Grief and Loss Therapy for Individuals in Charleston, SC
Services available virtually throughout South Carolina
Find Solace for your Grieving Heart
Have you experienced a death of a loved one or another type of loss and suddenly feel like life no longer makes sense? Are you feeling disconnected from friends, family, or activities you once enjoyed? Do you feel like the world has moved on while yours is at a standstill?
At Westercamp Counseling, Kindra will help you find ways to carry your loss while continuing to move forward. She will help you process difficult emotions and develop coping tools to navigate the waves of grief. While grief may always remain part of your story, it does not have to define the entirety of your future.
You Are Not Alone
When one considers grief/loss, death may be the first thing that comes to mind. However, grief and loss are not only limited to the death of a loved one; grief can also be a result of a loss of a relationship, the death of a dream, job loss, death of a beloved pet, health crisis and/or disabling injury/disease.
Common Reactions to Grief/Loss
You feel stuck while everyone else in the world keeps moving
You feel exhausted and alone
You wonder if you’ll ever feel like yourself again
Even when it’s been months or years since the loss, the pain still feels just as raw
People keep telling you to move forward, but you’re not sure what that even means or how to do it
You feel guilty for what was said, what wasn’t said, or what you wished you had done differently
You desperately miss the person you lost, as well as the version of yourself that existed before the loss
You find yourself breaking down and crying at the most untimely or random moments
How ‘should’ one grieve?
You may have heard someone say, “There is no wrong way to grieve,” and while that remains essentially true, there does seem to be more healthy/adaptive ways to grieve versus not.
Additionally, while some describe grief in stages or steps, including 1) Denial, 2) Anger, 3) Bargaining, 4) Depression, and 5) Acceptance, it is actually more like experiencing a tornado of emotions versus a linear progression of steps. It is common to move from one emotional experience to another across days and sometimes even hour to hour. I have heard grief described as feeling like a tidal wave, knocking a person over at certain points of the grieving process with excruciating pain and suffering. As someone who has grieved both the loss of my brother and father, I would say my experience has felt most aligned with that of a tidal wave.
Contact Kindra for a Consultation
Grief and Mourning Take as Long as they Take
There is no predetermined duration for grief and mourning. This doesn’t mean we will remain non-functioning since the way grief looks and feels can and will change over time. Our losses can become part of who we are, leaving us with a sense of void or longing. In some cases, it would be unfair to expect a parent to “be done with” their grief. The goal of grief counseling is not to “get over it,” but to accept our losses and recognize them as part of ourselves and our history.
Sometimes people ask if someone can grieve for “too long”. The answer is no. You grieve for as long as you need to. Setting a time limit to divide “normal” vs “pathological” grief is problematic and stigmatizes a natural human emotional experience. Suggesting that one is grieving for “too long” can be invalidating for the person who suffers
How Can Grief Therapy Help?
Grief/loss is an unavoidable part of everyone’s experience on Earth. However, because the emotions that accompany grief/loss are so painful, it seems that many people try to avoid discussing these topics at any great length or depth. After a loss, you may have found it challenging to open up a meaningful dialogue with even your closest friends or family. I, as your therapist, can in no way decrease the sorrow you’re experiencing. However, I can allow you a space to talk openly about your loss, your loved one, your new life perspective in a way that feels safe, welcoming, and freeing. In my therapy room, I will sit with you and figuratively hold you and embrace your suffering while you process your grief/loss in the days, weeks, months, or years that follow. Through receiving empathy and having empathy for oneself, you can develop a life skill that will help you move through your grief.
Schedule a Free 15 Minute Consult
Meet your Grief and Loss therapist
I’m Kindra Westercamp a psychologist in Charleston, SC specializing in couples therapy, postpartum therapy, anxiety/trauma therapy, as well as grief work. For over 15 years, I have been providing therapy to adult men and women in a warm, compassionate, non-judgmental space full of plants and messages of hope.
My interest in treating clients presenting with grief blossomed following the death of my brother and father. I found the ability for a person to hold space for someone else navigating a deeply painful loss to be profoundly healing. And now I desire to hold space for those others experiencing grief, offering support, understanding, and companionship through one of life’s most difficult circumstances.
I would feel honored to walk alongside you as you navigate the complexities of grief and loss. I will hold space for your pain, help you make sense of this jarring experience, and guide you gently toward acceptance, while forever carrying your loved one’s memory in your heart.
FAQ About Couples Therapy
What are your fees?
Upon your request, I will offer a 15- minute free initial telephone consultation where we can become acquainted with one another. If it is decided upon that you or I believe you would be better suited to be seen by another therapist, I will gladly help you with the referral process.
Session Fees:
Initial Intake Appt for Individual and Couples (60 minutes): $250
Individual Sessions (60 minutes): $200.00
Couples Sessions (60 minutes): $230.00
(90 minutes): $345.00
If you would like to contact Kindra, please call (843) 620-1466 or email: westercampcounseling@gmail.com; email response time tends to be better than phone.
How do I schedule an appointment?
You can complete required paperwork, as well as schedule, reschedule, and cancel your own appointments online if you have received instructions via email from Kindra on how to do so.
For virtual appointments, click here.
Do you accept insurance?
I do not accept insurance, but I will be more than happy to offer you an itemized bill that you can use to file for yourself, as you may be able to receive reimbursement for our sessions. I recommend calling your insurance company to inquire about out of network coverage. Here is a short list of pertinent questions to ask when calling:
- Out of Pocket Cost; “What is my out of pocket responsibility?”
- Reimbursement Rate; “What is my reimbursement rate?”
- Forms and Receipts; “Do I need to submit any forms and receipts to receive reimbursement?”
- Submitting Forms; “How do I submit the forms?”
- Reimbursement Deadline; “Is there a deadline for my reimbursement?”
- Prior Authorization; “Do I need a prior authorization to receive reimbursement?”
- Additional Notes; “Is there anything else I need to do/know?”
How long will I be in therapy?
The duration of therapy varies considerably from person to person, so unfortunately there is not a definitive answer to this question. There will be discussions over the course of therapy about your progress, as well as whether or not you are continuing to benefit. Decisions regarding termination will optimally be made by both therapist and client.
