HUMANISTIC
COUNSELING
COLLECTVE
Grief Therapy in Sacramento, CA
A compassionate space to navigate loss, honor your story, and rediscover connection, meaning, and hope in your own time.
Grief isn’t something you “get over.” It’s something you learn to hold, gently, slowly, and with support. Whether your loss is recent or years old, you deserve space to process what happened, make meaning from the pain, and move forward without rushing, minimizing, or pretending you're okay before you're ready.
Understanding Grief
Grief can show up in countless ways...from sadness, anger, numbness, confusion, guilt, relief, overwhelm, or a mixture of all of them at once. You might feel disconnected from yourself, others, or the world around you. Maybe daily tasks feel impossible, or maybe you’re functioning on the outside while feeling shattered internally.
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There is no timeline for grief. No “right” way to feel or heal. What you’re experiencing makes sense. And you don’t have to move through it alone.
Who We Help
We offer grief counseling in-person in Gold River, CA and via telehealth for clients throughout California.
At Humanistic Counseling Collective, we support individuals experiencing many forms of grief, including:
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The death of a partner, family member, or friend
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Pregnancy loss, infertility, or reproductive grief
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Loss of a pet or companion animal
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End of a relationship, marriage, or significant role
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Estrangement, relocation, or major life transitions
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Anticipatory grief while caring for someone ill or aging
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Loss of identity, health, safety, or community
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Grief connected to sudden, traumatic, or complicated loss
If your grief feels confusing, delayed, overwhelming, or hard to talk about. Therapy can help make sense of the emotional landscape.
Our Approach to Grief Therapy
At Sacramento's Humanistic Counseling Collective, we see you as a whole person, not a list of symptoms to solve, not a diagnosis. Our foundation is humanistic, person-centered therapy, grounded in three core conditions:
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Unconditional positive regard: You are worthy of respect and care exactly as you are.
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Empathy: We work to truly understand your lived experience, not explain it away.
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Genuineness: Your therapist shows up as a real human, not a distant expert behind a clipboard.
​As Dr. Carl Rogers wrote:
“People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying, ‘Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner.’ I don’t try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.”
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We believe the same about you: the work isn’t to erase your grief, but to help you navigate your grief in a way that honors what was lost and supports you moving forward.
Evidence-Based Modalities
Our therapists use a warm, humanistic, person-centered approach, grounded in compassion and safety rather than urgency or pressure. We integrate evidence-based modalities tailored to your experience, including:
Meaning-Centered Grief Therapy
exploring how loss shapes identity, purpose, and values, supporting clients in creating meaning beyond the grief itself
Narrative Therapy
telling and re-telling their story of loss, shifting from “what happened to me” to a story rooted in meaning, connection, and agency​
Worden's Tasks of Mourning
guiding clients through accepting loss, processing pain, adjusting to life without the person, and staying connected while moving forward.
Mindfulness & Somatic Regulation
grounding, breathwork, and body-based tools to help clients stay present, soothe overwhelm, and gently reconnect with their bodies
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
identifying, expressing, and processing complex emotions, and helping clients respond to grief with greater compassion and emotional clarity
Attachment & Relational Support
Recognizing that grief exists in relationship, and helping clients explore connection, belonging, and the continuing bond with the person they lost
Trauma-Informed Care
ensuring therapy is paced safely and respectfully, honoring nervous system responses and avoiding overwhelm while processing loss
What to Expect in Therapy
Your first sessions may focus on understanding your loss, your emotional experience, and the support (or lack of support) around you. As trust builds, we may explore:
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The story of your loss and its impact
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Emotional regulation skills for overwhelming waves of grief
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Identity changes and meaning reconstruction
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How to maintain a continued bond without being trapped in pain
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Navigating anniversaries, triggers, or unresolved goodbyes
You set the pace. There is no forced disclosure, no deadlines, and no expectation to “move on.” Healing unfolds gently, in layers.
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Sessions typically last around 50 minutes and can be held in person at our Gold River office or virtually anywhere in California. Some clients come weekly, others biweekly. We’ll find the rhythm that fits your needs.​
Common Goals in Grief Therapy
Clients often come to grief therapy hoping to:
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Understand and express complex emotions
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Reduce guilt, numbness, shame, or emotional overwhelm
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Rebuild self-trust and emotional safety
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Stay connected to themselves and others
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Maintain a meaningful bond with who or what was lost
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Create room for grief without being consumed by it
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Begin re-engaging with life in ways that feel aligned and intentional
Healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It means integrating your grief into a life you can still inhabit fully.
What Healing Can Look Like Over Time
Healing from grief is rarely a straight line, but with consistent, compassionate support, many people describe:
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Increased emotional capacity and stability
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More clarity around memories, relationships, and meaning
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Reconnection with community, relationships, and purpose
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Greater compassion toward themselves
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The ability to feel grief without drowning in it
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A renewed, tender and honest relationship with life
Healing doesn’t erase loss. It changes your relationship to it.
Grief Therapy in Sacramento, California
People often tell us they feel understood here, not rushed, pathologized, or told how grief “should” look. They feel supported, respected, and welcomed exactly as they are.
We are committed to walk with you as you explore meaning, honor your loss, and rediscover a way of living that includes both grief and possibility.
You deserve care that feels safe, authentic, and empowering. Reach out today to schedule a consultation and begin your journey toward healing.
