A place to talk, reflect, and adjust at your own pace after a loss, with in-person and virtual support. Wholesome Psychology offers grief and loss counselling in Edmonton and St. Albert, as well as virtual sessions across Alberta. Care is provided by registered clinicians who practise under Alberta professional standards, in person or online.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Grief and Loss Counselling Is Right for You

You may be asking yourself whether your grief is too much, or not enough, to bring to someone. Maybe you think enough time has passed that you should be further along by now. Maybe the loss was not a death at all, and part of you wonders whether it really counts.

Grief can show up in ways that are hard to name. You might be carrying a heaviness that does not lift even when the day goes fine. You might find yourself pulling away from people who have not done anything wrong. You might feel a wave of it arrive at an ordinary moment, in the grocery aisle or halfway through a task, with no warning at all.

These responses make sense given what you have been through. They are common reactions to loss, not signs that something is permanently wrong with you. There is no single correct way to grieve, and no timeline you are failing to meet.

If you are trying to work out whether talking with someone could help, you may find it useful to read on and see what this kind of support looks like.

Who We Help

Grief and loss counselling at Wholesome Psychology may be a good fit if you are:

• grieving the death of someone close to you
• adjusting to a relationship ending, a separation, or a divorce
• living with grief connected to a health change, a pregnancy or infant loss, a job change, a caregiving change, or the loss of a pet
• gathering information for a family member or friend who is grieving
• uncertain whether your experience is serious enough to reach out, and wanting to understand your options first

This service may not be the right fit on its own if:

• you are in immediate danger or thinking about acting on thoughts of harm. Please use the crisis resources below.
• you need a forensic or legal service, a court report, or a formal evaluation. Those needs sit outside this therapy service. Psychological assessments are a separate service.

If You Need Help Right Now

Wholesome Psychology is not a crisis service, and this page is not the right place to reach us in an emergency. If your safety or someone else's safety is at risk, please use one of these resources:

• Call 911 for immediate danger or a medical emergency.
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7).
• 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988 (24/7, across Canada).
• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741.

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What Grief and Loss Counselling Is

Grief and loss counselling is a space to talk about a loss, reflect on what has changed, and adjust at a manageable pace. Some people want to speak directly about the person or thing they lost. Others prefer to start with day-to-day life, such as sleep, work, parenting, or simply getting through the week. Either starting point is fine.

It helps to be clear about what this service is not. It is not emergency care, hospital care, or medical advice. It is not a legal service, an investigation, or a formal evaluation, and it does not include a psychological assessment, which is offered separately. Your therapist sets the direction with you, and you decide the pace.

What you share in counselling is treated as confidential, within the limits explained further down this page. You are welcome to ask questions about how any of this works before you share anything personal.

Signs Grief May Be Affecting You

Grief looks different from one person to the next. You may notice some of these patterns, all of them, or none of them:

• sadness, numbness, anger, guilt, relief, or several of these at once
• trouble concentrating, or losing your place in tasks you used to manage easily
• changes in sleep, appetite, energy, or daily routines
• pulling away from people, or feeling far away even when you are with them
• a sense that your identity, roles, or plans for the future have shifted
• tension around anniversaries, reminders, photos, or certain places
• uncertainty about how to talk with children, relatives, friends, or a partner
• physical heaviness, restlessness, or a body that feels tired in a way rest does not fix

Having these experiences does not mean something is permanently wrong with you. They are common reactions to loss. For many people, having a structured, unhurried space to make sense of them can help.

How Counselling Works Here

Getting started is meant to be simple, and you can move through it at whatever speed feels right.

• Find your therapist. You can review therapist profiles, use the Match with a Therapist tool, or call the admin team at 780-904-4880 for help choosing.
• Book your first session. The first session covers consent, how confidentiality works, and a conversation about what you would like from counselling. You are not expected to tell the whole story right away.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist shape a plan that fits your goals. It is co-created, not handed to you.
• Continue with ongoing sessions. Follow-up sessions are often weekly or bi-weekly, and the pace can be adjusted. Sessions are 50 minutes.
• Review progress along the way. Your therapist checks in on how things are going, and the plan can change as your needs change.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Counselling is collaborative, and your voice matters at every stage.

Approaches Your Therapist May Use

Therapists at Wholesome Psychology draw on established talking-therapy approaches and adapt them to the person in front of them. We want to be honest about the evidence here. The sources reviewed for this specific page did not include extractable outcome studies on grief counselling, so this page does not present success rates, effect sizes, or claims that one approach works better than another. Below is a plain description of what each approach may involve, so you know what to expect rather than what to expect it to guarantee.

Supportive, Grief-Focused Counselling

What it may help with: making room for difficult emotions and adjusting to life after a loss, at a pace you set.

Evidence summary: This is a widely used, non-directive way of working through grief. The sources reviewed for this page did not contain extractable outcome data, so we do not report efficacy figures for it here.

Limitations: Individual responses vary, and a supportive approach may be combined with, or replaced by, other approaches depending on what is helpful for you.

Cognitive Behavioural Approaches

What it may help with: noticing unhelpful thought patterns and gradually re-engaging with routines and relationships that grief has disrupted.

Evidence summary: Cognitive behavioural methods are commonly applied across many concerns. Because this page's source set did not include extractable grief-specific outcome studies, we describe the approach without attaching outcome claims to it.

Limitations: A structured approach does not suit everyone or every stage of grief, and its usefulness depends on fit and timing.

Meaning and Narrative-Oriented Work

What it may help with: exploring memory, meaning, ritual, or ongoing connection to what was lost, if that feels relevant to you.

Evidence summary: This way of working focuses on how a person makes sense of a loss over time. As with the approaches above, the sources reviewed for this page did not provide extractable outcome findings, so no efficacy claims are made.

Limitations: This approach is optional and personal. Some people find meaning-focused work valuable, and others prefer to stay with practical, present-day concerns.

What to Expect Over Time

Grief does not move in a straight line. Some weeks feel steadier, and others bring the loss back close to the surface. That pattern is normal, and it does not mean counselling is not working.

Some people notice shifts within a few months. Others find that longer-term support suits them better. What helps varies with the nature of the loss, your current circumstances, and how well you and your therapist fit together.

No form of counselling can guarantee an outcome, and no one can promise a timeline or a sense of closure. If an approach or a therapist does not feel right, changing either is always an option, and the admin team can help you make that change.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in counselling is treated as confidential. Your therapist works within the professional standards and codes of ethics applicable to their professional designation, including the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) for psychologists, the Canadian Counselling and Psychological Association (CCPA) for Certified Canadian Counsellors, and the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) for registered social workers, and within Alberta privacy law, including the Health Information Act (HIA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

There are a small number of situations where a clinician may be required to share information. These include:

• a risk of serious harm to you or to someone else
• suspected abuse or neglect of a child, which must be reported under Alberta law
• a court order

Your therapist will explain these limits clearly during the first session. You are welcome to ask questions about confidentiality before you share anything personal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe what happened in detail?

No. You set the pace, and you are in control of what you share and when. Early sessions can focus on goals, daily routines, and what feels manageable to talk about. Many people begin by working with present-day patterns rather than recounting the loss in detail.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within limits. Counselling is confidential, and your therapist works within Alberta privacy law and professional standards. There are a few situations where sharing may be required, such as a risk of serious harm, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, or a court order. The Confidentiality and Privacy section above explains this in more detail.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no fixed answer. Some people benefit from shorter-term support, and others prefer longer-term work. Your therapist reviews progress with you regularly, and the plan can be adjusted as your needs change.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and it is normal for it to take a try or two to find the right person. If a therapist does not feel right, the admin team can help you find a different clinician, and you can also use the match tool or review other profiles. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access counselling online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply as they do in person. Many people find online counselling easier to fit around work, caregiving, or travel.

Do I need to wait a certain amount of time after a loss before starting?

No. Some people look for support soon after a loss, and others reach out months or years later. Counselling can begin whenever support feels relevant to you.

Can grief counselling help with losses other than a death?

Yes. Grief can follow many kinds of loss, including relationship changes, health changes, pregnancy or infant loss, job changes, caregiving changes, and the loss of a pet. You are welcome to explore related pages such as perinatal loss, grief from the loss of a pet, or online counselling.

Meet Your Clinicians

Wholesome Psychology works with a range of clinician types, including Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Certified Canadian Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. This mix is part of what allows the different fee tiers listed above.

All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Certified Canadian Counsellors are regulated by the Canadian Counselling and Psychological Association (CCPA). Clinicians here work with a broad range of concerns, including grief and loss, and the admin team can help match you with someone suited to what you are looking for.

To choose a clinician, you can browse Our Therapists, use the Match with a Therapist tool, or call the admin team at 780-904-4880.

Children and Youth

Grief affects children and young people too, and it can ripple through a whole family. Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people, not only adults.

Therapists working with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches, and they can work alongside caregivers to support the child's environment at home. If you are a parent unsure how to talk with a child about a loss, that is something counselling can help you think through.

If You Would Like to Take a Next Step

Whenever you feel ready, there are a few simple ways to begin. You can book a session online, use the Match with a Therapist tool, review Our Therapists, or read the Getting Started page. You can also call 780-904-4880 or email info@wholesomepsychology.ca.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Starting the conversation is enough.

References

References

• College of Alberta Psychologists. (2023). Standards of Practice. https://www.cap.ab.ca/
• Canadian Psychological Association. (2017). Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (4th ed.). https://cpa.ca/