Grief counseling · Louisville, KY and online
Grief counselors in Louisville who won't rush your grief
Grief doesn't move in a straight line, and it rarely follows anyone else's timeline. Grief counseling gives you a safe, unhurried place to carry your loss, whenever you're ready.
- Usually seen the same week
- At your pace, always
You might be here because
- It's been months, and it isn't getting easier.
- Everyone else seems to have moved on, and you haven't.
- You feel numb, and you don't understand why.
- The grief comes in waves, sometimes when you least expect it.
- Your loss is one other people don't always recognize: a divorce, a pregnancy, a diagnosis, a pet, a job.
- A loss from years ago has come back up.
- A death was sudden, and the memories won't settle.
- The life you thought you'd have by now feels out of reach.
- You've lost your sense of meaning or purpose.
- Your teenager hasn't been the same since a loss.
Your grief doesn't have to look a certain way
There's no schedule for grief, and no loss too big or too small to deserve care. Some people come in days after a loss. Others come years later, when something reopens it. Both are the right time.
How grief can show up
Grief isn't only sadness. It can show up as trouble sleeping, anger that surprises you, a hard time focusing at work, pulling away from people, drinking more than you used to, or feeling like nothing matters. For some people, it brings thoughts of not wanting to be here. If that's you, please call or text 988 now. You don't have to wait for an appointment.
Faith at the center, never forced
For many people, grief raises hard questions about God and suffering. Where was God? Why didn't He stop it? Is it wrong to be angry at Him? If you want faith to be part of your counseling, those questions are welcome here, held with the same care as the rest of your grief.
The Psalms give words for grief and for lament, and many people find they can be honest with God here in a way they haven't been elsewhere.
If you'd rather leave faith out, your counselor's care is just as thorough, and they follow your lead. How faith works at Freedom
Every kind of loss
No loss is outside what we work with. People come to us after:
- the death of a spouse, a parent, a child, a sibling, or a friend
- a sudden or traumatic death, including suicide, overdose, or violence
- a pregnancy loss or infertility
- a divorce or the end of a relationship
- a diagnosis, for you or someone you love
- the loss of a job or a career
- the life you expected, when you've ended up somewhere else entirely
- a lost sense of meaning and purpose
What grief counseling at Freedom looks like
Grief can shrink your world. You might avoid the places, people, and memories that hurt, or get stuck replaying what happened and what you should have done. You might feel like moving forward means leaving the person behind. Bit by bit, life narrows to getting through the day.
We help you loosen that grip. You'll learn to let the pain be there without fighting it or being run by it, to notice painful thoughts without getting pulled under by them, and to come back to the people and things that still matter to you. Grief doesn't have to go away for life to open up again. You can carry your love for who you lost and keep living a life that means something. This work comes from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), an approach our counselors use with grief.
Your counselor follows your pace. Some people want to talk through the loss right away; others need time before they're ready. When a loss was traumatic, Staci's and Kasie's EMDR training can help with memories that won't settle.
When a loss was sudden or traumatic
A sudden death, a suicide, an overdose, or a violent loss can leave more than grief. Images that replay, guilt that won't let go, and a body that stays on alert are common. Counseling can address both: the trauma of how the loss happened, and the grief of who you lost. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is one way we help with memories that keep coming back.
Grieving children, teens, boys, and men
Grief often looks different in children, teenagers, boys, and men. It can come out as anger, silence, staying busy, or acting like everything's fine. Sophie Bowman works with grieving children and teens. Luke Burgett has real experience helping grieving teens, and works with grief in boys and men at every stage of life. If your child or teen is struggling after a loss and won't talk about it, that's a good reason to call.
When grief becomes something more
Grief has no deadline. But if a long time has passed and the loss still takes over most days, or you can't function the way you need to, it may be time for more focused help. That isn't a sign you grieved wrong. It means your grief needs more support, and counseling can give it.
Counseling and support groups
Both can help, and many people use both.
- A support group gives you people who've been through a similar loss and understand without explanation.
- Grief counseling gives you one-on-one time at your pace, help with what's specific to you, and support for anything the loss stirred up, like anxiety, trauma, or depression.
There are good free and community groups in Louisville:
- Hosparus Health: community grief support groups for specific losses.
- First Hour Grief Response: faith-based peer grief mentoring and groups.
- GriefShare: grief groups hosted by local churches.
- The Compassionate Friends: support after the death of a child, grandchild, or sibling.
Counselors who walk with people through grief
- Staci Harrub LPCA, EMDR-trained Grief, life transitions, and trauma. EMDR-trained. $100 per session
- Rhonda Gore Marriage and Family Therapy Life Coach Women and older teens working through grief and life transitions. $110 per session
- Kasie Secrest LPCA, EMDR-trained Women and older teens carrying grief and endings, holding the hard alongside the healing. $100 per session
- Luke Burgett LPCA, ACT-trained Grieving teens, and grief in boys and men at every stage of life. $115 per session
- Sophie Bowman Student Counselor, supervised by Tony Gore, LCSW Grieving children and teens, using art interventions. $50 per session
Your first session
You'll talk about your loss as much or as little as you want to. There's no pressure to revisit painful memories before you're ready. Sessions are in our Middletown office or online.
What it costs
$50 to $115
per 50-minute session
We don't bill insurance, but you can pay with an HSA or FSA card, and we'll give you a superbill to submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
Common questions
How soon after a loss should I start?
There's no waiting period. Days, months, or years later are all appropriate.
Is grief counseling only for a death?
No. Divorce, pregnancy loss, a diagnosis, a job, or a pet can all bring real grief.
Will I have to talk about painful memories before I'm ready?
No. Your counselor follows your pace.
What if my grief feels too big, or not big enough?
Both feelings are common. Grief doesn't have to reach a certain size to deserve care.
Can counseling help if it's been years?
Yes. Grief that was rushed or set aside often comes back later. It's never too late.
Do you bring faith into grief counseling?
When you want it, including room for anger at God and questions about suffering.
What kind of therapist is best for grief?
Someone trained in grief who lets you set the pace, and who fits what you're carrying. For a traumatic loss, look for trauma training like EMDR. Approaches like acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) help many people live alongside grief rather than fight it.
Will insurance cover grief counseling?
It depends on your plan. Grief has its own diagnosis code (Z63.4), and we include it on your superbill, but many plans don't reimburse for grief on its own, so it's worth asking your plan. You can also pay with an HSA or FSA card.
How do I find a grief support group?
See the groups listed above. Hosparus Health, First Hour Grief Response, GriefShare, and The Compassionate Friends all have Louisville-area options, and many are free.
Can counseling help with a loss that isn't a death?
Yes. Losing a job, a marriage, the life you expected, or your sense of purpose can bring real grief, and it deserves care too.
You don't have to carry this alone
Request an appointment in about a minute, or call (502) 523-2970. Most people are seen the same week.
Prefer to talk? (502) 523-2970