Accepting new in-person and virtual clients.
GRIEF COUNSELLING & GRIEF THERAPY IN LONDON, ONTARIO
Grief & Loss
Grief follows more than death. It arrives after a relationship ends, after the loss of a pet, after an unexpected diagnosis, or after a difficult life transition. Grief doesn't keep a timeline, and it certainly doesn't progress in a correct order. Grief counselling asks about the parts you leave out when people ask how you're doing.
Not sure what kind of support you need? We’ll help you find the right place to start.
Grief is at the Heart of Our Clinic
Authentic Living London was founded because we saw how profoundly grief can change a person's life, and how often people are expected to navigate that experience with little support. Grief was the starting point for our clinic, and it remains an important part of who we are today.
We believe grief deserves more than a few words of sympathy or advice about how to "move on." It can affect your relationships, identity, sense of safety, plans for the future, and even your understanding of who you are. And grief isn't limited to the death of someone you love. People can grieve a relationship, a family, their health, a pregnancy, a career, a sense of identity, or a future they expected to have.
Our therapists bring different clinical backgrounds and areas of experience to grief counselling, but we share an understanding that there is no single right way to grieve. Our goal isn't to tell you how you should be grieving. It's to offer a place where your experience can be understood, your loss can be acknowledged, and you can work through what has changed in a way that feels right for you.
Grief can become overwhelming.
The pain that comes with grief is natural, but it's often a destabilizing experience. It leaves you feeling like you would trade just about anything to make the pain go away, even for a brief moment. It's easy to get so lost in grief that it's difficult to recognize yourself or reconnect with who you were before.
We support several areas of grief and loss, and we want you to know: you don't have to go through it alone.
Grief Therapy
Some clients come to us days or weeks after a death. Others come years later, when something unexpected brings their grief back to the surface, and they aren't sure why it still affects them so deeply. Both are completely ordinary, even if they feel very different. Grief therapy offers you space to set down what you're carrying and share it with someone whose only focus in that hour is you and your story.
Traumatic Losses
Sudden, violent, or unexpected deaths carry additional layers alongside grief. Intrusive images, replaying the moment you found out, and difficulty separating the loss from the way it happened are all common struggles. This often includes loss to suicide and overdose. Rest assured that traumatic loss therapy moves at whatever pace you set, and you are never asked to retell more than you want to.
Pet Loss & Grief Support
When a pet passes away, the people around you may not understand the full impact of your loss and expect you to move on quickly. The bonds we form with our furry companions are deep, and we build daily routines around them; their absence registers deeply and daily. Just because others don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't painful and lonely. These are common reasons that people reach out, and they don't need to be justified. We understand, even when others struggle to.
Non-Death Losses
Not every loss involves a death. These losses often arrive without a specific ritual, a recognized mourning period, or anyone asking how you're holding up, which can leave you grieving privately and feeling deeply alone, while everyone else around you carries on. We're here to ask you how you're doing, when those that you wish would ask don't.
Divorce & Estrangement
The end of a marriage or a cut-off from family or friends carries grief alongside the practical upheaval, often mixed with shame, which makes it harder to talk about. We're here when you're ready for someone to listen.
Infertility & Pregnancy Loss
Grieving a pregnancy, a diagnosis, or a future you had already begun planning for is a loss that is often invisible to everyone except you. We're here to hold space for that loss and help you feel heard.
Job Loss & Identity Change
A career can become a large part of your identity, and your work shapes your routine, income, and how you answer when someone asks you what you do for a living. The relationships you build, the network you create, and that specific sense of belonging register as much more than a financial event when you lose a job or transition your career. We are here to listen and help you find your way during the transition.
Disenfranchised Grief
This type of grief is a loss that is not openly recognized or easily understood by those around you. It's the grief that doesn't fit neatly into a category, like grieving a secret, non-traditional, or toxic relationship, mourning a colleague, or losing someone to complications from a stigmatized illness. Disenfranchised grief can feel isolating precisely because the people around you have not registered what you've lost and how it's affecting you. We are here to give your loss the understanding it needs.
End of Life & Anticipatory Grief
Grief often begins well before a death. Anticipatory grief, caregiving fatigue, ambiguous loss, and difficult decisions, including medical assistance in dying (MAID), can stretch across months or years, and the emotions along with them. We offer compassionate support for both the person who is ill and the people around them.
Grief Support for Seniors
Later life can bring losses in sequence rather than one at a time: a spouse, friends, independence, a home of many years, and the roles that shaped how you saw yourself and took part in the world around you. Each one matters on its own, and together they can become difficult to separate, name, or attend to. Grief in later life is often treated as something to be expected rather than something that deserves support. We are here to recognize each of those layers with you, and to meet in person or virtually, depending on what is easier for you to get to.
If you are looking on behalf of a parent or grandparent, you are welcome to call and talk it through with us first.
Chronic Pain & Illness
Living with chronic pain or illness involves grieving a body that worked differently and a life that was organized around different wellness assumptions. The loss is real, ongoing, and often feels like it compounds over time, especially when it requires sacrificing ease or there is no moment to point back to. We are here to hold your pain and help you set some of it down.
Your grief is welcome here.
Your pain is welcome here.
You are welcome here.
If any of this sounds like what you're carrying,
a free 15-minute consultation call is a low-pressure place to begin.
Areas Related to Grief
Grief overlaps with other concerns people come to us for, like life transitions (the identity shift that follows a major change) or depression (when the heaviness stops lifting). Therapy isn't about perfect categories or starting points. We can simply meet you where you are, when you're ready.
How We Work: In-Person & Virtual Grief Counselling
In Person
Brenda sees clients in person at 130 Thompson Road in London, Ontario, inside the Thompson Medical Center (TMC+) with plenty of free parking available.
Virtually
All of our therapists offer virtual grief counselling and therapy across Ontario, to provide flexible, comfortable, and convenient therapy options. Read more about virtual grief counselling here, if you'd like.
Naming what's wrong is hard. You don't have to do it alone or get it right on the first try. Let's start with a conversation, and we'll help you find the right place to start.
If you don't see your exact situation here, please reach out anyway. Chances are, we can help.
GRIEF THERAPISTS IN LONDON, ONTARIO | IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL
Meet Our Grief Therapists
Our grief counsellors bring different areas of experience to grief therapy. You can learn more about each therapist below to find someone whose experience and approach fit what you're going through.
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Grief Counsellor
Brenda specializes in grief, chronic pain and illness, and difficult life transitions.
In-person & Virtual Sessions
Registered Social Worker
Grief Counsellor
Jeanette specializes in grief therapy, non-death losses, traumatic losses, seniors and end-of-life support, and EMDR.
Virtual Sessions Only
Registered Psychotherapist, Certified Grief Counsellor, Clinic Director
Gabrielle specializes in grief, religious trauma, existential and identity issues.
Virtual Sessions Only
Not sure who might be a good fit for you?
We're here to help. Please reach out to us, and we'll help connect you with a therapist whose story, style, and approach are best for you.
Common Questions About Grief Counselling
What happens in the first grief counselling session?
The first session is usually mostly you talking and your therapist listening. You can expect to be asked what brought you in and what you would like to address in your counselling or therapy sessions. There is nothing you need to prepare, your therapist will guide you through the session, although you always set the pace.
How do I know if I need grief therapy?
There is no threshold or specific indicator that means you need grief therapy. Often, people seek grief counselling when their grief is interfering with sleep, work, or relationships, although some people come simply because they want somewhere to share about their grief. All of those reasons are enough.
What if my loss wasn't a death?
Non-death losses are a significant part of our work here. Divorce, estrangement, infertility, job loss, and a diagnosis that changes your future are some examples of losses that we can help with. While the list of non-death losses is much longer, please know that when you find yourself feeling stuck, lonely, or shameful in your grief, we are here to support you.
How long does grief counselling take?
It varies, and often greatly, depending on the person. Some people come for a handful of sessions around a specific loss, while others stay much longer. You and your therapist will review your goals and progress together as you go.
Do you offer virtual grief counselling across Ontario?
Yes, we offer secure video sessions anywhere in Ontario, as well as in person at our London office.
How much does grief counselling cost?
Current fees are listed on our therapy pricing page. Many extended health plans provide coverage, though what is covered depends on your insurance plan and your therapist's designation.
Do I need a referral?
No, you are welcome to book a session or free consultation call directly, although we do accept referrals from community partners.
What do I do if I'm not sure where to start?
That is completely normal. We invite you to call or text (226) 224-0301, and we will help you find the best way to begin.
Contact
We would love to hear from you.
Please reach out to us in whichever way feels most comfortable to you and we will get back to you within 1-2 business days at most.
130 Thompson Road, London, ON
226-224-0301 (call or text)