Services Good Grief! Offers
Every individual experiences grief differently, but early access to the right care can have an enormous impact on your healing journey. That’s why we present a range of therapeutic options, so you can find the help that’s right for you.
The goal of working through grief is not about “getting over it” or “letting go”; it’s about developing healthy connections and healing strategies that allow you to function well day to day and thrive long-term. If you are struggling with your grieving process, our care options and learning activities can help you navigate through your personal process more effectively.
Our Services
When you are grieving, finding the strength to take care of yourself can be incredibly challenging. Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services is here to give you the support you need to do just that. We have done the searching for you, giving you a place to connect with peers and professionals who can help you face your grief, process your emotions and build valuable coping skills.
Individual Bereavement Counselling
Professional, supportive one-on-one therapy that helps you process your feelings and develop healing strategies.
Group Counselling
Although there are a variety of grief groups to offer support to individuals, Good Grief! has come to value offering unique support groups where participants share some commonalities beyond the death of a loved one.
You can see all of our current and upcoming group counselling sessions on our events page.
Workplace Grief Support
Has a client, patient or team member died? Good Grief! facilitates tailor-made sessions for your team to share their grief, discuss coping strategies and explore ways of moving forward.
Workplace Grief Literacy and Training
Have you and your colleagues been in situations where a team member or client is grieving and you’re just not sure what to say or do? Not sure how you can be supportive and productive at the same time? Good Grief! provides grief literacy and training designed for your organization’s specific needs.
Workshops and Events
We are constantly organizing free workshops and events. We also post event recordings on our website!
Professional Enrichment
Events and workshops for professionals such as physicians, social workers, psychologists, spiritual leaders and others who provide support to bereaved individuals and families.
EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an interactive psychotherapy technique used to relieve psychological stress. It is an effective treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Fees for Individual Counselling
As a not-for-profit charitable organization, Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services is committed to providing information, intake and matching services at no cost to those who need them.
All of our counsellors set their own fees for their services ranging from $125-$200 per session. We do not add any markup or take a percentage of their fee and they do not pay anything to be listed as part of our professional community.
If you have access to employee benefits, check your plan to see what coverage you have for registered mental healthcare professionals such as psychologists, social workers and psychotherapists.
Why Counselling?
Losing a loved one can be emotionally devastating. Sometimes the passing is expected after a long illness. Knowing a loved one is no longer suffering might even ease the pain. In other situations, death comes suddenly and unexpectedly, and the shock adds other dimensions to the grief.
Either way, grieving is a normal response with many complex stages and emotions that affect every individual differently. Some people will manage the process with support from family, friends and community. For others, grief support groups can be a powerful tool to help navigate the grieving process.
Benefits of Counselling
Throughout our lives, many of us have been taught to keep sadness or overwhelming emotions to ourselves. Opening up to peers or professionals can be incredibly painful but also enormously powerful.
Grief Support Groups Toronto Can Help You
- Know you are not alone
- Understand stages of grief
- Learn how to face and express your full range of feelings
- Focus on specific areas in your life where coping is difficult
- Identify strategies to help you cope
- Work through the process of grieving in a safe environment
- Accept that your life may never be the same, but healing is possible
When to Seek Help
Grieving is a highly individual experience that can have overwhelming physical, mental, and emotional impacts.
Your health and wellbeing matter. We encourage you to seek help if
- You are finding it difficult to function day to day
- Your grief is making you feel unwell or unsafe
- You experience symptoms of depression, anxiety or PTSD
- Symptoms that started soon after your loss are getting worse
- You are consuming excess alcohol, abusing drugs or using other distractions to avoid painful feelings
Find a Counsellor
All Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services counsellors have been selected for their professional credentials and commitment to providing compassionate care. The counsellors and their biographies are below. Please contact us to be matched and set your first appointment.
North
Faina Ben David,
MSW
I am an experienced clinician who has been helping clients work through grief, loss and bereavement for over 15 years. The loss of someone you care about can affect your mood, sleep, and relationships. Sometimes this can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, intense sadness, anxiety and depression; with all this pain, life can feel so sore. My role is to sit with my clients and work through the emotional roller coaster of loss and grief.
We explore the meaning and values that the loved one brought into your life, and what has been left behind after the loss; together we search for new ways to find meaning. During the counselling process, I help navigate my clients through their grief, find healthy coping skills and identify issues that require problem -solving skills. We will draw on your strengths, resiliency, and hope.
I provide effective therapy in a supportive and confidential environment. I feel privileged to be invited into your life, your challenges and transitions. I encourage you to call for a free 15 minute consultation.
Lori Borden,
MSW, RSW, RP
Mandy Levitt,
MA
My approach to therapy is empowering and compassionate and focuses on giving clients the means to enhance their understanding of themselves and their predicament, and explore possible ways to understand, manage and relieve their distress and suffering. I am an active and engaged therapist, who listens deeply and provides direct feedback or tools to help clients achieve relief and lasting and meaningful change. Within the context of unconditional acceptance and non-judgement, this means clients can develop more adaptive ways of coping, relating to others, develop deeper connections and be responsible and in control of themselves and their emotions.
My approach is informed by an Integrative Psychodynamic understanding, complemented by additional training in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Transactional Analysis, and Grief Therapy. I also see couples in difficulty, to improve communication and emotional connection, to transition through difficult life challenges and recover from other attachment hurts. I have a number of years of experience with adolescents who are struggling. I see Parents of children of all ages to assist them with difficulties and help them understand their children’s needs so as to meet them in more appropriate ways. I have experience in Palliative Care as well as grief work.
At times, I work with clients to better understand their past experiences and early emotional injuries. This often leads to greater insight into the interpersonal patterns they learned which may now be contributing to and sabotaging their adult emotional predicaments.
Qualifications: M.A. (Clinical Psychology)
Registration: C.R.P.O. (College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario)
Years of Practice: 1995 – Present
Specializing in:
Depression
Anxiety
Personality Struggles and Disorders
Other Mental Health/Illness and family support
Relationship difficulties
Family conflicts
Coping skills, Life Changes and Adjustment
Support for Caregivers
Palliative Care and Grief
Trauma Debriefing and P.T.S.D.
Personal Growth and Work/Life Balance
Life Coaching
Shirley Nussbaum, Registered Psychotherapist
Shirley is a Registered Psychotherapist and a Registered Hypnotherapist. She graduated from York University with an honours BA in Psychology and received her Certification in Psychology from the Transformational Arts College.
Shirley has been Practicing for 11 years. She deals with many life issues including grief, addiction, anxiety and depression. She sees people on an individual basis, as well as couples and families.
She strives to create a non-judgemental, safe environment where people feel free to be open and honest. One of Shirley’s primary goals as a therapist is to help people figure out what is holding them back from living their best possible life and assist them in creating positive change.
Mark Weitz
MSW
I am committed to providing counselling services that enable people to feel more empowered, engaged and available to the challenges we all face. Whether you are dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, grief/loss, adjustment to a major life change or health concern, we will work collaboratively to identify how you are suffering and develop an actionable plan for developing greater personal insight and growth. My goal as a psychotherapist is to provide you with the means to positively change your mood, increase your resilience and develop greater coping skills.
I am a licensed social worker with 17 years of clinical practice involving individual counselling for non-senior adults and seniors, caregiving counselling andhealth system navigation. I use an integrative approach combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, problem-solving and mindfulness and compassion-based principles.
My aim is to provide a warm, empathetic space within which we can identify where you are feeling challenged, clarify and build on your strengths and allow for new learning and positive change. I also believe that psychotherapy should create opportunities for greater insight and be practical and applicable to the specifics of your situation.
Central-North
Emily Power, RSW
I have a home-grown interest in working with people, starting from my
childhood in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. My family provided
alternate family care to a disabled adult; my earliest work experiences brought
me into other homes to care for young disabled folks and their families.
Working in these many homes and families involved me in each one’s shared
milestones and unique challenges, from high school dances to cancer
treatment.
This unique insight was foundational in understanding the varieties of joy,
complication and grief that life and relationships have to offer us. My practice
focuses on meeting you in the midst of your unique path and building on your
strengths.
I have been a registered social worker since 2017 and have worked with folks
in a variety of settings, including community mental health, inpatient paediatric hospital setting, and outpatient adult mental health. I have specific expertise in supporting family members with grief/loss.
My goal is always to provide a safe place to land, where we can build a strong
therapeutic relationship. Together we can choose goals that feel within reach,
and find the balance that allows you to heal and grow.
Lesley Suchter, RSW
I am a Toronto-based social worker with over 10 years of private practice experience working with children, adolescents and adults in individual counselling and group facilitation environments. I have extensive experience working in the community including schools, hospitals, and rehabilitation centres.
I believe that it takes great strength to seek support during challenging times in our lives. I bring compassion, enthusiasm, and patience to my work. I work alongside my clients to truly understand their emotional concerns and to support them as they navigate through various obstacles. I view therapy as a collaborative effort designed and implemented to cater to each individual’s needs. I use a holistic approach, viewing health through both the body and the mind. I build relationships grounded in trust and connection with my clients.
My education and experience has taught me that we can overcome our suffering with awareness, intention, action and support. I have a deep commitment to continued learning and professional development and continue to complete workshops/certificate programs to maintain best practice and evidence-based approaches.
Central-Midtown
Margarita Miniovich,MSW, RSW
Elaine Rapp
MSW, RSW
I am an experienced clinician with over 20 years in grief and bereavement counselling. I have extensive experience in working with individuals, couples and families while employing therapeutic techniques such as relational therapy, narrative therapy and existential therapy.
I am grounded in the belief that grief is not a pathology as is not something to be cured. Grief, is a natural response to a loss. Together, we will explore ways to integrate your loss into your life so that you will be healed and feel whole.
I offer a deeply holistic, compassionate, empathic and nonjudgmental approach while building on individual inner strengths. My goal is to reach an authentic awareness to your loss.
Sari Shaicovitch,
RSW
Sari is a registered social worker who specializes in anxiety, depression, infertility, reproductive loss, crisis intervention, and self esteem. She has undergraduate degrees in both Psychology and Social Work, as well as a graduate degree in Educational Counselling Psychology and Special Education.
Sari has also received extensive training in both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Infertility Counselling. Sari is currently a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers, the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS), the Canadian Counselling and Special Interest Group, and is Affiliated with the Infertility Network.
Sari has worked as a counsellor and social worker for more than twenty years. Working with adolescents and adults, she helps clients identify where they are struggling and to formulate personal and realistic goals for change. Sari also facilitates a monthly fertility support group.
East
Andrea Warnick BA Nursing, MA Thalantology
Andrea is a Registered Psychotherapist whose passion lies in helping families and communities support people of all ages who are grieving the illness or death of someone close to them.
With a degree in nursing, a Masters degree in Thanatology (the study of dying and death) and years of nursing and counselling experience both in Canada and abroad, Andrea brings to her work a rare mixture of medical and psychosocial expertise.
Andrea developed and teaches the Certificate Program in Children’s Grief and Bereavement at the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre in Toronto. She is a member of the clinical team at Canadian Virtual Hospice (CVH) where she responds to questions about children and grief asked by professionals and family members from across Canada. At CVH Andrea was also the project lead for the development of KidsGrief.ca, a free online grief resource which was launched in November of 2017. In addition to her education and consulting work, Andrea has grief counselling practices in Toronto and Guelph.
Angela Rail,
BSW, RSW
As a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with more than 30 years experience, I have a passion for healing and supporting those experiencing some of the most challenging times of their lives, focusing on grief, loss, bereavement, and mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. My goal is to provide a compassionate and safe space for individuals and families to navigate the complex emotions and challenges that arise when facing loss.
I believe that grief is a deeply personal journey, and I tailor my approach to each individual’s unique needs and circumstances.
My therapeutic approach is rooted in empathy, with a client-centered, trauma-informed focus through a lens of anti-oppression, equity, and diversity, as noted in my work with 2SLGBTQ+ persons and women-identified folks.
Sonia Comiré, Registered Psychotherapist
I approach my work with clients as a warm and kind fellow human being who understands personally that life can be very difficult. I offer a safe and non-judgmental space to share your story, and I combine this with my knowledge and skills, to help you find hope for a future with less struggle. I have a background in community hospices, helping people of all ages to navigate the challenges of illness, caregiving, death and grief. I have worked with people from different cultures, backgrounds and identities, and with people experiencing complicated and traumatic grief. I still work as a counsellor/psychotherapist in a community hospice, supporting individuals and families through one of the hardest times they will ever have to go through, and helping them find some comfort and guidance to get through what feels overwhelming.
My life experience has taught me that we are all flawed human beings in need of compassion and kindness. We often feel alone in our struggles when in reality these struggles are a part of the common human experience. In mid-life I decided to change my career path and follow my passion for helping people. I completed a bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. I also completed additional training in grief, palliative care, caregiver support, narrative therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and trauma therapy, as well as a certification in Child Grief and Bereavement.
I offer psychotherapy services in English and French.
West
Samanta Cumberbatch-Mejia,
Registered Psychotherapist
I am a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered
Psychotherapists of Ontario and a member of the Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals with over 19 years of experience working with children, youth, adults and families. I specialize in trauma, PTSD, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, family conflict and relationship issues. In addition to my private practice, I work at a children’s mental health agency supporting clients who have been impacted by trauma, including traumatic grief and abuse. I also provide clinical supervision to regulated health professionals as well as graduate level students in their counselling/social work practicums.
My therapeutic style is holistic, intersectional, trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and strengths-based. I integrate CBT, DBT, ACT, narrative therapy,
neuroscience, and mind-body approaches to meet the individual needs of each
client through their healing journey.
I believe people are inherently resilient and capable of thriving in spite of the
challenges they have and/or may face. Reaching out for help can be daunting,
but I can offer a safe and empathetic space for you to gain insight into and
process past hurts, grieve, explore healthier ways to cope, and find and make
meaning of your experiences. We all have an innate need to be seen and heard
and it is my privilege to bear witness to a client’s story and to hold space for them to heal, grow and transform. If any of what you have read resonates with you, feel free to reach out. I am here to help!
Shawna Rich, RSW, Psychotherapist
Shawna Rich is a registered social worker and psychotherapist with 20 years of experience providing psychosocial support, education and advocacy to those with complex health needs.
As a survivor of suicide and trauma early in life, her journey to become a therapist came from a place of post-traumatic growth and resilience.
Her expertise includes acute and life-threatening health conditions, death and dying, grief, trauma, postpartum mental health, stress, depression, anxiety, interpersonal relationships, life transitions, sexuality and sexual identity. In her practice, she work with individuals and couples who are experiencing life transitions, challenges, pain and suffering.
She believes wholeheartedly that each of us holds the power to live authentically so that we are not at odds with ourselves.
Jordan Topp, MSW, RSW, LLB, AccFM
Jordan is a registered Social Worker in private practice. She specializes in supporting people through grief, loss and life transitions. She will walk the path of grief beside you, supporting you to live a life full of love and wonder while holding your own tender heart’s losses.
Jordan offers compassion and presence to those struggling with the death of a family member or friend, infertility, stillbirth and miscarriage, or a non-death loss (separation/divorce, illness, aging). While Jordan integrates many modalities into her counselling sessions, her approach is centered in mindfulness and compassion-based practices.
Jordan has over twenty years experience in the social work field. She has worked extensively with individuals and families both in Canada and abroad.
Downtown
Jillian Hosey,
RSW, EMDR
Jillian is a Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant with extensive experience providing comprehensive assessment and treatment to persons of all ages who are struggling with experiences of trauma, including traumatic grief, PTSD and complex PTSD, attachment trauma and symptoms of dissociation/dissociative disorders. Jillian is a registered Social Worker trained in Trauma Focused CBT, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR).
She values the mind-body connection and an integrative approach to healing. She is also a founding partner of the Healing Therapy Alliance in Toronto, a collective of integrative psychotherapists, wellness therapists, and addictions counsellors in that values a collaborative, team-based approach to healing the whole person and is grounded in neuroscience and trauma-specific, evidence-informed practices.
Andrea Kwan, RSW,
Psychotherapist
Andrea Kwan, MSW, is a Registered Social Worker/Psychotherapist whospecialises in grief counselling and education. She supports individuals coping with grief and loss (death and non-death), particularly those who have experienced sudden, unexpected and/or out – of – order loss. She also provides education about grief and loss and how to work with grieving individuals and communities through an anti – oppressive and diversity lens. She has experienced multiple personal losses, including the deaths of her parents in the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Through her own healing process, she has found her way to walking alongside others in their grief. She is committed to creating safe and inclusive spaces where bereaved individuals can grieve authentic ally and holistically.
Tara Noble, MSW, RSW EMDR Therapist
Tara has a Master of Social Work degree and over 20 years experience working with individuals, children, youth and families facing a variety of complex challenges. Throughout her career, Tara has worked within child welfare, family law, and adult and children’s mental health as well as grief and palliative care. Tara has a private practice in Toronto where she provides support to individuals, children, youth and families preparing for death of a loved one, as well as counselling that supports the grieving process. Whether you are seeking individual support, assistance for your child, or guidance in parenting through grief, Tara provides empathic interventions for individuals faced with the many challenges of grief. Counselling assists individuals and families to integrate grief in a way that promotes resilience and healthy futures. Tara utilizes an attachment and family systems lens to support positive change. She is trained in many counselling modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, trauma therapy and EMDR.
Andrea Skitch, MSW, RSW EMDR Therapist
Andrea has 8 years experience in private practice assisting people with a variety of circumstances, including loss of a loved one or dealing with chronic illness. She has experience as a hospital social worker in Toronto, including palliative and cancer care areas. She now focuses on trauma in her practice, as well as other issues. Her main approach to the work is relational and holistic. As a certified EMDR practitioner, she uses a variety of therapeutic approaches to assist clients in moving through painful experiences towards healing. She works mostly with adults in west Toronto.
Lori Younes, MSW, RSW
Therapist
I am a Registered Social Worker with over 10 years of experience working with
children, youth and adults in a variety of settings. I have experience in helping clients
navigate challenges related to stress and anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions,
grief and loss. I aim to provide a caring, compassionate and safe space for clients to
feel seen and heard as they go through difficult times in their lives.
I use a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused
Therapy, Narrative Therapy and mindfulness-based techniques in my practice. I
believe that every individual is the expert of their own experience, and I am honoured to work and learn alongside my clients on their journey towards healing and growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please start by telling us about yourself and your needs by completing our intake form. From there we will be in touch with you about next steps.
In Ontario, only services provided by licensed physicians including psychiatrists are covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). However, many employee benefit plans do offer coverage for services provided by registered mental healthcare professionals such as psychologists, social workers and psychotherapists. If you have access to employee benefits, check your plan to see what coverage you have.
All Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services counsellors are social workers, psychologists or psychotherapists who are registered with their regulatory college. Our counsellors also have specialized training and professional expertise with grief and bereavement.
As a not-for-profit charitable organization, Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services is committed to providing information, intake and matching services at no cost to those who need them. All of our counsellors set their own fees for their services ranging from $110-$200 per session. We do not add any markup or take a percentage of their fee and they do not pay anything to be listed as part of our professional community. If you have access to employee benefits, check your plan to see what coverage you have for registered mental healthcare professionals such as psychologists, social workers and psychotherapists.
No. We welcome people of all faiths and affiliations – or none at all – to take advantage of our services.
Yes, we are a Canada Revenue Agency registered charity. We are focused on making quality bereavement services accessible to as many grieving people as possible in the GTA and rely on the generosity of donors to make these services possible. Our charitable number is 78331 7886 RR0001. We provide donation receipts for all contributions of $15 and more. Please consider making a donation.