Grief & Loss Therapy Asheville
Understanding Grief and Loss
At Mindful Therapy Asheville, Patrick offers compassionate support for individuals navigating grief and loss, recognizing these experiences as natural and universal parts of being human. Grief affects emotional, physical, and relational well-being, and arises in response to losing someone or something deeply meaningful—whether through death, divorce, life transitions, or other significant changes. Though each person’s grief is uniquely shaped by their story, many people experience similar waves of sadness, anger, confusion, guilt, or numbness.
To help clients make sense of this complex process, Patrick integrates a warm, steady therapeutic presence with research-informed guidance. He draws on Worden’s Four Tasks of Mourning as a supportive framework, offering structure and clarity while honoring the deeply personal nature of grief. Through this approach, Patrick helps clients move at their own pace, fostering understanding, resilience, and gentle healing along the way.
Worden’s Four Tasks of Mourning
Grief is not about “getting over it,” but about gradually integrating the loss in a way that honors both the past and the present. At Mindful Therapy Asheville, Patrick offers compassionate guidance as clients move through J. William Worden’s Four Tasks of Mourning—a research-informed framework that helps make sense of the grieving process.
1. Accept the Reality of the Loss
Patrick supports clients in gently acknowledging the reality of the loss, helping create the foundation needed for emotional healing.
2. Process the Pain of Grief
With care and attunement, Patrick provides a safe space to feel and express emotions such as sadness, anger, guilt, or fear—without pressure, judgment, or timelines.
3. Adjust to a World Without What Was Lost
Patrick helps clients navigate the practical and emotional adjustments that follow loss—changes in routines, roles, relationships, identity, or daily functioning.
4. Find an Enduring Connection While Moving Forward
Patrick supports clients in maintaining a meaningful bond with the person or part of life that has been lost, while also exploring new sources of meaning, connection, and purpose.
Through each task, Patrick offers steady, compassionate support tailored to the needs of each individual’s unique grief journey.
How Grief and Loss Can Manifest
Grief affects more than emotions—it often impacts the whole self. Patrick helps clients recognize and normalize the many forms grief can take:
Emotional symptoms: sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, numbness
Cognitive symptoms: confusion, difficulty concentrating, intrusive memories
Physical symptoms: fatigue, tension, sleep or appetite changes
Relational symptoms: withdrawal, communication challenges, shifting family dynamics
Behavioral changes: avoidance, increased risk-taking, changes in daily routines
Understanding these manifestations reduces shame and supports a clearer path toward healing.
Therapeutic Approaches at Mindful Therapy Asheville
Patrick integrates compassionate psychotherapy with mindfulness and evidence-based practices to support clients through grief and loss:
Psychoeducation on the grieving process and Worden’s Four Tasks
Mindfulness and grounding techniques to regulate emotions and settle the nervous system
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy to address grief intertwined with internal protectors or old emotional wounds
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support acceptance, values-based living, and gentle movement forward
This integrative approach helps clients process grief fully, reconnect with themselves, and gradually build a meaningful life after loss.
Who Can Benefit
Patrick provides grief and loss support for individuals navigating:
Death of a loved one or pet
Divorce or separation
Career changes or retirement
Loss of health, mobility, or independence
Major life transitions or unmet hopes
Situations where grief feels overwhelming or persistent
No matter the source of loss, Patrick offers a validating and supportive space to explore the emotional landscape and restore balance.
Goals of Grief Therapy
Clients often find that grief support with Patrick helps them:
Feel seen, validated, and understood
Process difficult emotions in a safe, structured way
Re-engage with daily life and meaningful activities
Maintain meaningful connections while adapting to change
Cultivate self-compassion and inner resilience
Move forward without losing the significance of what was lost
Begin Support for Grief and Loss
If you are experiencing grief or loss in Asheville, NC, Patrick at Mindful Therapy Asheville offers a compassionate and steady presence to help you navigate the complex emotions that arise. Therapy provides space to integrate the loss into your life, find moments of ease, and discover renewed meaning—while honoring the depth and importance of what you carry.