Loss of a loved one
The death of a partner, parent, child, sibling, or close friend. Bereavement can arrive as sharp waves or a dull, exhausting fog, and there is no right way to move through it.
Grief counseling & therapy · North County San Diego
Grief Counseling in North County San Diego
Whether you have lost a person, a relationship, or a future you were counting on, grief can be disorienting and lonely. Our doctoral-level psychologists offer a steady, compassionate place to grieve. In person in Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Vista, or online across California.
4.9 on Google · 90+ reviews across our three offices
Who we help
Kids to adults
Every kind of loss
Where
Three offices
Carlsbad · Encinitas · Vista
Also online
Telehealth
Anywhere in California
Start with
A free call
15 minutes, no pressure
There is no wrong way to grieve
Grief does not follow a schedule.
Loss leaves us with unpredictable emotions, distressing memories, difficult decisions, and a quiet domino effect that touches every part of life. Some days grief is sharp and overwhelming. Other days it is dull and distant, and it saps your energy without a clear reason. Often it goes beyond words.
You do not have to move through it on anyone else's timeline, and you do not have to do it alone. Grief is, in a sense, love with nowhere to go. In therapy, it gets a place to land: a relationship where your loss is witnessed without judgment, nothing is rushed, and you can begin to carry what happened in a way that lets life back in.
What we help with
Loss comes in many forms.
People come to us with all of these, and often more than one at once. Whatever your loss, and wherever you are in your grief, you are welcome here.
Anticipatory grief
The grief that starts before a loss does, when someone you love is seriously ill or in hospice. Mourning while still caregiving is its own particular kind of hard.
Complicated & prolonged grief
When grief stays acute for a long time, or when it feels stuck, all-consuming, or impossible to function around, focused support can help it begin to move.
Disenfranchised grief
Losses the world does not always recognize: a miscarriage, an estranged parent, an ex, a pregnancy that did not continue. Grief that others minimize is still grief, and it deserves space.
Traumatic loss
A sudden, violent, or shocking death can braid grief together with trauma. We hold both at once, drawing on our trauma therapy when that is part of the picture.
Grief in children & teens
Kids and teens grieve differently than adults, often in bursts, through behavior, or in ways that surface months later. We work with young people and their parents. See our child therapy and teen therapy pages.
Non-death losses
Grief is not only about death. Divorce, a serious diagnosis, infertility, a job, a home, or a future you had counted on can all bring real, valid grief.
Pet loss
The loss of an animal companion is a profound loss, and one that is too often brushed aside. If your grief is for a pet, it is welcome here.
How we work
Not "getting over it." Learning to carry it.
Healing from grief is not about erasing the loss or reaching some final stage where you are "done." Grief is universal, but everyone's bereavement is unique, so rather than impose a rigid formula, we tailor the work to your history, your beliefs, and your particular loss.
Our approach draws on attachment science and the well-established tasks of mourning: accepting the reality of the loss, moving through the pain rather than around it, adjusting to a world without your person, and finding a way to stay connected to them while re-entering your own life. This is depth-oriented psychotherapy, and its goal is not to help you forget but to help you find freedom, peace, and meaning in the new landscape of your life.
Sometimes that means grieving what was lost. Sometimes it means recognizing the extraordinary resilience that has carried you this far. Over time, the loss begins to take up less of every day, and connection, and even joy, become possible again.
You do not have to grieve alone
Individual grief therapy, and a grief support group.
Most of our grief work is one-to-one, a private space to move at your own pace with a clinician who takes time to understand your loss. For many people, though, there is something uniquely steadying about grieving alongside others who understand from the inside.
Our grief support group meets at our Carlsbad office in the Village. It offers connection, perspective, and the relief of not having to explain why you are still grieving. Some people come to the group, some to individual therapy, and some to both. On your free consultation call, we will help you figure out which fits where you are.
Learn about the grief support group →Grief, honestly
Straight answers to hard questions.
How long does grief last?
There is no set timeline, and anyone who gives you one is guessing. Acute grief often softens over months, but waves can return around anniversaries, holidays, and milestones for years, and that is normal, not a failure. What tends to change is not that grief disappears but that you grow around it and it takes up less of every day.
Does grief ever go away?
Grief usually does not vanish so much as it changes shape. Most people find that the sharpest pain becomes less frequent and less overwhelming, and that they can hold both the loss and their life at the same time. Grief is, in a sense, love with nowhere to go, so some of it tends to stay, woven in more gently over time.
What is complicated grief?
Complicated grief, sometimes called prolonged grief disorder, is when acute grief stays intense and disabling long after a loss, in a way that keeps you from functioning or moving forward. It is not weakness or doing grief wrong. It is a recognized experience, and it responds well to focused therapy.
Can grief make you physically sick?
Yes. Grief lives in the body as much as the mind. Disrupted sleep, appetite changes, fatigue, brain fog, chest tightness, a weakened immune system, and aches are all common. If grief is taking a toll on your body, that is a real reason to reach out, not something to push through alone.
Meet the team
Your grief therapists.
Every clinician here holds a doctorate in psychology. Click any card to read their full bio and approach, then start with a free call and we will help you find the right fit.
Questions
Frequently asked questions about grief counseling.
01 Where can I find grief counseling in San Diego?
We offer grief counseling in person at our Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Vista offices in North County San Diego, and we see clients from across San Diego County. If you are elsewhere in San Diego or anywhere in California, we also offer grief counseling online. Our grief support group meets at the Carlsbad office in the Village.
02 What is the difference between grief counseling and grief therapy?
Very little. "Grief counseling," "grief therapy," and "bereavement counseling" are different names for the same work: meeting with a trained clinician who helps you carry, understand, and move through a loss. At Coastal Therapy Group that work is done by doctoral-level psychologists.
03 When should I see a grief counselor?
There is no waiting period and no loss that is too small. It is worth reaching out when grief is affecting your ability to function, when everyone around you has moved on and you have not, when an old loss keeps resurfacing, or when you simply do not want to carry it alone. Some people also come in ahead of an expected loss, such as a parent entering hospice.
04 Do you offer grief counseling for children and teens?
Yes. Children and teens grieve differently than adults, often in bursts or through behavior, and sometimes months after the loss. Several of our clinicians work with young people and partner closely with parents. Our child therapy and teen therapy pages go deeper.
05 Do you help with pet loss?
Yes. The loss of an animal companion is a real and often under-recognized grief. If you are grieving a pet, your loss is welcome here and we will treat it with the seriousness it deserves.
06 Can grief counseling really help?
Yes. Time alone does not resolve grief; what helps is making sense of the loss in the presence of another person, rather than in isolation. Grief counseling will not erase what happened, but it can ease the weight, help you understand what you are feeling, and support you in carrying the loss in a way that lets life back in.
07 Do you offer a grief support group?
Yes. Our grief support group meets at our Carlsbad office. Grieving alongside people who understand can be a powerful complement to individual grief therapy, and some members choose to do both.
08 How much does grief therapy cost?
Individual sessions range from $230 to $300, depending on the clinician. We are a private-pay, out-of-network practice and provide superbills you can submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. Current rates and insurance details are on our Cost + Info page.
09 Do you offer online grief counseling?
Yes. We offer secure online grief counseling to anyone located anywhere in California. Many clients mix in-person and online sessions, which can help on the days when leaving the house feels like too much.
Whenever you are ready
You do not have to carry this alone.
One free 15-minute call with Kari. She will listen, answer your questions, and match you with a clinician who is a genuine fit. No pressure, and no rush.
4.9 on Google · 90+ reviews · Serving North County since 2018
Where we are
Grief counseling with a psychologist in Carlsbad, Encinitas, or Vista.
All three offices are in North County San Diego. We see grief clients from across San Diego County in person, and anyone in California online. Our grief support group meets at the Carlsbad office in the Village.
- 2564 State Street, Suite B
Carlsbad, CA 92008 - 169 Saxony Road, Suite 211
Encinitas, CA 92024 - 1800 Thibodo Road, Suite 110
Vista, CA 92081