Our Grief Counselling Services

Taking the First Step: Your Initial Contact

Reaching out for support during grief can feel overwhelming. We understand that making this first contact takes courage, and we want to make it as gentle and straightforward as possible. Your journey toward healing begins with a simple conversation, and we're here to meet you exactly where you are.

When you're ready to connect with our compassionate grief counselling services serving Vancouver and all of British Columbia, you have several options that work around your comfort level and schedule. There's no pressure. No rush. Just support waiting when you need it.

How to Reach Out

You can connect with Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching in the way that feels most comfortable to you:

• Book Online: Visit our secure booking platform at colib.io/booking/turning-tides-coaching-counselling to schedule your free 20 minute consultation or first session at a time that works for you
• Call or Text: Reach Kotone directly at (778) 321-6058 to ask questions or arrange your initial conversation
• Send an Email: Write to info@turningtidestoday.com with any questions or to request more information about our grief support services
• WhatsApp: Connect via WhatsApp for flexible messaging and scheduling

What Happens Next

After you reach out, here's what you can expect from our grief counselling process:

Free 20 Minute Consultation: Before committing to ongoing sessions, you'll have the opportunity for a brief, no obligation conversation with Kotone Frankowski, our Registered Therapeutic Counsellour. This consultation allows you to share a bit about your loss, ask questions about the counselling process, and determine if our approach feels right for your healing journey. Many people find this initial conversation reassuring and clarifying.

Flexible Scheduling: Our online grief counselling sessions are available throughout British Columbia, including Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, Interior BC, Northern BC, and the Kootenays. Sessions are typically 50 minutes and can be scheduled at times that accommodate your needs and energy levels during this difficult period.

A Safe Space to Begin: Your first full session creates a foundation of trust and understanding. You'll meet with Kotone in a confidential, supportive environment where you can share your story of loss at your own pace. There's no expectation to have everything figured out. Grief is messy and nonlinear, and our approach honours that reality.

What to Expect in Your First Session

The initial grief counselling session is designed to be gentle and exploratory. You won't be rushed or pressured.

During this first meeting, Kotone will listen deeply to understand your unique experience of loss. She'll ask about the person or relationship you're grieving, how the loss occurred, and how grief is showing up in your daily life. This isn't an interrogation. It's a compassionate conversation that helps create a personalized path forward.

You'll also discuss what you're hoping to gain from counselling. Some people want help managing overwhelming emotions. Others need support navigating practical life changes after loss. Many are simply looking for a safe place to talk about someone they loved without judgment or time limits. Your goals guide the process.

Kotone brings specialized training in trauma informed care and certification from Evergreen Certificates, which means she understands how grief can intersect with trauma, especially in cases of sudden loss, complicated relationships, or multiple losses. Her therapeutic approach draws from Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic experiencing, polyvagal informed practices, attachment based therapy, compassion focused therapy, mindfulness based cognitive therapy, relational therapy, strength based approaches, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). These methods are tailored to your specific needs and comfort level.

You'll leave your first session with a clearer sense of the counselling process, next steps, and the support available to you. Many clients report feeling a sense of relief simply from being heard and understood.

Practical Details You Should Know

We believe transparency helps reduce anxiety during an already stressful time. Here are some practical details about getting started:

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Started

Do I need to have my grief 'figured out' before starting counselling?Absolutely not. Most people come to grief counselling feeling confused, overwhelmed, or stuck. That's exactly why support exists. You don't need to have clarity or answers. You just need to be willing to explore your experience with compassionate guidance.

What if I'm not sure counselling is right for me?That's completely normal and why we offer a free 20 minute consultation. This brief conversation helps you get a sense of the approach, ask questions, and determine if it feels like a good fit. There's no obligation to continue if it doesn't feel right.

How soon can I get an appointment?Availability varies, but we strive to offer timely access to support. When you book online or contact us directly, you'll see current availability and can choose a time that works for your schedule.

Is online counselling as effective as meeting someone face to face?Research consistently shows that online counselling is just as effective as traditional sessions, especially for grief support. Many clients appreciate the comfort of being in their own space during emotionally difficult conversations. You can sit with your favourite blanket, have tissues nearby, and take time after the session without needing to drive anywhere.

What if I cry during sessions?Tears are welcome and expected in grief counselling. This is a safe space for all emotions. Sadness, anger, guilt, relief, numbness, and everything in between. There's no need to hold back or apologize for your feelings.

Will you tell me how I 'should' grieve?Never. There's no right way to grieve, and our approach respects your individual process. Kotone won't impose timelines, stages, or expectations. Instead, she'll walk alongside you, offering tools and perspectives that support your unique healing journey.

Can I bring up other issues besides grief?Of course. Grief often brings up or intensifies other life challenges. Relationship difficulties, past trauma, anxiety, questions about identity and purpose. All of these are welcome in the counselling space. Healing happens holistically, not in isolated compartments.

What if I live outside Vancouver?Our online grief counselling services are available throughout British Columbia. Whether you're in Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Kamloops, Prince George, Fort St. John, or smaller communities like Squamish, Fernie, or Powell River, you can access the same quality of care from wherever feels comfortable.

You Don't Have to Grieve Alone

Loss changes us. It reshapes our world and challenges our sense of who we are. But healing is possible, even when it feels impossibly far away right now.

Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching's grief support services available throughout British Columbia offer a compassionate, trauma informed approach to navigating loss. Kotone Frankowski brings professional expertise, genuine empathy, and a deep respect for the courage it takes to seek support during life's most painful moments.

You deserve a space where your grief is honoured, your feelings are validated, and your healing is supported with patience and skill. That space is waiting for you.

Ready to Take the First Step?

When you're ready, we're here. Reach out today to schedule your free 20 minute consultation or book your first session:

• Book Online: colib.io/booking/turning-tides-coaching-counselling
• Call or Text: (778) 321-6058
• Email: info@turningtidestoday.com

Your healing journey begins with a single step. Let us walk alongside you.

Step 2: Your First Sessions & Getting to Know Each Other

The beginning of your grief counselling journey is about building connection and understanding. During your first few sessions, we create a foundation of trust and safety while gently exploring your unique experience of loss. This isn't about filling out forms or completing evaluations. It's about being heard, understood, and supported exactly where you are.

What Happens in Your Initial Sessions

Your first session is a full 50 minutes dedicated entirely to you. We meet online through a secure, confidential video platform that works from anywhere in British Columbia and beyond. Whether you're in Vancouver, Kelowna, Victoria, or a smaller community like Squamish or Nelson, you'll have the same quality of care and attention.

During these early sessions, we focus on:

• Understanding your story of loss and how grief is showing up in your life right now
• Exploring your feelings without judgment, whether that's sadness, anger, confusion, numbness, or something else entirely
• Identifying what matters most to you in your healing journey
• Discovering your existing strengths and the resources you already have within you
• Beginning to envision what healing and moving forward might look like for you

Our Collaborative Approach

This process is deeply collaborative. You're not a passive recipient of treatment. You're an active partner in your own healing. Together, we'll explore what's most important to address first. Some people need to talk about the person they lost. Others need help managing overwhelming emotions. Some want to understand why grief feels so complicated. There's no right or wrong way to begin.

Our approach draws from Internal Family Systems (IFS), which helps you understand the different parts of yourself that are responding to grief. We also integrate trauma informed care, recognizing that loss can be traumatic. Somatic approaches help you notice how grief lives in your body. And we use elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) as they fit your needs.

Setting Intentions Together

Rather than rigid goals, we work with intentions and directions for your healing. Through gentle conversations and reflections, we'll explore questions like:

These aren't questions you need to answer perfectly or immediately. They're starting points for ongoing conversations. Your answers will evolve as we work together, and that's completely natural.

What to Prepare (And What Not to Worry About)

You don't need to prepare anything formal. There are no questionnaires to complete beforehand. No homework before we meet. Just come as you are. That said, some people find it helpful to think about a few things:

• A quiet, private space where you feel comfortable and won't be interrupted during our online session
• A reliable internet connection and a device with a camera and microphone
• Tissues nearby because grief often brings tears, and that's perfectly okay
• Water or tea to have something comforting within reach
• Any questions or concerns you want to discuss about the counselling process

Some clients like to jot down a few notes about what's been hardest lately or what they hope counselling might help with. Others prefer to just show up and see what emerges. Both approaches work beautifully.

Understanding Your Unique Grief Experience

During our early sessions, we'll gently explore different aspects of your grief experience. This isn't an interrogation or a clinical interview. It's a compassionate conversation. We might talk about:

• The nature of your loss and your relationship with the person who died
• How grief is affecting your daily life, sleep, appetite, and energy
• What emotions are present and how they're showing up
• Your support system and who's been helpful (or unhelpful)
• Any previous experiences with loss or trauma
• Cultural, spiritual, or religious beliefs that shape how you understand death and grief
• What coping strategies you've tried and how they've worked

We move at your pace. If something feels too difficult to discuss, we honour that. If you need to pause, we pause. If you need to cry, you cry. This is your space.

Common Questions About Getting Started

How long will it take to feel better?Grief doesn't follow a timeline, and healing isn't linear. Some people notice shifts within a few sessions. Others need more time. We'll work together for as long as feels right for you. There's no pressure to rush or to stay longer than you need.

What if I can't stop crying during sessions?Tears are welcome here. Grief needs to be expressed, not suppressed. We'll make sure you have what you need to feel safe while emotions move through you. And we'll also help you find ways to regulate when feelings become overwhelming.

Do I have to talk about the person who died?Only if and when you're ready. Some people find it healing to share memories and stories. Others aren't ready for that yet. We follow your lead completely.

What if I'm grieving someone I had a complicated relationship with?Complicated grief is incredibly common and completely valid. We create space for all the conflicting feelings that can come with losing someone you had mixed feelings about. There's no judgment here.

Will you give me homework or assignments?Only if you want them. Some people find gentle practices between sessions helpful, like journaling prompts or grounding exercises. Others prefer to keep the work within our sessions. We'll figure out what works best for you.

How do we track progress when grief is so unpredictable?Rather than formal measurements, we use ongoing check ins and reflections. We might notice together that certain days feel a bit lighter. That you're sleeping slightly better. That a memory brought a smile instead of only tears. Progress in grief work is subtle and personal. We'll pay attention to what matters to you.

Between Session Support

After each session, you're welcome to reach out via email if questions or concerns arise. While I can't provide crisis support between sessions, I do offer brief email check ins to help you feel supported as you process what we've discussed. This isn't therapy by email, but it is a way to stay connected and feel less alone between our meetings.

Insurance and Investment in Your Healing

Many extended health insurance plans in British Columbia cover counselling services. Coverage may be available based on your individual policy with providers like Canada Life, Green Shield Canada, Manulife, SunLife, or Pacific Blue Cross. You'll pay for sessions at the time of service and can submit receipts to your insurance company for reimbursement. Detailed fee information is available in the Services section of our website.

Serving Communities Across British Columbia

Our specialized grief counselling services are available online to clients throughout British Columbia. Whether you're in Metro Vancouver areas like Burnaby, Surrey, or Richmond, on Vancouver Island in Victoria or Nanaimo, in Interior communities like Kelowna or Kamloops, or in Northern regions like Prince George, you'll receive the same compassionate, expert care. We also support clients internationally who are seeking grief counselling from a Canadian Registered Therapeutic Counsellor.

Ready to Begin?

Starting grief counselling takes courage. It means acknowledging that you need support, and that's a sign of strength, not weakness. Your first sessions are about creating a safe foundation for the healing work ahead. There's no pressure to have everything figured out. We'll take this journey together, one session at a time.

Book your free 20 minute consultation to ask any questions and see if we're a good fit for your grief journey. You can schedule online at https://www.colib.io/booking/turning-tides-coaching-counselling or reach out by email to start the conversation.

You don't have to carry this grief alone. Support is here when you're ready.

Step 3: Your Grief Counselling Journey

Once we've established our therapeutic relationship and identified your unique needs, we move into the heart of the healing work. This phase focuses on processing your grief, developing healthy coping strategies, and gradually finding your path forward. Each session is designed to meet you exactly where you are, honouring your pace and respecting the deeply personal nature of your loss.

What Happens During Sessions

Our specialized grief counselling sessions serving Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, and communities throughout British Columbia follow a compassionate, flexible structure that adapts to your emotional state and healing needs. Sessions typically last 50 minutes and create a safe container for exploring the complex emotions that accompany loss.

Each session includes:

• Opening check in: We begin by creating space for you to share how you've been since our last meeting. This isn't a formal questionnaire. It's a genuine conversation about your current emotional landscape, recent experiences with grief, and any immediate concerns weighing on your heart.
• Emotional exploration and processing: The core of our work together involves gently exploring your grief experience. We honour all the feelings that arise, whether sadness, anger, guilt, relief, confusion, or numbness. There's no 'right way' to grieve, and our sessions provide a judgment free space to express whatever emerges.
• Therapeutic interventions: Drawing from evidence based approaches, I integrate techniques specifically suited to your needs. This might include mindfulness practices to ground you when emotions feel overwhelming, somatic work to release grief held in your body, or narrative approaches to help you make meaning of your loss.
• Skill building and coping strategies: Together we develop practical tools you can use between sessions. These aren't homework assignments in the traditional sense. They're supportive practices tailored to your life, helping you navigate difficult moments and gradually rebuild your capacity for joy.
• Session closing: We end each meeting by reflecting on insights that emerged and identifying what felt most helpful. This collaborative approach ensures our work together remains responsive to your evolving needs.

Therapeutic Approaches We Use

Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching's grief counselling available in Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, Interior BC, and Northern BC integrates multiple therapeutic modalities. The approaches we use are always selected based on what will serve your healing best.

Between Session Support and Practices

Healing doesn't only happen during our scheduled time together. Our compassionate grief counselling serving communities across British Columbia includes ongoing support between sessions to help you feel connected and supported throughout your journey.

Email support: You're welcome to reach out via email between sessions to share reflections, ask questions, or receive brief guidance. This isn't meant to replace therapy sessions, but it provides a lifeline during difficult moments and helps maintain our therapeutic connection.

Personalized practices: Based on what emerges in our sessions, I may suggest supportive practices for you to explore at your own pace. These are never mandatory assignments. They're invitations to deepen your healing work in ways that feel manageable and meaningful to you.

Common supportive practices include:

• Reflective journaling: Writing about your feelings, memories, and experiences with loss. This might involve free writing, letter writing to your loved one, or responding to gentle prompts we explore together.
• Mindful moments: Brief daily practices of sitting quietly with your breath and emotions. Even five minutes of mindful presence can help regulate your nervous system and create space between you and overwhelming feelings.
• Memory rituals: Creating meaningful ways to honour your loss, whether lighting a candle, visiting a special place, creating a memory box, or engaging in activities that connect you to your loved one.
• Body based practices: Gentle movement, stretching, or breathwork to release grief held in your physical body. These practices help discharge the physiological stress that accompanies loss.
• Creative expression: For some, drawing, music, photography, or other creative outlets provide a non verbal way to process grief that words cannot capture.
• Connection mapping: Identifying supportive people in your life and making small plans to reach out. Grief can be isolating, and intentional connection helps counter that tendency.
• Self care tracking: Gently noticing your sleep, nutrition, and daily routines. Not to judge yourself, but to recognize patterns and make small adjustments that support your wellbeing.

These practices are always adapted to your energy level, cultural background, and personal preferences. Some weeks you might engage deeply with them. Other weeks, simply getting through each day is enough. Both are completely valid.

Tracking Your Progress

Grief doesn't follow a linear path. Some days feel lighter. Others bring unexpected waves of sadness. Rather than measuring progress by how quickly you 'get over' your loss, we focus on meaningful markers of healing that honour the ongoing nature of grief.

We track progress through ongoing conversations about:

• Your ability to be present with difficult emotions without being overwhelmed by them
• Moments when you notice increased capacity for joy, connection, or meaning
• Changes in how you relate to memories of your loved one
• Development of healthy coping strategies that support rather than avoid your grief
• Shifts in unhelpful beliefs about yourself, your loss, or your future
• Your sense of agency in navigating your grief journey
• Quality of sleep, energy levels, and overall functioning
• Ability to engage in relationships and activities that matter to you

Rather than using formal questionnaires or standardized measures, we rely on collaborative reflection during our sessions. You're the expert on your own experience. I help you notice patterns, celebrate growth, and adjust our approach when something isn't working.

Some clients find it helpful when I provide brief written reflections after sessions, summarizing key insights and reminding you of tools we discussed. This is always optional and based on what supports your healing best.

What Makes Our Approach Different

Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching's grief counselling available throughout British Columbia is grounded in deep respect for your unique grief experience. As a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor with certification from Evergreen Certificates in trauma work, I bring specialized expertise in supporting people through profound loss.

Our work together is:

• Trauma informed: Recognizing that grief can be traumatic and ensuring our therapeutic relationship provides safety, trust, and empowerment
• Culturally responsive: Honouring diverse ways of grieving across different cultural, spiritual, and personal backgrounds
• Holistic: Addressing the emotional, physical, cognitive, and spiritual dimensions of grief
• Collaborative: You remain in the driver's seat of your healing, with me as a compassionate guide
• Flexible: Adapting to your changing needs rather than following a rigid protocol
• Inclusive: Creating affirming space for all identities, including LGBTQ+ individuals and diverse family structures

Whether you're grieving the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a major life transition, or another significant loss, our specialized grief counselling provides the support you need to navigate this difficult terrain.

Insurance and Accessibility

Our grief counselling services may be covered by your extended health benefits. Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching is recognized by major insurance providers including Canada Life, Green Shield Canada, Manulife, SunLife, and Pacific Blue Cross. Coverage depends on your individual policy, and we're happy to provide receipts for you to submit to your insurance provider.

We offer online sessions to ensure accessibility for clients across Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, Interior BC, Northern BC, and beyond. This flexibility means you can receive support from the comfort of your own home, which can be especially important when you're grieving.

Ready to Begin Your Healing Journey?

If you're ready to take the next step in your grief journey, we invite you to book a free 20 minute consultation to discuss how our grief counselling can support you. During this conversation, we'll explore your needs, answer any questions, and determine if we're a good fit for working together.

Book your consultation today through our secure online booking platform at: https://www.colib.io/booking/turning-tides-coaching-counselling

You don't have to navigate grief alone. Our compassionate, expert support is here to help you find your way through loss toward healing and hope.

Step 4: Completion and Ongoing Support

Recognising Your Progress and Planning for the Future

You have moved through significant emotional terrain. Step 4 is about acknowledging how far you have come, evaluating your readiness to complete your formal grief counselling journey, and establishing the support systems that will sustain your healing long after our sessions end.

Progress Evaluation

As we approach completion, we will reflect together on the changes you have experienced. This reflection happens naturally through our conversations rather than through formal checklists. We notice things like:

• Your ability to speak about your loss without becoming overwhelmed
• The moments when grief feels manageable rather than all-consuming
• How you are reconnecting with activities, people, and parts of yourself that matter
• Your capacity to hold both sadness and joy at the same time
• The strength you have discovered within yourself through this process

These signs emerge organically as you heal. There is no timeline we must meet. Your readiness for completion is determined by your own sense of stability, not by external markers.

Signs You May Be Ready for Completion

Readiness looks different for everyone. You might notice:

• Grief feels less like a crisis and more like a part of your life you can carry
• You have developed reliable ways to support yourself through difficult moments
• Your relationships are strengthening, and you feel less isolated
• You are making decisions about your future with greater clarity
• You feel confident in the tools and insights you have gained
• Your sense of purpose or meaning is beginning to emerge again

We will discuss these signs together. There is no rush. Some people benefit from a gradual reduction in session frequency before completing, allowing you to test your independence while knowing support remains available.

Maintenance Strategies for Sustained Healing

Completion does not mean your grief work ends. It means you are moving into a phase of self-directed healing supported by practices and connections you have developed.

Emotional Practices

Continue the approaches that have helped you most. This might include journaling about your feelings, spending time in nature, creative expression, or quiet reflection. These practices become your personal toolkit for navigating grief as it evolves.

Connection and Community

Our grief counselling services serving all of British Columbia include access to ongoing support groups and community connections. Our CPTSD support group and group therapy book club remain available to you. These spaces provide ongoing peer support and the reassurance that you are not alone in your experience.

Relationship Nurturing

The relationships that have supported you through grief deserve continued attention. Regular connection with trusted friends, family, or community members helps sustain your emotional wellbeing. If you are navigating grief within a partnership, the communication skills you have developed continue to strengthen your bond.

Self-Compassion

Grief does not follow a straight line. You may have days when sadness feels fresh again. This is not failure. It is the natural rhythm of healing. The self-compassion you have cultivated through counselling becomes your anchor during these moments.

Follow-Up and Ongoing Support Options

Turning Tides Counselling and Life Coaching remains here for you beyond formal completion.

Between-Session Email Support

After your sessions conclude, you can reach out via email with reflections, questions, or moments when you need guidance. This asynchronous support helps bridge the gap between formal counselling and complete independence.

Booster Sessions

Many people find value in returning for occasional sessions during significant anniversaries, holidays, or life transitions. These sessions help you process new dimensions of grief or reconnect with your healing journey. You can book these as needed without committing to ongoing regular counselling.

Group Participation

Our trauma informed support groups and group therapy book club provide affordable, ongoing community. These gatherings offer psychoeducation, shared experience, and the comfort of connecting with others who understand grief's complexity. Groups meet regularly and welcome both new and returning participants.

Life Coaching for Moving Forward

As grief becomes integrated, some people find value in life coaching to explore purpose, set new goals, or navigate the identity shifts that follow loss. Our life coaching services help you discover meaning and direction as you move forward.

Celebrating Your Strength

Grief counselling requires tremendous courage. You have shown up for yourself. You have allowed yourself to feel deeply. You have learned new ways to carry your loss. You have discovered resilience you may not have known you possessed.

This is worth celebrating.

Your grief is a testament to love. The work you have done in counselling honours both your loss and your commitment to healing. As you move forward, carry this knowledge: the pain you have processed has transformed into wisdom. The support you have received can now flow outward to others. The strength you have built is yours to keep.

Maintaining Connection with Turning Tides

Completion of formal grief counselling does not mean disconnection from Turning Tides Counselling and Life Coaching. Our trauma informed services serving all of British Columbia, from Vancouver to Victoria, from Kelowna to Prince George, remain accessible to you. Whether you need occasional support, wish to join a group, or want to explore life coaching, we are here.

You can reach us at any time through our online booking platform or by contacting us directly. Your healing journey continues, and we are honoured to have been part of it.

Ready to move forward with confidence?

Book your completion session or explore ongoing support options through our online booking platform at https://www.colib.io/booking/turning-tides-coaching-counselling.

You have done meaningful work. You deserve to feel proud of that.