There's no timeline for
a loss this big.

Grief therapy gives you a private, supportive space to put words to what you're carrying, without anyone trying to fix it or move you along. At Bridge for Families, two therapists offer grief support and you work one-on-one with one of them. Both Teanna Jeffrey and Phil Trepiak work with all types of loss; where they differ is focus: Teanna with grief and life transitions (for men and women), Phil with sudden, traumatic, and complicated loss. They don't co-treat, so you simply choose the focus that fits your situation.

There's no "right time." Some people reach out in the first weeks after a loss; others come months or years later when the grief surprises them again. If grief is interfering with sleep, work, relationships, or your sense of yourself, or if you're carrying loss alone and that aloneness is the hardest part, therapy can help.

It varies. Some people find meaningful relief in 6-10 sessions of focused work; others stay longer because grief shifts and circles back. If you'd like to talk through your situation first, both Teanna and Phil offer a free 20-minute consultation. Either way, there's no commitment to a long course of therapy.

No. Grief doesn't follow neat stages, and it doesn't have a deadline. You may feel numb, furious, relieved, exhausted, or all of those in a single day. Our therapists are trained to sit with grief as it actually is (not as the books describe it) and to help you make sense of your own experience without judgement.

Most extended healthcare plans in Ontario cover therapy with a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), including Blue Cross, Canada Life, Manulife, Sun Life, and Veterans Affairs (VAC). Check your plan for "Registered Psychotherapist" coverage. We provide detailed receipts for reimbursement.

Both work with all types of loss, so you can't really pick wrong. Teanna works with men and women through grief that comes with life transitions: widowhood, the loss of a parent, the reshaping of a life after loss. Phil works with sudden or traumatic loss (suicide, accidents, complicated or prolonged grief, anniversary grief that won't ease). You'll see one of them one-on-one; if you're not sure which, a free 20-minute consultation with either can help you decide, and we can always refer between us once we know more.

Most grief is painful but slowly becomes more bearable: the waves still come, but they space out and you find your footing again. Complicated or prolonged grief is when, a year or more on, the loss still feels as raw as week one: you may be stuck replaying the death, avoiding reminders, or unable to picture a life that moves forward. It isn't a sign you're grieving wrong; it often means the loss was traumatic or layered with other things. Phil uses Cognitive Processing Therapy specifically for this kind of stuck grief, and we'd rather you reach out early than wait it out alone.

Yes. Loss by suicide, overdose, accident, or any sudden death carries its own weight: the shock, the unanswered questions, the guilt and what-ifs that loop at 3 a.m. Phil works specifically with traumatic and complicated loss, using Cognitive Processing Therapy and Narrative Therapy to help you separate what actually happened from the blame the mind tends to attach to it. The goal isn't to explain the loss away, but to help you carry it without it consuming everything else.

Not at all. Grief doesn't expire, and a lot of people reach out long after the funeral, when an anniversary, a wedding, a smell, or a song reopens something they thought was settled. Older grief that resurfaces is one of the most common reasons people come to us. Whatever the timeline, you don't need a fresh loss to deserve support. If it's still sitting with you, that's reason enough.

Both. Bridge for Families is based in Kanata in Ottawa's west end, and you're welcome to come in person. We also offer secure video sessions across Ontario, which many people prefer in early grief when leaving the house feels like too much. You can mix the two (start online and come in later, or the reverse), whatever makes showing up easier on a hard week.