Grief Therapy

in Pleasant Hill and Alamo, CA

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Explore Our Specializations

Grief can come from many kinds of loss: death, breakups, illness, identity shifts, or major life changes. In therapy, we make space for it all, whether your grief is clear or complex, recent or longstanding. You might be navigating miscarriage, caregiver stress, the loss of a pet, or other layered experiences. Or even anticipatory grief, which is the distress felt when knowing a loss is coming but hasn’t happened yet. This might occur long illnesses or life transitions like divorce or job loss. Therapy can help you process those emotions and stay connected to what matters most, even as things change.

Grief is sometimes portrayed as a series of neatly defined stages while in reality, it’s much more complicated and unpredictable. The idea that grief is just about moving through stages in some methodical way can create unrealistic expectations and add pressure to an already devastating experience. Grief isn’t something you just 'get over'. It’s a deeply personal journey with its own rhythm, weight, and complexity.

What can be more useful, particularly with grief support, are the tasks of mourning — steps that can help you process, adapt, and heal at your own pace and timeline. This can involve honoring the memories of your loved one, learning how to integrate the loss into your life, or finding joy and purpose amidst the pain. Anniversaries, birthdays, and significant dates can also bring a flood of emotions. We explore manageable ways to cope, whether it’s creating space for reflection and a solid support system, or allowing yourself to skip certain traditions without guilt or worry. We focus on what you need in the moments you're in with space to grieve in your own way. So that you can embrace the future or just the next day with genuine hope and peace.

Grief support for loss of a loved one
Help coping with death or bereavement
Navigate complicated or anticipatory grief
Therapy for non-death-related loss
Space to process ambiguous grief
Support after miscarriage or infertility
Healing from pet loss or caregiver burnout
Grief therapy for sudden or traumatic loss
Understand grief without pressure to 'move on'
Culturally sensitive and inclusive grief care

We Help With:

obsessive compulsive spectrum - alamo counseling - shalini mongia mft

What we help with:

Grief support for loss of a loved one
Help coping with death or bereavement
Navigate complicated or anticipatory grief
Therapy for non-death-related loss
Space to process ambiguous grief
Support after miscarriage or infertility
Healing from pet loss or caregiver burnout
Grief therapy for sudden or traumatic loss
Understand grief without pressure to 'move on'
Culturally sensitive and inclusive grief care

Shalini Vincent

grief healing is less about letting go and more about healthy ways to hold on to the love and memories that remain

Our Preferred Evidence-Based Treatments

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment that helps change distressing thought patterns that contribute to anxiety and depression. Through CBT, you'll learn to identify and challenge negative thoughts, reframe irrational beliefs, and replace them with healthier, more realistic perspectives. CBT also focuses on breaking patterns of self-doubt and worry by learning how to re-evaluate situations and adopt more constructive thinking. These tools empower you to make lasting changes in how you think and respond.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness principles to help individuals manage emotions, navigate challenges, and improve relationships. It focuses on four key areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. By building these skills, DBT empowers individuals to replace destructive patterns with practical, lasting strategies that promote resilience, balance, and a greater sense of control in daily life.
TF-CBT helps by combining practical coping skills with gradual exposure to difficult memories. It starts by teaching relaxation techniques, emotional regulation, and ways to challenge unhelpful thoughts. Once a strong foundation is built, individuals slowly and safely process their trauma with the support of a therapist. This approach reduces fear and distress, strengthens personal resilience, and fosters healthier ways of thinking and relating to others.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a proven, client-centered approach designed to help individuals overcome ambivalence and create lasting change. It focuses on exploring personal motivations and values, guiding clients to take actionable steps toward their goals. MI is highly effective in treating issues like addiction, unhealthy behaviors, and low motivation by strengthening confidence and commitment, empowering clients to drive their own positive transformations.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a proven approach that that helps couples break negative cycles and strengthen emotional bonds. In therapy, partners identify patterns of conflict and learn techniques like emotional validation and replacing reactive behaviors with empathetic responses. EFT targets underlying emotional triggers, promoting healthier attachment while deepening intimacy. It’s particularly effective for couples facing disconnection, insecurity, and trust issues, leading to genuine understanding and lasting change. This therapy is effective with treating emotional withdrawal, fear of abandonment, and attachment wounds, creating stronger, more secure relationships.
EMDR helps your brain reprocess stuck memories so they no longer feel overwhelming or intense. Unprocessed experiences can trigger or worsen anxiety, shame, distress, and physiological reactions. After EMDR, difficult experiences often feel neutral, distant, or easier to manage. We use techniques like eye movements or handheld tappers to activate both sides of the brain, supporting your brain’s natural ability to heal and make sense of the distressing experiences. Sessions follow a structured 8-phase protocol to help you build resilience and process memories, while fully awake and alert. EMDR is effective for distress related to loss, illness, trauma, childhood wounds, and relationship pain.
ERP is a structured therapy that helps reduce distress from obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. It involves gradual, guided exposure to feared situations or thoughts without doing the habits or rituals you usually do to feel better. This process helps decrease anxiety over time and breaks the cycle of obsessions and rituals. You remain fully present and supported throughout, learning new ways to tolerate discomfort and regain control. ERP is especially effective for OCD, skin picking, hair pulling, and related anxiety challenges. Sessions are available in person and via telehealth throughout California.