I hold a Master's Degree in Social Work and have over a decade of prior experience providing grief and trauma counseling to individuals and families in the areas of child loss and adolescent bereavement, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, 9/11 Pentagon attack survivors and families, victims of crime and emergency medicine.

Even with this education and experience, I didn't realize that what I was experiencing, after my oldest suffered a trauma, was grief.

When my oldest was a freshman in high school, he suffered a trauma at the hands of a close friend and as a result was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This event had a significantly negative impact on our son and our family as we fought for him to stay with us here on earth and he worked to begin healing.

Years after this event, I found myself unable to fully move on as I was so angry. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was experiencing grief over the loss of feelings of trust, safety, friends and support and grief over what I thought life should have been like for our son and family and felt very much robbed of that time. Even though I had processed my feelings in therapy, I was still experiencing anger and sadness that I started to believe would be with me forever.

This is what led me to the Grief Recovery Method. I completed the work related to my feelings of loss related to my son's trauma with a Grief Recovery Specialist through a GRM group program and after that completed the training to become a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist. The Grief Recovery Method gave me the peace that I had been searching for. I was able to complete the painful relationship I had with the individual who had caused our pain. I was able to acknowledge and be validated in the losses I had experienced as a result of my son's trauma. I was able to focus on the close relationship that was created with my son, through our connection during the difficult times, and to feel gratitude that I was the person who could be there for him in his darkest days. I started to be able to experience true joy again.

I provide Grief Recovery in the Pittsburgh area (located in the South Hills) and on-line for adults and teens. I also hold Grief Recovery Groups throughout the year including Pet Loss and Helping Children with Loss (HCWL), which is designed for parents, caregivers, educators and other professionals supporting children.
I am also available to provide presentations on topics related to grief, including helping children with loss, to schools and other community organizations.

Want to know more about the Grief Recovery Method and the grief support services I provide? Schedule a free introductory call here: https://calendly.com/chooseconnectionscoaching-info/free-20-minute-intro...