Discover how starting grief & loss counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
6 therapists available in Philadelphia
As someone who has been in therapy at multiple points in my life, I know how hard it can be to find a therapist who sees you as a ...
About
As someone who has been in therapy at multiple points in my life, I know how hard it can be to find a therapist who sees you as a whole person.
Sarah Steenbergen is a Licensed Social Worker with 2 years of experience working with adults in community health settings. She has assisted clients looking for support with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, addictions, and trauma experiences. Her training in social work and public health informs her views of clients as acting upon and being influenced by environmental and societal systems. She approaches clients with cultural humility and authenticity with a developmentally informed approach to help them reach their goals.
Sarah has a Master of Social Work from Temple University. Drawing from cognitive behavioral, mindfulness-based, person-centered, and dialectical behavior therapies, Sarah will work with you to strengthen your existing coping skills, learn new skills, and explore growth opportunities.
Wherever you're at in life, Sarah will meet you there. If you're feeling stuck, reaching out is the first major hurdle. You are showing yourself care by asking for support! Sarah knows healing and growth don’t happen in isolation, and she is committed to fostering relationship-building as an essential part of the therapeutic process.
Education and training
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I am committed to ongoing professional development and supporting individuals affected by mental health issues, as well as their f...
I am committed to ongoing professional development and supporting individuals affected by mental health issues, as well as their families and loved ones.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with 5 years of experience helping children, adolescents, and young adults navigate life’s challenges. I specialize in supporting individuals through career transitions, relationship struggles, dual diagnoses, and personal growth. My own journey of healing and self-discovery has shaped how I guide others today. I believe the best teachers are often those who were once students of their own healing.
I earned my Master’s in Psychology from Holy Family University. I take a collaborative, solution-focused approach, working with clients to identify strengths, address barriers, and set goals that lead to meaningful, lasting progress.
I provide a judgment-free space where you can feel supported in exploring your goals. Together, we will work through challenges, past traumas, or obstacles that may hold you back. My goal is to help you get to the place where you see and feel your best self.
Healing is not always linear, but with the right support, meaningful change is possible, and I’m here to walk alongside you as you...
Healing is not always linear, but with the right support, meaningful change is possible, and I’m here to walk alongside you as you move toward greater balance, clarity, and strength.
With over 7 years of experience in the mental health field, Jennifer “Jen” Quisenberry, Licensed Professional Counselor, supports individuals navigating dual diagnosis and co-occurring challenges. She takes a holistic, trauma-informed approach that integrates mind, body, and environment to foster lasting change. Jennifer empowers clients to overcome negative patterns, rediscover their inner strength, and take meaningful steps toward balance and healing.
Jennifer holds a Master’s in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling from Duquesne University. She uses a trauma-informed, holistic approach rooted in compassion and respect. Her work centers on helping clients reconnect with their inner strength, regain a sense of personal power, and find clarity in the face of life’s challenges.
Jennifer offers a safe and supportive space for clients feeling stuck or overwhelmed. She believes each person holds the insight and resilience they need—her role is to guide and support them in uncovering it. For those seeking clarity, healing, or growth, Jennifer is honored to walk alongside them on their unique journey.
Becoming your authentic self is a transforming and long journey, and I’m here to walk alongside you, offering tools and encouragem...
Becoming your authentic self is a transforming and long journey, and I’m here to walk alongside you, offering tools and encouragement along the way.
Hannah Irwin is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate with 1 year of experience. Hannah’s ideal clients seek a safe, affirming space to explore identity, process life transitions, and build resilience. She values collaboration and transparency, working best with clients who appreciate honest feedback and shared input on the treatment process. Her collaborative and integrative approach empowers clients to be active participants in their healing journey.
Hannah has a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She uses cognitive behavioral therapy, feminist theory, acceptance and commitment therapy, internal family systems, narrative, and mindfulness-based approaches in her work. She provides care rooted in trauma-informed, systematic, and sex-positive frameworks.
Hannah understands that reaching out for help is not always easy. She provides a judgment-free space and welcomes you to connect when you’re ready. She responds promptly during business hours, and while messages sent outside those hours will be answered the next business day, your well-being remains her priority.
As a clinical psychologist, I enjoy working with my clients to help them solve their problems and utilize coping skills....
As a clinical psychologist, I enjoy working with my clients to help them solve their problems and utilize coping skills.
Marcy Shoemaker is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with 14 years of experience who works with diverse clients of all ages. She specializes in supporting individuals through career transitions, life stressors, anger, anxiety, depression, parenting, self-esteem issues, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Marcy’s ideal client is open and honest and not hesitant to give feedback on the direction of their therapeutic journey. She believes there is no perfect type of therapy and takes an eclectic approach, working with clients to discuss feelings, problem-solve, and develop coping skills.
Marcy received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Among the methods she uses are cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, emotionally focused therapy, family systems, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness techniques.
During hard times, it is helpful to have an unbiased third party to listen without judgment. Marcy is ready to be the supportive ear that guides you through your issues and helps you to reach your goals. If you are ready to begin, schedule an appointment today!
Jonathan Lewis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who also holds a Master of Human Services Graduate Degree (MHS). Jonatha...
Jonathan Lewis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who also holds a Master of Human Services Graduate Degree (MHS). Jonathan has over 15 years experience partnering with adults seeking help with depression, anxiety, life transitions, men’s issues and relationship issues. He received his Master of Human Services Degree from historic Lincoln University. Jonathan utilizes relational, collaborative, strength based, cognitive behavioral, mindfulness based, solution focused and emotionally focused approaches to therapy always maintaining the creativity, flexibility and awareness necessary to best meet the needs of every unique individual and couple. Jonathan seeks to establish a warm and caring relationship with you in order to assist in building on your strengths and better collaborate with you toward meeting your goals and living the meaningful life you value and desire. Aside from his experience and personal qualities, Jonathan's passion for change is at the core of his counseling. Jonathan is a firm believer that Human Beings have the capacity to change, and many of his clients can attest to that. Jonathan takes pride in providing care with openness and empathy, while providing balance and stability. Jonathan is eager to learn more about you and how he can contribute to your patient care and treatment goals.
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
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My go-to approach for helping people in grief and loss counseling focuses on helping the individual process this loss. This is generally done with a grief narrative interview and involves helping the client share their experience of their relationship with the person who is now absent in their lives. Helping the individual allow themself to experience sadness is an important part of the healing process. Engaging in a celebration of the life of the individual who is lost helps establish a sense of connection that goes beyond the afterlife. Eventually, the goal is to help a client accept the change in their life, feel the continued connection with the individual, and accept that sadness for the loss will come and go, but likely at a lesser intensity than near the time of loss. Sometimes, grief can be complicated. For example, there are times when a client grieves the loss of a person who has greatly harmed them. The polarized emotions that can be felt for parents, for instance, may require some disentangling. It is possible to have both love and extreme resentment for a loved one. Helping a person better understand this paradox can help them come to a greater sense of peace with the loss.
I introduce some CBT-oriented tools such as thought-stopping, cognitive restructuring, and cognitive reframing.
I know a client is making meaningful progress when they are more consistently meeting their goals and objectives.
Clients can supplement their time in grief and loss counseling by engaging in remembrances. Informal actions in memoriam such as visiting a grave site or writing a letter to a deceased loved one can help a client rekindle a lost sense of connection with the deceased.
Clients preparing for therapy should take a risk and come with an open mind. Usually, clients find that the process is much less intimidating than they think it might be.
Grief and loss counseling helps people grieve difficult losses including the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the end of a relationship. It helps people navigate their grief process and eventually accept, understand, and move forward from their loss. Thriveworks grief therapists in Philadelphia, PA have specific experience, training, and skills that enable them to best support grieving individuals.
Grief and loss counseling isn’t one-size-fits-all, but it involves sharing about your loss and then working with your counselor to acknowledge and accept your new reality in its wake. Your provider at Thriveworks in Philadelphia, PA will design your treatment plan around your unique needs and goals for therapy, applying the counseling techniques that best support them.
If you have recently experienced an event like the death of a loved one, a breakup or divorce, the loss of a job, or another major life change, then you may want to seek grief and loss counseling. Grief can be caused by many experiences and events, so if you feel that you are having trouble moving on from a certain event or find that it is still impacting your life and functioning, grief and loss counseling can help you process it more effectively so that you can move on and once again find fulfillment and satisfaction in your life.
There are many counseling theories for treating grief, one of the most frequently used being the dual process model of grief which helps people acknowledge who or what they’ve lost through rumination while also adjusting to the new roles and identities that this loss has now placed on them. There are also many commonly used therapy approaches used in grief and loss counseling, including Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and traumatic grief therapy.
Grief & loss counseling at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
For many, grief and loss counseling lasts for about 6 months. For others, it may last shorter or longer, depending on the severity of their loss and their grief.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
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