THERAPY AFTER THE LOSS OF A PARTNER

Therapy can help whether your loss was last week, last month, or last year. Having support at any stage can help you understand what you’re experiencing and reassure you that many of your thoughts, feelings, and reactions are a normal part of grief.

If your loss is recent, you may already have a lot of support from friends and family. That’s a wonderful thing. Adding a therapist to your support system gives you another place to talk openly, including about the things you may not feel comfortable sharing with the people closest to you.

It’s also common for support to be plentiful in the beginning and gradually fade as other people return to their own lives. Grief doesn’t follow that same timeline. I’m not going anywhere just because time has passed. Whether you need support now or months from now, there’s still room for what you’re going through.

Yes. Therapy can give you a safe, confidential place to talk through what you’re struggling with and help you feel more confident about making a decision when you’re ready.

My role isn’t to tell you whether you should stay or leave. Think of me as a neutral person in a conversation you might otherwise have with a close friend, except I don’t have a personal stake in what you decide. I’ll listen, ask thoughtful and sometimes direct questions, help you explore your ambivalence, and clarify what matters most to you.

You don’t have to come to therapy already knowing what you want. We can work through the uncertainty together so that, whatever you decide, the decision feels like yours.

Yes. The end of a long-term relationship is a significant loss, even if you weren’t married. You may be grieving not only the relationship, but also the future you had imagined together, the identity you had within the relationship, and the routines and daily life you shared.

This can sometimes feel like disenfranchised grief, which simply means that other people may not recognize the loss with the same weight or significance that you do. Without a divorce or death, you may not receive the same understanding or support, even though you’re grieving a major change in your life.

The end of a long-term relationship can bring its own difficult questions: Is it too late to meet someone else? What happens to the plans I had for my future? What does this say about me? Will I be okay financially?

You deserve a place to talk honestly about those questions and grieve what you’ve lost while you begin deciding what you want for the life ahead of you. Therapy can help you rebuild confidence in yourself and make choices that reflect your goals, values, and hopes for your future.

You don’t have to have all the answers to get started with therapy. In fact, not knowing what comes next may be part of why you’re here.

When we first meet, I’ll ask you where you want to begin. For some people, that means telling the story of how they got to this place. For others, it might mean talking about what feels hardest right now.

Therapy with me is more like a guided conversation than a structured agenda. I’ll ask questions, help you explore what’s coming up, and give you space to figure things out at your own pace.

You don’t need to know what you want your future to look like to get support for where you are right now.

No. My practice is secular, which means I don’t use Christian teachings, biblical references, or any other religious framework as part of therapy.

That doesn’t mean religion or faith can’t be part of our conversations. Your beliefs, your religious upbringing, or your connection to a faith community may be deeply connected to what you’re going through.

For someone considering separation or divorce, religious beliefs may contribute to guilt or shame, or make it harder to decide what feels right for you. You may worry about being judged by people in your church, feel less welcome in a faith community that was once an important part of your life, or struggle with beliefs about what marriage and divorce are supposed to mean.

After the death of a partner, you may find yourself angry with God, questioning beliefs you once felt certain about, or even wondering whether you somehow caused or deserved what happened because you didn’t have enough faith.

You can talk about all of that here. I won’t tell you what to believe, but I will give you a safe place to explore how your beliefs, doubts, anger, guilt, or questions are affecting you and support you as you decide what they mean for your life now.

That’s exactly what the free consultation is for. We’ll spend about 15 minutes talking about what brings you to therapy, what you’re looking for, and any questions you have about working with me.

You don’t have to make a decision during the call. I want you to feel comfortable with the person you choose to talk to about something this important. If we decide we’re a good fit, we can talk about next steps.

I’m located in South Carolina, but my practice is entirely online and I don’t maintain an office for in-person sessions. I work with clients throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.

Because of licensing requirements, you must be physically located in either North Carolina or South Carolina at the time of your therapy session.

Online therapy is very similar to meeting in person. I use a secure video platform so we can see and hear each other throughout your session.

One of the benefits is that you can meet with me from a place that’s comfortable and convenient for you, whether that’s your home, your office, or another private space. You’ll just need to be physically located in North Carolina or South Carolina, somewhere you have privacy and a reliable Wi-Fi or internet connection. And please, no therapy while driving!

You can join your session from a smartphone, tablet, or computer. There’s no special equipment required.

You’ll receive an email and text reminder with a link to join your session about two days before your appointment, as well as another reminder shortly before we meet.

Our first session is an evaluation, so we’ll spend some time talking about what brings you to therapy, what’s been happening in your life, and some of your personal history.

It’s completely normal to feel nervous about meeting for the first time. My goal is to make you as comfortable as possible, so while I’ll have questions I need to ask, I promise not to hammer you with them. You’re welcome to get cozy, bring your favorite beverage, and absolutely let your pet join us.

You may worry that you’ll cry or feel embarrassed about showing emotion. Losing a life partner, no matter the circumstances, is a hard thing to talk about. You might cry, you might not, and either is completely okay.

Most importantly, I won’t rush you to share anything you’re not ready to talk about. We’ll start where you are and go from there.

Good question, and the answer really varies from one person to the next. Some clients come to therapy with a specific goal in mind, such as getting through the first anniversary of their partner’s death or preparing for divorce mediation. Others aren’t quite sure what they need yet, and that’s okay too.

I usually recommend meeting weekly in the beginning so we have time to get to know each other and build some momentum. As you begin feeling more emotionally regulated and confident in handling what’s happening in your life, we can talk about moving to every other week.

There’s no predetermined number of sessions you have to complete. We’ll check in along the way about how therapy is helping, what you still want to work on, and whether you still need the same level of support.

My practice is focused on supporting women who are navigating the loss of a life partner, but I don’t exclusively work with women.

I believe the relationship you have with your therapist matters, and there are times when my experience and approach may be a good fit for someone outside of the population my practice primarily serves.

If you’re wondering whether we might be a good fit, you’re welcome to schedule a free consultation. We can talk about what brings you to therapy and what you’re looking for in a therapist before you decide whether you’d like to move forward.

Yes. LGBTQ+ clients are welcome in my practice. I provide an affirming space where your relationship, identity, and experiences will be respected.

I also recognize that grief, separation, and the end of a relationship can come with experiences that aren't always understood or acknowledged by others. You won't need to justify the significance of your relationship or your loss here.

If you're wondering whether we'd be a good fit, you're always welcome to ask questions during your free consultation.

No. You don’t need to know whether what you’re experiencing is grief, anxiety, depression, or something else before reaching out. Part of my role is to understand what you’re experiencing and determine whether therapy with me is an appropriate fit.

If you plan to use insurance, your insurance company will require a mental health diagnosis in order for your sessions to be covered. We can talk about what that means and any questions you have about using insurance before we begin.

My fee is $185 for a 50-minute individual therapy session.

I offer a free 15-minute consultation so we can talk briefly about what brings you to therapy, answer any questions you have, and see whether working together feels like a good fit.

I ask that you provide at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice and missed appointments will be charged a $75 fee.

I understand that emergencies and unexpected situations happen. When they do, I’ll do my best to work with you and reschedule your appointment as soon as possible.

Yes. You’re welcome to contact me between sessions for things like scheduling, rescheduling, or other administrative questions. You can reach me by phone, text, email, or through the client portal.

However, I’m unable to provide therapy by phone, text, email, or portal messages. If something comes up that you’d like to talk through, make a note of it and we can give it the time and attention it deserves during your next session.

If you feel you need support sooner, you’re welcome to contact me to see if I have an earlier appointment available. Please keep in mind that I may not be able to respond immediately.

If you are experiencing an urgent mental health crisis or are concerned about your immediate safety, please use the crisis resources listed in the FAQ below rather than waiting for a response from me.

My practice is not able to provide emergency or crisis services, and I may not be available to respond to urgent messages outside of scheduled appointments or business hours.

If you are experiencing a mental health emergency or are concerned about your immediate safety, call 911, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or go to your nearest emergency room.