Sudden Loss of a Loved One

The loss is crushing, the grief is paralyzing, and life isn’t the same.

For many of the women I work with, the sudden loss of a child, spouse, or close loved one feels like the ground has disappeared beneath them.

It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.

One phone call, one moment, and everything changed.

Now, it’s hard to breathe some days—let alone function. Flashbacks come out of nowhere. The images, the sounds, the last words—it all replays on a loop. Sleep is impossible. Fear shows up without warning. And guilt creeps in, whispering “you should have done something,” even when you know you couldn’t have changed the outcome.

There’s so much to do and too much pressure to look composed on the outside.

But inside, you're in survival mode—pushing through the day, holding back the panic, trying not to fall apart in front of others.

What you’re experiencing isn’t grief alone—it’s also traumatic

Many of my clients don’t immediately identify what they’re feeling as trauma or PTSD. They just know they’re not okay. The grief feels like it’s woven into everything—your thoughts, your body, your routines. You may be avoiding reminders of your loss: skipping the street where the accident happened, turning down social invitations, or staying constantly busy to avoid being alone with your thoughts.

This isn’t just sadness. This is trauma. And you don’t have to carry it alone.

Signs You May Be Experiencing Grief+Trauma

Flashbacks or intrusive memories

Sleeplessness and exhaustion

Panic when reminded of the loss

Hyper-independence or over-functioning

Guilt and self-blame that won’t quiet down

Detachment from others, even those you love

Feeling emotionally numb, disoriented, or hollow

Avoiding places, people, or conversations connected to your loss

Physical tension, headaches, stomach pain, or racing heart

A sense that you should be “doing better” by now—but you’re not

How I Can Help

My clients who have experienced a recent loss are coming in to see my a few weeks or months after it’s happened. They’ve sat with the loss for a few weeks and now they’re wondering when or if the pain will ever lessen. But this isn’t just pain—it’s flashbacks at random moments, silent sobs during inopportune times, and disturbing moments from the loss being replayed. They wonder if they’ll ever be able to think of their child, spouse, or loved one they’ve lost without breaking down. If the nightmares will stop, or if ever feeling hope again is even a possibility. During our work together, we will use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy—a powerful, evidence-based therapy designed to help your brain reprocess traumatic and disturbing memories or moments—so they stop feeling like they’re happening right now.

You won’t be asked to relive the pain endlessly or “move on.” Instead, we’ll work together to safely address the trauma and grief and help you feel grounded again, piece by piece.

What to Expect in Our Work Together

During sessions you’ll think about the loss while doing bilateral stimulation— if in person, you’ll hold tappers in each hand that will vibrate back and forth. If you are virtual, you will watch a dot move across your screen back and forth. Both in person and virtual options are effective. The bilateral stimulation is helping your brain to process through the grief and trauma so it feels less sharp and you can begin to feel the ground beneath you again.

Step 1: Understanding Your Loss
We’ll explore what happened, how it’s showing up in your daily life, and what moments are still too painful to face alone.

Step 2: Identifying Trauma Triggers
We’ll identify the thoughts, images, or memories that keep pulling you back into the moment of loss.

Step 3: Building Inner Safety
Before we start reprocessing, I’ll guide you through techniques to manage overwhelm and anxiety between sessions.

Step 4: EMDR Reprocessing
Using bilateral stimulation, we’ll process the memories and beliefs that are keeping you stuck in trauma—so they lose their intensity and emotional charge.

Step 5: Finding a New Way Forward
With each session, you’ll begin to reclaim your sense of peace, connection, and control—without letting go of the love that remains.

Why Choose EMDR Therapy After a Traumatic Loss

Focused Expertise: I specialize in trauma, PTSD, and complex grief in women.

Sessions tailored to your needs: Choose from in person 90 minute sessions for more in depth and faster healing, or 50 minute virtual sessions.

Deeply Private & Personalized: Just you and me, creating a space where you can finally exhale.

Proven Methods: EMDR is evidenced based—and it’s tailored to help you feel real, lasting relief.

You Don’t Have to Grieve Alone

You don’t have to hold it all together. You don’t have to keep reliving the worst day of your life.

And you don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode.

If you’re ready to feel more like yourself again—to sleep, to breathe, to function—EMDR therapy can help you get there.

Let’s talk. Schedule your consultation today and take the first step toward relief.

1. Contact Kate to schedule an appointment.

2. Begin meeting an a regular basis with EMDR Therapist Kate Regnier.

3. Begin reprocessing grief to feel grounded again.

You don’t have to navigate this alone. Therapy can help you honor your loss while also reclaiming your life. You’re capable of healing and finding a way forward without losing your connection to what you loved.

Other Services Offered with Kate Regnier, LCSW and EMDR Trauma Therapist

Are you a busy professional woman struggling with PTSD after experiencing a recent loss or incident? Kate Regnier, LCSW and EMDR Therapist, can help you process through trauma that has upended your life, while helping you to feel lighter, less burdened with anxiety and dread, and to dull the sharpness in your body and mind. Kate also offer’s online EMDR Therapy for women experiencing unexpected grief who are struggling with intense images and flashbacks and feelings of hopelessness in the DMV. Kate see’s clients virtually in Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Indiana, and Michigan. To learn more about Kate, visit the page Meet Kate and check out more on the blog!