Supporting wives, mothers and daughters through the complexities of grief.
Therapy for Relational & Family Loss.
Therapy for women looking to explore and process the impacts of a painful and complex loss.
You’re not just grieving the complexities of a painful loss … you’re trying to hold it together.
And maybe you’re a wife, mother or daughter simultaneously overwhelmed with …
The pressure to manage everyone else’s emotional needs with little or no time to tend to your own or feeling they are less of a priority.
The sheer volume of responsibility you have now being the soul person managing household and daily routines.
Taking on more than you should because you don’t want to burden your adult children and their busy lives.
Having to quickly learn new skills to take over a household role and/or financial, legal and estate matters.
Having to make important decisions and initiate difficult conversations that were not supposed to happen until you were older.
Fluctuating hormonal changes during perimenopause or menopause that make coping even more exhausting.
Loss can happen in many different ways.
Maybe you're privately struggling with complex feelings others simply can’t understand …
Emotions, such as anger or resentment because while you loved them, they were also a source of heartache and pain.
Feeling a loss of time and sense of life satisfaction questioning why you even stayed with them all these years.
Feeling suddenly abandoned by them as you learn they have been dishonest and unfaithful.
Feeling totally isolated from your own peers and hope for the future because you never expected to become widowed at such a young age.
Experiencing intense heart ache as your hopes and dreams of becoming a mother are slipping away and struggling to see your siblings, friends and others celebrate their good news.
Feelings of regret, guilt or shame wondering if you’re partly to blame for what happened or could have prevented the loss.
Being reminded of old wounds that have never had a chance to heal.
Finding yourself in new unhealthy relationships that only mask your grief and leave you feeling more confused and unfulfilled.
You’re ready to make a change.
You want to trust in the therapeutic process and tackle the difficult stuff.
I want you to know that you’re not “bad at grieving.” You’re not “failing at getting better.” You’re human with a full range of human emotions and responses to something incredibly difficult in your life that is hard to put into words.
Here’s what we’ll do together.
Therapy can help clarify why your grief work feels particularly complex and that it doesn’t have to stay this way.
It is not uncommon for women to face stressors that are unique to them when experiencing grief and loss. Taking time to fully consider you as a whole person and recognize all the roles you play at home and in society that may be getting in the way can be not only therapeutically helpful, but necessary. Together we can explore these areas of your life and incorporate them into your healing journey.
You are not alone carrying all of this … even if it truly does feel that way.
Imagine a healing journey where …
What we will work on:
You are able to handle a full day of “wifing,” “moming,” and working with all the responsibilities and NOT being taken down by one song.
You are no longer crying while getting ready to go out and then leaving the house like NOTHING happened.
You can feel yourself gently evolving over time and allowing yourself to imagine a new future for yourself that is meaningful and authentic.
You are able to feel a sense of joy in taking time for yourself and know this ALSO takes care of those who depend on you.
You feel free to answer the dreaded question “how are you doing” HONESTLY when you want to.
You are able to tend to your grief THROUGHOUT your day rather than stuffing it so you can fall apart at home.
You are able to SLOW DOWN and stop filling every waking moment of the day with something to distract you.
Your past no longer is confusing to you and while you have experienced significant emotional pain, you have ALSO experienced person growth and gained clarity.
Get in touch
Change is possible.
Click this link to choose a day and time for a free, confidential consultation with me, Holly W. Smith.
I’ll ask a little bit about your story and what you’re looking for in a Grief Therapist. I’ll share how we can work together based on what matters most to you. If you decide to schedule your first session, we’ll set that up on the calendar right away!
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
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There is a saying that holds true…With all trauma comes a feeling of grief, but not all grief is born out of trauma.
My focus is on grief, but not exclusively. The 2 cannot be separated completely. If you have suffered a traumatic loss, you are especially welcome here.
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I have a special place in my heart for teenage girls and the specialized care they need and deserve, but at this time I do not offer treatment for this age group. Please check back in the future as this may change.
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While my right fit clients are most often women, I do also work with men and give special care to making sure they are not be better suited to working with a male therapist.
No 2 people are ever the same. If you are a grieving husband, father or son and wanting to reach out to me, I welcome you to do so.
"Grief can have a quality of profound healing because it forces us to a depth of feeling that is usually below the threshold of awareness." Stephen Levine
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"Grief can have a quality of profound healing because it forces us to a depth of feeling that is usually below the threshold of awareness." Stephen Levine —