Category Archives: Uncategorized

Sometimes the intense grief we experience when someone dies is expected. You can’t imagine living without your devoted mother or your beloved son. Their presence in your life was enriching and comforting and special, so to lose that is obviously painful. But what happens when we lose someone with whom we had a bad relationship?Continue reading “Grieving What Never Was”

“She’s still alive. I mean thank God for that. But I still feel like I’ve lost her, and no one understands my grief.” Several years ago, a therapy client came to me with this about her adult daughter.                 If you have ever had a friend or loved one in the throes of addiction, theContinue reading “Grieving Someone in Active Addiction”

In addition to the ample letters in my name- Angela Dora Dobrzynski, nee Marchesani- I have acquired quite a collection of letters after my name. LPC, CGCS, CHHC For many people, these letters read like meaningless alphabet soup, but in reality, they denote the credentials I have earned in my career as a therapist. IfContinue reading “My Alphabet Soup”

So many clients come to counseling to get help from a therapist for reactions that they no longer want to perpetuate. As adults, trying to navigate the world and especially relationships with others, they begin to see patterns and responses in ourselves that are at times unsavory. Perhaps they yell at their children, get insecureContinue reading “It’s Not Your Fault (but now it’s your responsibility)”

When one thing has ended but the next thing has not begun. When you don’t know what’s next. When your life feels like it’s in a holding pattern. When you feel unmoored. When you’ve released one vine as you swing through the jungle, but now you’re hurtling through mid-air, flailing and grasping for the nextContinue reading “The Space Between”

To recognize the intense grief that a breakup can trigger, we can look at some of the things that may be lost when a marriage or relationship ends: A companion A housemate Help Sex In-laws Friends of theirs Social experiences A confidante Daily routines Traditions An ally Touch Inside jokes Financial support Your imagined futureContinue reading “The Grief of a Breakup”

When working with clients, particularly those grieving, they often pause and stumble while trying to describe a certain feeling that they can’t put words to. “Unmoored?” I ask. “YES! Exactly!” they say. Unmoored. It means adrift. Uncertain. Floundering, Insecure. Un-secured. It is how we feel when we have let go of the swinging vine beforeContinue reading ““Unmoored””

If you don’t like to write, consider reading this through anyway! It has helped so many “non-writers” and it may help you too.                 My regular clients will tell you that I encourage writing in many forms as part of our counseling process. While I specialize in grief, I also work with clients who haveContinue reading “Therapeutic Writing”

“Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.” -Dr. Denis Waitley, author and speaker                 *Your doctor tells you that your best hope is a colostomy                 or                 *The fingers on your right hand have been going numb- and now they don’t work                Continue reading “Grief for the Failing Body”