from obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. It involves gradual, guided exposure to feared situations or thoughts without doing the habits or rituals you usually do to feel better. This process helps decrease anxiety over time and breaks the cycle of obsessions and rituals. You remain fully present and supported throughout, learning new ways to tolerate discomfort and regain control. ERP is especially effective for OCD, skin picking, hair pulling, and related anxiety challenges. Sessions are available in person and via telehealth throughout California.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness principles to help individuals manage emotions, navigate challenges, and improve relationships. It focuses on four key areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. By building these skills, DBT empowers individuals to replace destructive patterns with practical, lasting strategies that promote resilience, balance, and a greater sense of control in daily life.
EMDR helps your brain reprocess stuck memories so they no longer feel overwhelming or intense. Unprocessed experiences can trigger or worsen anxiety, shame, distress, and physiological reactions. After EMDR, difficult experiences often feel neutral, distant, or easier to manage. We use techniques like eye movements or handheld tappers to activate both sides of the brain, supporting your brain’s natural ability to heal and make sense of the distressing experiences. Sessions follow a structured 8-phase protocol to help you build resilience and process memories, while fully awake and alert. EMDR is effective for distress related to loss, illness, trauma, childhood wounds, and relationship pain.
1870 Olympic Blvd
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
925-830-7900
prolonged sadness
emotional numbness
guilt or regret
disrupted functioning
flashbacks
chronic fatigue
Grief can come from many kinds of loss: death, breakups, illness, identity shifts, or major life changes. In therapy, we make space for it all, whether your grief is clear or complex, recent or longstanding. You might be navigating miscarriage, caregiver stress, the loss of a pet, or other layered experiences. Or even anticipatory grief, which is the distress felt when knowing a loss is coming but hasn’t happened yet. This might occur long illnesses or life transitions like divorce or job loss. Therapy can help you process those emotions and stay connected to what matters most, even as things change.
Grief is sometimes portrayed as a series of neatly defined stages while in reality, it’s much more complicated and unpredictable. The idea that grief is just about moving through stages in some methodical way can create unrealistic expectations and add pressure to an already devastating experience. Grief isn’t something you just 'get over'. It’s a deeply personal journey with its own rhythm, weight, and complexity.
What can be more useful, particularly with grief support, are the tasks of mourning — steps that can help you process, adapt, and heal at your own pace and timeline. This can involve honoring the memories of your loved one, learning how to integrate the loss into your life, or finding joy and purpose amidst the pain. Anniversaries, birthdays, and significant dates can also bring a flood of emotions. We explore manageable ways to cope, whether it’s creating space for reflection and a solid support system, or allowing yourself to skip certain traditions without guilt or worry. We focus on what you need in the moments you're in with space to grieve in your own way. So that you can embrace the future or just the next day with genuine hope and peace.