Grief Therapy in Exeter, New Hampshire
Come just as you are, your grief is welcome here!
Counseling for women facing a deeply personal loss and/or burnout
In Person & Telehealth for New Hampshire, Massachusetts & Maine
You feel like your world has fallen apart. Life does not feel the same anymore…at all.
You’re a thoughtful, kind and caring person with the capacity to love and explore your emotions, but this grief is overwhelming and you feel stuck wondering if you will ever be “okay” again.
Your personal story of grief and loss is uniquely yours. It has forever changed your reality and, at times, may feel too much to bear. Some common and more complex reasons you may find yourself here are:
You lost someone you loved deeply who was a part of your soul.
A significant relationship or friendship has ended.
You are caring for an aging parent who has dementia.
Your spouse was not the person you “thought you would marry.”
You are a young widow feeling especially alone with many complex emotions.
Someone you trusted has abandoned you and shaken your sense of safety to the core.
Siblings and friends are starting families while you are in the emotional throws of infertility.
Your mother or father were never truly emotionally there for you.
Your life is not turning out to be what you imagined.
Your hopes and dreams are fading away.
You miss the “old version of you.”
Time goes by, maybe even years. You’re doing your best to manage — smiling outwardly, tending to the needs and comfort of others, keeping yourself busy, “staying strong” — but a quiet voice inside is longing to be heard and find a way to ease and move this pain.
You begin to realize it’s okay to ask for help and want truly to process what happened to you and the many layers of grief you carry deep within your heart and soul. You are ready to reach out and begin a healing journey.
You feel like you are…
Alone navigating this difficult loss and wishing you could find a sense of calm, inner peace and healing.
Avoiding places and things that trigger memories that were once happy but now are too painful to revisit.
Yearning for this nightmare to be over and wishing life could “go back to normal.”
Experiencing unwanted thoughts that come and go as they please leaving your emotional world feeling unsettled and you fearful of the next unwanted thought.
Unsure of who you are now or what your purpose in life is and missing a part of you that has disappeared forever.
Reminded of old wounds that have never had a chance to heal.
Outwardly living a full life and surrounded by people, but still empty inside, emotionally numb and not truly happy.
Unintentionally misunderstood by family and friends or afraid to be a burden to them.
Wishing for someone to just listen and bear witness to your pain rather than giving unsolicited advice.
Together, we'll explore the impact of your loss and find your path to a more meaningful life.
I’m Holly.
You are worthy of compassion. I am here to listen and bear witness to your story.
My clients will tell you that I have the capacity to hold a safe place when they need to cry and share things that in some cases they have never shared with another living soul. They will also tell you I make them laugh. While grief counseling with me does invite us to explore painful and traumatic experiences, it is also uplifting and freeing. Feeling safe to me means feeling cared for, seen, truly listened too and that you can discover and be your authentic self. When you experience pain and emotional trauma from the death of a loved one or loss of something significant in your life it is essential to gain a sense of emotional safety. Emotions can be overwhelming, confusing and scarry. My goal is to help you feel comfortable in my office, and also within yourself as we work together to integrate your grief and loss into a new life that is meaningful to you.
Specializing in…
-
While loss is often associated with the physical death of a loved one, relational and family loss encompasses a much broader spectrum of experiences where a bond is broken, altered or ended. Coping with relational and family loss involves processing the grief and trauma in ways that help you integrate the experience into your full life story and supports your self-identity as it evolves through time.
-
While moms caring for children and daughters caring for parents are 2 uniquely different things, there are undeniable similarities in their struggle. Often both are trying to meet the demands of everyone else’s physical, emotional and logistical demands at the expense of their own self-care needs. Both can feel invisible, emotionally overwhelmed and stuck. Both start to miss a part of themselves that has seemingly disappeared. Both are capable of turning this struggle into strength and newfound personal wisdom.
-
When a person experiences grief and loss it has a direct impact on their brain. Integrating a brain-based approach to Grief Therapy can help you access self-compassion with more ease, feel more empowered and provide strategies that are practical in managing your symptoms. This approach blends neuroscience with traditional therapeutic approaches.
-
With more that 25 years of experience working with older adults and their families I have come to fully understand how incredibly challenging it can be to take on the role of Primary Care Giver and how difficult the system is to navigate. Having a consultation with someone who can assess your current situation, identify resources and create a plan that supports your loved one and your own caregiver wellness needs can be invaluable.
Wondering why a Grief Therapist would also specialize in burnout? Burnout leads to feelings of loss ... “disfranchised grief.”
Learn More About …
How it Works
1
Reach out
It can be scarry to take your first step, but what comes after is a sense of relief and hope. To get in touch with me Click this link or you may call me directly using the phone number below. I look forward to talking with you!
2
Begin a healing journey
Through the therapeutic process you’ll begin to feel safe exploring what happened to you. The grief will always be there, but it will become more integrated into the story of your life.
3
Live a meaningful life
As you begin to feel more whole again your wiser sense of self will lead the way!
Get in touch
Your life story is not over… it’s asking you to write the next chapter.
Click this link to choose a day and time for a free, confidential consultation with me, Holly W. Smith.
I’ll like to ask a little bit about your story and what you’re looking for in a Grief and Trauma Therapist. I’ll share how we can work together based on what matters most to you. If you decide to schedule your first session, we’ll set that up on the calendar right away!
"Healing comes from letting there be room for grief, room for relief, room for misery, room for joy." Pema Chodron
—
"Healing comes from letting there be room for grief, room for relief, room for misery, room for joy." Pema Chodron —