Grief and Mourning

Grieving is a universal experience, yet many find it challenging.

Learning to grieve is an apprenticeship in loss. As a psychoanalyst, I recognize the importance of early development in the grieving process. A single loss in the present can trigger memories of prior losses. Whether the loss is ambiguous or due to death, regaining aspects of oneself that have been dormant is essential.

Grieving may also awaken previously unlived parts of the self. Sometimes, language is needed even when words fail us. Like a stamp tightly sealed to an envelope, new life can emerge when we create space for something new.

Patients often share feelings such as, “I’m not good at grieving,” “I don’t know how I got to where I am but I’m not happy,” or “I don’t know how to sit with my feelings.”

Analysts explore patterns of behavior, desires, wishes, shame, and morality, assessing how adaptable and generative these are within a relational model. This helps determine how much one can process the complexities of grief.

Symptoms of anxiety and depression should be confronted and discussed, as facing them is the only path toward renewal.

Call me now at (703) 356-5829.