Therapist for Grief

• Support for parent dealing with grief
• Grief counselor needed for recent traumas

Support for parent dealing with grief

Jan 2010

Does anyone have advice about how to get support as a parent dealing with grief (I am irritable, sad, distracted)? I'm particularly interested in how to meet up with others going through this, and finding out what's available right now in the East Bay. Thanks! Anonymous

If you have a child (I think you ID yourself as a parent) and you are grieving and your child is grieving and affected by a loss, definitely go to Circle of Care in Oakland. They have grief groups for adults and kids with other kids their age and they also have individual and family counseling. It immensely helped a friend of mine when her husband died. http://www.ebac.org/programs/circle/services.asp Hope for healing

I'm sorry for your loss, and glad you are looking for support. You may want to try Sutter VNA & Hospice. There website, http://www.suttervnaandhospice.org/support/support_EastBay.html lists all their grief support groups. Also, if there is a child in the family that experienced the loss, you could call Shoshanna Phoenixx-Dawn at Circle of Care in Oakland. Her number is 531-7551 X 195. They run Living with Loss groups for families. Warmly, Deb Lyman, LCSW

I'd recommend www.findgrouptherapy.com for locating group therapy/grief therapy resources in the area. Good luck- Caroline McDowell, MFT

Grief counselor needed for recent traumas

November 2001

I need to find a grief counselor for some recent traumas, The following names were recommended to me. Does anybody know anything about the following counselors?

I don't have information about any of the names you posted, but I thought I'd recommend another therapist in case you're interested, because I found him so extremely helpful. I saw Howard Lunche (LCSW) for bereavement counseling after my brother died, and I can't say enough good things about him. He balanced his listening and talking very well, he remembered every single detail I ever told him about my brother, and he seemed to have perfect insight into how I was feeling and the development of my grief process. One last thing (and take it for what it's worth--I don't know if this describes your situation)... I noticed that all the people you listed were women... when I was looking for a grief counselor, I thought I would prefer a woman, but I decided I'd interview all 3 of the people I'd been referred to (including Howard). But even in that initial phone call, Howard was head and shoulders above the others. He's in the phone book... give him a call. Kristine

For the person requesting recommendations for grief counselors, although not on your list, I would like to recommend a therapist who helped me work through some extremely difficult issues around my father's death. His name is Howard Lunche , and he is an MSW in private practice specializing in grief. Howard worked with Hospice for many years, and he was recommended to me through my family doctor, who suggested that I take his Grief Education class. This class is held the third Saturday of each month at Alta Bates Herrick campus from 10 AM till 12 noon. If you are interested in attending, you just need to call him to let him know you would like to come. He only charges $10 for this class. He provides valuable information about what grief is all about (and it is different for everyone). He also gives out a wonderful no-nonsense booklet that he authored on the subject. To sign up for the class, call Howard at 841-2930.

I think grief is a very, very specific issue, and to be honest, I don't know how many therapists are really qualified to deal with it. My father's death and dying affected every facet of my life. My husband attended the class, and it gave him a better understanding of why I was feeling and behaving the way I was. I am forever indebted to Howard and I cannot say enough good things about him.

By the way, I was seeing another therapist while my father was dying as well as for awhile after he died. I wish I had met Howard sooner, as I am convinced it would have helped me to have a more meaningful experience. The other therapist was not equipped to help me, but what was unfortunate, is that she did not have the humanity nor the professionalism to admit this to me. I wasted precious time with my father that I can never retrieve.

I would also recommend Howard Lunche in Berkeley. He is gentle, compassionate, concerned, and really sees who you are. Leah

I was part of a grief group for, as I remember, 6 or 8 weeks, put together by the Visiting Nurses Association hospice center. The VNA has these groups going on continuously. It doesn't matter what caused the person's death. The group was very very helpful to me - both the facilitators and the participants are right there with you when you talk about the experience, and one of the things we each did was have a time to tell about the person we had lost, and show pictures, etc. After each presentation there was a time for other people in the group to ask questions or talk about what they had heard or seen about the person and your relationship with them. It was incredibly supportive, if scary. It really does seem to allow you to say what you need to say, and what you can't necessarily say to the rest of your family or friends. I was in a group that started about 6 months after my mom's death. I wanted to get into one three months earlier, but didn't understand that you have to go to their Emeryville office and be interviewed to join a group - that just calling to be added to a list is not enough. There were a couple of people who found it too soon to be able to be part of the group, and were not able to continue coming. Anyway, I highly recommend it whether or not you find a good counselor. Susan