Breakup Therapy in Austin and Online
Finally Feel Like Yourself Again After A Devastating Breakup
This is your space to process your relationship with a therapist who won't rush you, and will actually listen to what you’re going through.
A Breakup Can Turn Your World Upside Down, Even If Nobody Around You Is Treating It That Way
Breakups are different from losing someone you love.
But still, it might feel like a death.
The future you planned is gone.
The person you were inside that relationship is gone.
The daily life that made sense is gone.
Yet the world keeps moving.
Your friends are supportive for a while, then quietly expect you to bounce back.
Social media tells you to glow up.
Everyone seems to be waiting for you to be okay.
But you're not okay.
The harder you try to seem okay and mask how you are really feeling inside, the heavier the weight on your shoulders.
You might be weeks or months out from the breakup…
Maybe longer.
But you’re still replaying conversations…
Still reaching for your phone…
Still waking up with that weight before you fully remember why it's there.
You might be wondering what's wrong with you…
And why you can't just move on like everyone else seems to.
Nothing is wrong with you.
You're grieving. And real grief doesn't move on a schedule.
If this sounds like you, I can help.
I support people who have experienced significant loss or transition in their lives. You will benefit from working with me if you are going through one or more of the following;
It's been weeks, months, or maybe even years since the breakup…
And there's a voice in the back of your head that keeps asking the same question: Why can't I just move on?
You've watched other people go through breakups and seem fine.
You've been told directly or indirectly that this is a normal part of life.
That time will heal your grief.
That you'll be okay.
And yet you’re still carrying the grief.
Still feeling it in your chest in the morning before you're fully awake.
Still not yourself.
That’s because what you lost wasn't just a person.
You lost the future you were building.
The identity you held inside that relationship.
The version of yourself who knew where things were headed.
That is several big losses happening at once…
And grief that size deserves to be treated seriously.
Who Is Breakup Therapy For?
It's been weeks, months, or maybe even years since the breakup…
And there's a voice in the back of your head that keeps asking the same question: Why can't I just move on?
You've watched other people go through breakups and seem fine. You've been told directly or indirectly that this is a normal part of life.
That time will heal your grief.
And yet you’re still carrying the grief.
Still feeling it in your chest in the morning before you're fully awake. Still not yourself.
That’s because what you lost wasn't just a person.
You lost the future you were building. The identity you held inside that relationship. The version of yourself who knew where things were headed.
That is several big losses happening at once…
And grief that size deserves to be treated seriously.
What Makes Breakup Grief Therapy Different?
Most breakup therapy falls short because it's too generic.
It focuses on coping strategies when what you actually need is a space to grieve.
It reflects your words without sitting in it with you.
On the other hand, with grief-focused breakup therapy, we don't manage the grief, reframe it, or try to move past it on a schedule.
We make space for your grief at your pace.
Here's What Breakup Therapy Gives You:
Yourself back… You’ll get a version of you that isn't defined by this loss, doesn't pretend it didn't happen, and is starting to believe that what comes next will be good
Mornings that don't start with dread. You'll wake up, and the first thought won't always be that one. The replaying quiets down… Simply because you finally moved through what was underneath it
Less loneliness. Maybe for the first time since the breakup, you'll leave a session feeling like someone truly sat with you and listened, instead of just waiting for the conversation to end
More energy in your everyday life. Your friends, your family, your work… you'll show up to all of it more fully, because you're no longer spending all your energy managing the weight you’ve been carrying alone
See What People Are Saying About Texas Grief Therapy
If you are looking for a fellow traveler in our journeys who can provide you with support and guidance in your crucible stage, I would highly recommend Danielle for your consideration to solicit a professional personal perspective. She has changed my life in ways I never conceived the possibilities. I faithfully believe in an outcome where she can do the same for you if you are willing to accept the opportunity by challenging the self-limiting illogical fear to take a different path. Peace.
I’ve witnessed Danielle’s grief work firsthand through her work at the Christi Center and the care she brings to every interaction. She puts your nervous system at ease with her open, calm, and grounded presence, creating a nonjudgmental space where it feels safe to express honestly. Danielle is deeply compassionate, relatable, and knowledgeable, blending clinical skill with lived experience. I would wholeheartedly recommend her as a grief therapist to anyone seeking steady, thoughtful support through loss.
What is it like working with Texas Grief Therapy?
“If you are looking for a fellow traveler in our journeys who can provide you with support and guidance in your crucible stage, I would highly recommend Danielle for your consideration to solicit a professional personal perspective. She has changed my life in ways I never conceived the possibilities. I faithfully believe in an outcome where she can do the same for you if you are willing to accept the challenge and illogical fear to take a different path. Peace.”
Greg Verdict
Staff Manufacturing Engineer
Los Gatos, CA
“I’ve witnessed Danielle’s grief work firsthand through her work at the Christi Center and the care she brings to every interaction. She puts your nervous system at ease with her open, calm, and grounded presence, creating a nonjudgmental space where it feels safe to express honestly. Danielle is deeply compassionate, relatable, and knowledgeable, blending clinical skill with lived experience. I would wholeheartedly recommend her as a grief therapist to anyone seeking steady, thoughtful support through loss.”
Heather Stan, LMSW
Christi Center
Adjunct Professor at UT
Meet Your Breakup Therapist, Danielle Sarris
When you work with me, you're working with someone who has lived through their own profound losses.
I've lost a marriage.
I've lost a version of myself I thought was permanent.
I've sat in the middle of a future that had completely collapsed and wondered who I was going to be now…
That’s why in the therapy room, I don't perform empathy. I have it.
I won't rush you.
I won't hand you coping strategies when you need someone to be in the grief with you.
I won't check the clock while you're opening up about your feelings.
What I offer is a secure and completely non-judgmental base.
A space where you can slow down, feel what's actually there, and grieve as fully and as long as you need to.
I also bring body-based approaches into sessions when it helps.
By the time we finish our work together, the goal is simple:
You feel like yourself again.
Not the self from before.
But a version of you that has grieved fully, rebuilt steadily, and found a hope that doesn't require forgetting anything.
Get Started In 3 Simple Steps
Please click the button below and fill out the short form. Then, I’ll reach out to schedule a quick therapy consultation.
We’ll have a 15-minute conversation to check that we are a good fit. If we are, we’ll schedule an appointment. If we aren’t, I’ll refer you to someone I know who can help you better.
We’ll schedule our first session, and you’ll finally be able to sit down with someone who understands what you’re going through… And over time, I’ll help you finally feel like yourself again
Our first sessions focus on understanding your story and creating a sense of safety. After the initial sessions, you might notice you have more room to breathe, you feel less isolated, and you begin to come up with language for what once felt overwhelming. Our work isn't about 'fixing,' it's about helping you carry what you're carrying with more support and clarity.
Get A Free 15-Minute Therapy Consultation Today
Breakup Therapy Frequently Asked Questions
Is a breakup really serious enough for grief therapy?
Yes.
There’s an unspoken cultural rule that grief has a hierarchy with death at the top, and everything else somewhere further down with a much shorter expiration date.
But the research tells that breakup grief activates the same regions of the brain as losing someone to death.
It’s not a lesser version of grief.
It IS grief!
And all grief is serious enough for therapy…
Especially when it’s compounded by the fact that you’re expected to recover quickly.
Which means you’re often grieving alone, without permission, all while pretending to be fine.
I'm the one who ended the relationship. Does it make sense to grieve it?
Completely.
The confusion you feel about grieving something you chose to end is very underacknowledged.
Ending a relationship doesn’t mean you didn’t love the person, or that you don’t miss them, or that you’re not allowed to grieve what’s gone.
It often means grieving while also holding guilt, doubt, and the weight of a decision you made for necessary reasons.
Some of my clients are grieving relationships they chose to leave.
And their grief is just as real as that of other people, and they need just as much support.
Why is grief-focused therapy better than traditional breakup therapy?
Most breakup therapy falls short because it’s too generic.
It doesn’t name the specific, layered nature of relationship loss.
It focuses on coping strategies when what you actually need is a space to grieve.
It reflects your words back without sitting in it with you.
My approach is different because the grief is the work.
We don’t manage it, reframe it, or try to move past it on a schedule.
We make space for it at your pace with a therapist who has lived through her own profound losses and won’t flinch at yours.
If previous therapy felt like being listened to but not really heard, that’s exactly what I’m here to change.
How do I know if you are the right therapist for me?
I offer a free consultation that allows both of us to get to know each other.
During this consultation, I will determine whether I think I can help, and it is your job to start deciding if you are a good fit for my practice.
If we aren’t a good fit, I’ll point you towards someone in my network who might be able to help you better.
Can’t I just talk to a friend instead of therapy?
Your friends love you.
But there are things they can’t offer.
They get tired of the topic, even when they’re trying not to show it.
They steer you toward silver linings before you’re ready…
And eventually, you start changing your grief to make it easier for them, which leaves you more alone with the hardest parts.
On the other hand, therapy is a space that exists entirely for you.
There’s no relationship to manage, no emotional labor to perform, no sense that you’ve brought this up one too many times.
You can say the thing you’d never say out loud anywhere else, and have someone sit with you in it without flinching or checking the clock.
I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about all of this yet. Is therapy still right for me?
Yes.
You don’t need to feel ready before you reach out.
You don’t need to come in with a clear sense of what you want to work on, or a tidy summary of what happened, or any certainty that therapy is the right choice.
A lot of clients come in not even sure they’re ready, and we start exactly there.
The first step is a free 15-minute consultation, without any pressure or commitment.
This way, you can find out if this is right for you.
Can breakup therapy help if my body feels stuck in the grief too?
Yes. Breakup grief can affect more than your thoughts. It can also live in your body, your nervous system, your sleep, your energy, and the way you move through everyday life.
You might feel hypervigilant, shut down, restless, heavy, or flooded by intrusive thoughts.
You might notice grief waves that show up in your chest, stomach, throat, or shoulders. This is why a mind-body approach can be helpful.
In our work together, we can use somatic awareness, grounding techniques, and emotion regulation skills to help you feel safer in your body while you process the loss.
This is not about forcing yourself to move on.
It’s personalized therapy that helps you grieve at your own pace, rebuild self-trust, and slowly regain energy.
Do you offer breakup therapy online or in person in Austin?
Yes, I offer flexible therapy through both online therapy and in-person therapy, depending on what works best for your life, schedule, and comfort level.
Some clients prefer teletherapy because it lets them receive support from home, especially when grief feels heavy or leaving the house takes too much energy.
Others prefer meeting in person because the room itself feels like a safe, non-judgmental space to slow down and be supported.
If you’re looking for breakup therapy, Austin clients often come to my office from areas like Downtown Austin, South Congress, East Austin, Hyde Park, North Loop, Barton Springs, or near Lady Bird Lake. We can talk through what option makes the most sense. The goal is simple: grief counseling that feels steady, supportive, and realistic for your life right now.
Is breakup therapy the same as couples therapy or relationship counseling?
Not exactly. Couples therapy, family counseling, relationship counseling, and relationship and sex therapy usually focus on repairing, improving, or understanding a relationship while it is still active.
Breakup therapy is different because the relationship has already changed or ended. The work is less about saving the relationship and more about helping you understand what happened, grieve what you lost, and rebuild your life after it.
Some clients come in after divorce counseling or separation counseling because they still feel stuck in the emotional aftermath.
Others come after a high-conflict relationship where they need help rebuilding self-trust, boundaries, and a steadier sense of self.
You do not need to know exactly what kind of support you need before reaching out.
We can start with where you are and decide together what kind of care makes the most sense.
How do I choose the right breakup therapist in Austin?
Finding the right therapist is less about choosing the biggest name and more about finding someone whose approach fits what you are actually carrying.
Some people search for options near The University of Texas at Austin (UT). That can be a helpful starting point, though the real question is whether the therapist understands breakup grief as grief.
If you feel like you are grieving a person, a future, an identity, and a version of your life all at once, you may need more than generic coping skills.
You may need a therapist who offers a steady, non-judgmental space where you can slow down, make sense of the loss, and heal at your own pace.
Do you take insurance?
I’m currently in the process of credentialing with insurance panels through my clinical supervisor and will update this page as plans become available.
For clients whose insurance I’m not able to bill directly, I offer services through a private-pay model.
You simply attend your session and I’ll charge the card on file at the time of service.
Straightforward and paperwork-free.
If I’m unable to bill your insurance, I can provide a superbill (detailed receipt) that you may submit to your insurance company to request out-of-network reimbursement.
Because I am an LPC-Associate, reimbursement is not guaranteed and varies by plan, so I always recommend contacting your insurer in advance to understand your specific benefits.
I also keep a limited number of sliding-scale, lower-cost sessions available.
I never want cost to be the reason individuals cannot access therapy.
If finances are a concern, please feel free to reach out, and we can talk through options.
What does a typical session actually look like?
There’s no single answer to that because my work follows you, not a script.
Usually, the first two sessions are me understanding your life story.
Some sessions are heavy.
We go deep into the grief, the identity loss, and the fear about the future.
Other sessions are quieter… more about grounding, making sense of what’s shifting, and finding language for something that’s been hard to name.
Sometimes we bring in body-based approaches alongside the conversation, like grounding, breath, and/or regulation, because grief lives in the body too, not just the mind.
It really depends on what you’re ready for and what you need.
How long will therapy take?
It depends, and I won’t give you a number that sets the wrong expectation.
What I can tell you is that most clients start to feel a meaningful shift within the first few sessions.
The grief starts to get smaller.
The replaying quiets.
The weight becomes something you can manage more easily.
Longer-term work tends to go deeper into identity, into patterns, and into who you want to be on the other side of this.
Some clients want that depth.
Others come for focused support through a specific season.
We figure out together what’s right for you.
Do you work nights and weekends?
Yes, I work weeknights until 7 pm and weekends.
During your free consultation, we’ll discuss what appointments are available to you.