Wendy Douglas, MA, LCMHCA, NCC

Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed after losing someone or something you love or perhaps after a traumatic experience? Do you feel like others either don’t understand your loss or don’t want to talk about it? Many times, people think that grief is only experienced due to a physical death, but grief is a response to any loss. Here are some examples to consider: past trauma/abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or spiritual), a lost hope or dream, loss of a friendship, family conflict, a health condition, adoption, abortion, and miscarriage. Consider that there is grief in all trauma although there isn’t trauma in all grief. Grief can knock the breath right out of you, leaving you feeling isolated, lonely, and wondering how you will ever live without what was lost. What you think about God, others, and the world around you may have been shattered and left you feeling as though you are walking among ruins. In the beginning stages of grief, you don’t want someone who will try to get you to find meaning; you want someone who will sit with you through the pain and let you feel all the feels. Through specialized counseling, as you move along the grief path, you can learn to honor that which was lost, reclaim parts of yourself that have been hidden, and rebuild a healthy life in a way that allows you to walk your unique journey. As a Christian counselor, I specialize in grief, loss, and trauma, helping adult women 21 and older with devastating loss. I give hope that life - that although very different - can, in time, be beautiful again. I teach clients tools that they can carry with them for a lifetime. I have done training with world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler and the late Dr. H. Norman Wright (of Grief Share). Occasionally, I offer psychoeducation and/or therapy groups centered around grief and loss, including one for survivors of suicide loss. I firmly believe in the power of the counseling relationship as it has the potential to serve as a catalyst for individual insight, progressive change, and overall mental health wellness. For clients who have experienced trauma, I am trained in Polyvagal-informed eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (PV-EMDR) which is an science-backed treatment for traumatic experiences that incorporates treating your nervous system. I seek to help clients grow not only relationally (with themselves and others), but emotionally and spiritually as well. I count it an honor to come alongside clients on their unique journey toward health and wholeness while offering compassionate support and helpful tools along the way. Your story matters because you matter (even if it's hard to believe right now). If you are looking for a therapist who is trauma-informed, compassionate, person-centered, and evidence-based, consider taking that first step today to see how I may be able to support you during this time. Please feel free to visit www.breatheagaincounseling.com for more information and free resources. Please note: I am out of network with insurance companies, and I require payment at each session. However, a superbill can be requested for you to submit for reimbursement. For more information, please read the FAQ section at www.breatheagaincounseling.com.