Death and Dying, Divorce and/or Separation Family Systems

Death and Dying, Divorce and/or Separation

Death and dying are common issues faced by people who seek counselling. When a loved one passes away,  dormant feelings of rejection, separation and abandonment in a person's life history tend to resurface. Every client has a different reaction to death and dying, a topic that has been a taboo in many cultures.

Many people are ill-equipped to deal with death and dying, and the process of adjustment that naturally has to follow such an event. During the grieving process, a person tends to react emotionally, but their character usually doesn't change. They are bound to review their relationship with the deceased individual, and express the unfairness of the death. The grieving person might seek out other people to replace the deceased, while at the same time revising their current relationships and personal identity.

The mourning process consists of a number of stages, that most people experience. The stages usually occur consecutively, but it's natural to experience them in a different order, to experience more than one at a time, or to skip a stage altogether. Some people have reported regressing to a previous stage, and moving back and forth between stages.

Unresolved grief can lead to psychopathology. It takes a strong person to seek help and therapy can help you realize that mourning is a natural process that allows you to explore life after the loss of a loved one. It will help you to find new coping mechanisms and help you to move forward with a life that does not include him or her.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who works with clients who are grieving the loss of someone, you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Breaking the vow of "till death do us part" and getting divorced has been listed on the list of top things that people fear. The end of a marriage can indeed cause incredible confusion, sadness, grief, anger, guilt, fear, anxiety and shame. Not only does the end of a marriage affect a couple, but also the children.

Issues that can cause a marriage to fail include criticism, lack of respect, defensiveness, and aloofness, to name a few. Dealing with these issues might save a marriage. Mediation therapy can help couples even before a divorce, when the signs of marital disintegration starts to show. Couples therapy is an excellent tool at that point in a marriage to see whether saving the marriage is a viable option, and if it's not, it can help them find ways to reach settlements, move forward, and co-parent in a healthy and constructive way.

For children going through the divorce of their parents, therapy is critical. While parents are facing the realities of divorce and the emotional trauma, they often don't have the time or inclination to help their children deal with their sense of abandonment, pain, loss or guilt. Children may even feel that they are to blame for their parents' problems. Therapy can help children to come to terms with these issues and find strategies to move forward in a positive way.

In the case where couples counselling is not an option, a therapist can help the person who was left behind deal with the grief from the divorce. Therapy is aimed at empowering the individual to overcome grief and negative emotions and to move forward as a single person.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who addresses divorce issues you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Family Systems, Existential Analysis

Family Systems therapy is a type of counselling specific to helping interpersonal relationships within a family system. Family Systems counselling is facilitated by marriage and family therapists who work with the various family combinations, including siblings, couples, parent and child, or step families.

The principle of family systems counselling is to help each individual to first learn to understand his or her own emotions, and how to manage interpersonal relationships effectively, as that influences all future relationships. Once family members understand themselves and the emotional system within the family, it is easier to be flexible in relationships with family  members, marriages, community, school and other relationships.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Family Systems Therapies, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Existential Analysis helps clients to address emotional issues by taking responsibility for past decisions that caused emotional reactions to develop. The therapist will guide the client to accept fears, and equips the client with skills and actions to overcome obstacles.

The client will learn how to take control of their life direction and to design the course wisely. By creating a sense of liberation in the client, he or she can let go of negative emotions, and instead allow him or her to embrace a life full of curiosity and wonder. As a result, life becomes a journey of excitement that needs to be embraced and lived to the full.

Through focusing on the client's future choices, the therapist can help the client explore options and understand the implications of past choices or beliefs that brought about current circumstances. That can be used as a springboard for better introspection and keener insight into the self.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Existential Analysis, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Note: You may narrow your search by selecting more than one filter below.

Allison Rice

M.A., RCC
Allison Rice (she/her) is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, with over 20 years of experience, who works with clients in offices in Vancouver and Courtenay, BC. Splitting her time between the city of Vancouver... Read more

Avraham Cohen

Ph.D., RCC
    • Blog on profile
Avraham Cohen, Ph. D., RCC-ACS, CCC holds the designations of Registered Clinical Counsellor; Approved Clinical Supervisor (RCC=ACS) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, and Canadian Counsellor Certification... Read more