Supporting Healing After Sudden, Unexpected, or Traumatic Loss

Grief can be overwhelming. When a loved one dies — especially in sudden, tragic, or traumatic circumstances — the pain can feel unrelenting. It can keep you stuck in the moment of loss, reliving it again and again.

At Open Compass Counseling in Flagler Beach, Florida, I help people work through grief and traumatic loss using EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR is a powerful, evidence-based approach that can help you begin to heal from the shock of how the loss happened and find a way to remember your loved one without being consumed by pain.

I offer both in-person counseling in Flagler Beach and telehealth sessions across the state of Florida.

💔 Grief Isn’t Just About Loss — It’s About the Moment Everything Changed

Many people who seek therapy for grief are struggling not only with the absence of their loved one, but also with the way the loss happened.

You may be experiencing:

  • Replaying the moment of the loss over and over in your mind

  • Feeling “stuck” and unable to move forward

  • Intense emotions like anger, guilt, fear, or shock

  • Sleep difficulties, flashbacks, or panic

  • Numbness or disconnection from the world around you

  • Difficulty functioning in daily life

Even if it’s been months or years, traumatic loss can leave people feeling as if time has stopped.

🧭 How EMDR Therapy Can Help with Grief and Loss

Grief is not something to “get over” — but it can be processed in a way that makes it less overwhelming. EMDR therapy helps your brain and body untangle the traumatic parts of loss, allowing you to move forward while still holding space for love and memory.

EMDR can help with:

  • Reducing emotional distress tied to the moment of loss

  • Releasing the painful “stuck” sensations that keep grief frozen in time

  • Decreasing flashbacks, panic, or traumatic images

  • Processing feelings of guilt, shock, or fear

  • Reconnecting with life while continuing to honor your loved one

This work doesn’t mean forgetting the person you lost. It means learning to carry their memory in a way that allows you to live fully again.

🌱 Common Situations EMDR Can Support

While everyone’s grief is unique, EMDR is often especially helpful after:

  • Sudden or unexpected deaths

  • Accidents or medical emergencies

  • Suicide or overdose

  • Traumatic losses involving violence or injury

  • Complicated grief or prolonged mourning

  • Grief that is triggering symptoms of PTSD or panic

Whether your loss happened recently or long ago, it’s never too late to process what happened and begin to heal.

🫂 Grief Affects Families and Loved Ones, Too

The pain of loss ripples outward — it can strain families, change dynamics, and create silence where there used to be connection. In some cases, I may also support family members or close loved ones in understanding how trauma and grief interact, and how to best support one another through the healing process.

This can include:

  • Family check-ins or joint sessions

  • Guidance on communication during grief

  • Processing secondary trauma or shared loss

  • Strengthening connection after tragedy

📍 In-Person and Telehealth Options

📍 Open Compass Counseling
712 S Ocean Shore Blvd
Flagler Beach, FL 32136
📞 386-259-0557

I offer EMDR therapy in person in Flagler Beach and online across Florida, so you can receive support wherever you are in your grief journey.

🕊 You Deserve to Live Fully Again

Grief may change your life forever, but it doesn’t have to define it. EMDR therapy can help you loosen the grip of traumatic memories, so you can honor your loved one with love, not pain — and begin to rebuild your life.

👉 Schedule a consultation or call 386-259-0557 to start your healing journey today.