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686,000 people sought help with Thriveworks in the last year

Discover how starting therapy with a grief & loss counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

Meet with a provider as soon as this week

Good news! We have 45 therapists in North Carolina available for an online or in-person session.
Kathy Pendlay

Hear from Kathy Pendlay, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHC-A)

View Kathy Pendlay's profile

What is your go-to approach for grief & loss counseling?

My go-to approach to help people in grief and loss counseling is cognitive behavioral therapy. One may experience many benefits from cognitive behavioral therapy.

What tools do you teach in grief & loss counseling?

I teach the following tools in grief and loss counseling:

  • Refocusing and reframing: Ways to redirect difficult perspectives/experiences
  • Journaling: A way to process the client's grieving process
  • Empty chair: Express feelings to the deceased by imagining they are sitting in the “empty chair”
  • Letter writing: Write a letter to the deceased individual as part of processing feelings
  • Five Stages of Grief (Kubler Ross): Help understand the stages as part of normalizing feelings and experiences

How do you know when a client is making meaningful progress in grief & loss counseling?

I know a client is making progress in grief and loss counseling when they are able to improve in their daily functioning, process their grief, and engage in social activities to help with grief.

What can clients do in their personal time to supplement grief & loss counseling?

Clients can supplement their time in grief and loss counseling with journaling, self-care, and engaging in social activities and relationships.

What should someone do to prepare for starting grief & loss counseling?

To prepare for their first grief and loss counseling session, an individual can journal the difficulties they are having and the goals they would like to work on during therapy.

Starting Grief & loss counseling

What type of counseling is needed when a person cannot get over the grief of losing a loved one?

Grief and loss counseling helps people grieve difficult losses including the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the end of a relationship. It helps people navigate their grief process and eventually accept, understand, and move forward from their loss. Thriveworks grief therapists in Cornelius, NC have specific experience, training, and skills that enable them to best support grieving individuals.

How does grief and loss counseling work?

Grief and loss counseling isn’t one-size-fits-all, but it involves sharing about your loss and then working with your counselor to acknowledge and accept your new reality in its wake. Your provider at Thriveworks in Cornelius, NC will design your treatment plan around your unique needs and goals for therapy, applying the counseling techniques that best support them.

Signs I should seek grief counseling

If you have recently experienced an event like the death of a loved one, a breakup or divorce, the loss of a job, or another major life change, then you may want to seek grief and loss counseling. Grief can be caused by many experiences and events, so if you feel that you are having trouble moving on from a certain event or find that it is still impacting your life and functioning, grief and loss counseling can help you process it more effectively so that you can move on and once again find fulfillment and satisfaction in your life.

What counseling theory is best for grief?

There are many counseling theories for treating grief, one of the most frequently used being the dual process model of grief which helps people acknowledge who or what they’ve lost through rumination while also adjusting to the new roles and identities that this loss has now placed on them. There are also many commonly used therapy approaches used in grief and loss counseling, including Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and traumatic grief therapy.

Is grief counseling conducted in person or online?

Grief & loss counseling at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.

How long does grief counseling last?

For many, grief and loss counseling lasts for about 6 months. For others, it may last shorter or longer, depending on the severity of their loss and their grief.

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our Cornelius therapists and counselors accept 26 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina | BCBS

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina | BCBS Medicare Advantage

  • Carelon

  • Caresource

  • Carolina Behavioral Health Alliance (CBHA)

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

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Self-pay costs at Cornelius
Talk therapy

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Talk therapy

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

5.0 Learn about verified reviews
★★★★★
Krystal made my first session very comfortable and welcoming. Her goal is to get the best version of yourself she can. I can’t thank her enough for saving my life when I didn’t even know how desperate I was to be saved. HIGHLY recommend her services.
Read more Krystal made my first session very comfortable and welcoming. Her goal is to get the best version of yourself she can. I can’t thank her enough for saving my life when I didn’t even know how desperate I was to be saved. HIGHLY recommend her services.
Belinda Feb 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
I personally didn’t think therapy would work for me but I gave thriveworks a shot and do not regret it! They truly know how to figure out the problem and will work with you to find multiple solutions. Everyone that works there is so nice, from the phone operators to the actual therapists. Don’t sit on the fence about your mental health!
Read more I personally didn’t think therapy would work for me but I gave thriveworks a shot and do not regret it! They truly know how to figure out the problem and will work with you to find multiple solutions. Everyone that works there is so nice, from the phone operators to the actual therapists. Don’t sit on the fence about your mental health!
Parker Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Kathy Pendlay is a compassionate, knowledgeable counselor. She is a great listener and understands how complicated life can be. She provides helpful, practical insights for dealing with difficult people and situations.
Read more Kathy Pendlay is a compassionate, knowledgeable counselor. She is a great listener and understands how complicated life can be. She provides helpful, practical insights for dealing with difficult people and situations.
Cornelius Apr 2022
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Clair Crow is warm and caring. She is exactly the therapist that makes you feel comfortable from the start.
Read more Clair Crow is warm and caring. She is exactly the therapist that makes you feel comfortable from the start.
Cornelius Oct 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Cornelius is located off of W Catawba Ava in Johnsbury Square. We are in the same building as Jo Anne Barron, Southern Homes of the Carolinas. Nearby businesses include Artistic Interior Design and Goodwill.

Phone number

(980) 217-8678

Languages spoken by NC providers

  • English
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in ET

Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Monday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in ET

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