Therapy & Counseling
Complicated & Prolonged Grief Therapy in the South Bay
Most grief slowly softens, even as it stays part of us. For some people it stays acute and disabling, intense yearning, preoccupation, and an inability to move forward, long after the loss. Therapy for complicated and prolonged grief helps you process what has stayed stuck and reconnect with living, without leaving your loved one behind. When grief has held on for a year or more, this is recognized, treatable, and worth reaching for.
- Licensed clinicians
- In person and virtual
- Free 15-minute consultation
- Accepting new clients
We see clients in person at our Hermosa Beach office and virtually across California.
Prolonged grief disorder is now a recognized diagnosis, affecting an estimated 7 to 10% of bereaved adults, and grief-focused therapy has strong evidence for treating it (American Psychological Association). Stuck grief is not a personal failing, and it can ease.
Source: American Psychological Association.
What prolonged grief can look like
- Intense yearning or longing that does not ease over time
- Preoccupation with the person or the circumstances of the loss
- Difficulty accepting the death, or feeling life has no meaning without them
- Avoiding reminders, or being unable to engage with life
- Persistent acute pain a year or more after the loss
Our approach
We use grief-focused approaches with strong evidence for prolonged grief, moving at your pace and never asking you to get over it. It is part of our wider grief counseling and individual therapy, and when grief overlaps with depression, we treat the whole picture.
As Jack Foley, LMFT, puts it:
"Stuck grief isn't a sign you loved too much or failed to cope. It's a specific thing that responds to specific help, and people who've been frozen for years can start to thaw."
What to expect
Care begins with a free 15-minute consultation. From there we match you with the right clinician and make space for the loss, at whatever pace feels right.
Where we are
One South Bay office.
All of California.
Our office is in the heart of the South Bay. Warm, private, and a world away from the clinical waiting room. For clients throughout California who can't make it in, we deliver the same uncompromising standard of care virtually.
2200 Pacific Coast Hwy, Ste 308, Hermosa Beach · Telehealth statewide
How it works
Starting is simple.
Book a free consultation
A confidential 15-minute call to understand what you need.
Get matched
We pair you with the right clinician for your goals.
Begin care
Start in person or online, at a pace that feels right.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is complicated or prolonged grief?
It is grief that stays intense and disabling long after a loss, rather than gradually softening. When it persists for a year or more and interferes with daily life, it can meet criteria for prolonged grief disorder, a recognized, treatable condition.
How is it different from normal grief?
Most grief softens over time even as it stays with you. Prolonged grief stays acute: persistent yearning, preoccupation with the loss, and difficulty moving forward, with little easing as months pass.
Is there really a treatment for it?
Yes. Targeted grief-focused therapies have strong evidence for prolonged grief. They help you process the loss and reconnect with life without leaving your loved one behind.
It has been years. Is it too late?
No. People find relief from grief that has been stuck for years. It is not too late to get support.
Do you offer this online?
Yes, in person in the South Bay and via telehealth across California.
When you're ready, a conversation is the place to begin.
Book a complimentary 15-minute consultation, confidential, and without obligation.
Book a free consultation