when loss happens in childhood
EMDR Intensives to heal unprocessed grief
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Experiencing unexpected or traumatic loss in childhood can have a life long impact. Often children do not have support for the grieving process and therefore are left to manage these big emotions on their own. An EMDR Intensive can help process the grief so you are more connected to the positive experiences of your loved one.
Did you experience an untimely or unexpected loss while you were growing up, such as the loss of a caregiver, sibling or friend?
Did your family avoid talking about the loss and loved one for fear it would remind you of the person and upset you?
Did you learn how to adapt to it by trying not to feel or taking care of others?
Unexpressed grief can have a long-lasting impact in adulthood. Symptoms can include depression, anxiety, panic, fear of abandonment or difficulty connecting in relationships. There may be underlying guilt or shame for your behaviors or the decisions you made at the time. We explore the impact of the loss and process the associated grief while holding compassion for everyone involved who were doing the best they could.
It is not uncommon to experience:
Difficulty coping with everyday stressors
Anxiety and abandonment fears in relationships
Avoidance behaviors in relationships, and finding it difficult to connect in intimate relationships
A belief that it isn't impacting you but you are having difficulty with a present day loss
Unexpected or untimely losses in childhood impact the entire family system. When your caregivers are also experiencing intense grief associated with the loss, it's understandable they were unable to provide you with the support you needed to navigate such complicated emotions. Sometimes families stop talking about the loved one for fear of upsetting you which can stifle the grieving process.
Maybe you live with guilt for the way you handled yourself during that time or feel responsible in some way for the loss.
Maybe you have experienced a recent loss as an adult and you are having difficulty managing the grief.
Maybe the fear of experiencing additional loss or change has led to avoidance behaviors or an inability to adapt to new situations.
EMDR Intensives for Grief
We will begin by exploring the impact of the loss on you and on the other members of your family and loved ones. We identify the strategies your younger self developed to manage the grief. We identify moments from that time in your life to target with EMDR Therapy. Most importantly, we identify what would be different / better about your life and the relationship with your loved one if we processed the grief.
