Grief & Loss
As a specialist in grief and loss, I have extensive experience in supporting people to heal and thrive after loss.
While grief is most commonly associated with death, there are over 40 life events that can cause feelings of grief. Some examples include; divorce or separation, estrangement, moving home, changing job/career, life transitions, pregnancy, infertility, changes to identity.
Grief is a natural response to change & loss but navigating grief alone can feel overwhelming, messy & confusing. We often hear “time is a healer” but unless we are intentional with our healing during that time, we can get stuck in our grief process and life can start to feel like “Groundhog Day” as we stay stuck in survival mode.
Working with a therapist to support you in your grief, can provide you with the psychoeducation to understand what is happening for you, both in body and mind. This allows us to better understand what is happening for us and make more intentional choices that support our healing process.
In the same way I believe in Post-Traumatic Stress, I also believe in Post-Traumatic Growth and I can help you to reclaim your life and thrive after loss.
Millennials & Gen-Z
Can you resonate with the phrase: “I know I’m an adult but I don’t feel like an adult”?
As we become adults, we’re suddenly left to figure things out on our own. We have to decide who we are, what we want in life, our values, and our purpose. On top of all that, we’re dealing with the pressure of societal norms, comparing ourselves to others, navigating social media, endless global issues and a shaky political environment.
It’s likely that we’ve brought some unresolved childhood experiences with us into adulthood too. If this is true for you, these could unknowingly be holding you back from truly connecting with your authentic self.
It’s no surprise that this period can be really tough, bringing on feelings of anxiety, self-doubt and low self-confidence. It can also lead to burnout, depression, and feeling stuck or overwhelmed by decisions. Not also forgetting those elusive things we call “boundaries”.
If you relate to any of the above, I can offer you a non-shaming place to tune out the noise around you, support you to reconnect with your authentic self, needs & wants, and help you to heal any past hurts which might be holding you back from fulfilling your true potential.
Young Adult Bereavement
If you have been bereaved as a young adult or you are grieving a past loss while navigating through this stage of life, you might be facing some extra struggles on top of the usual challenges faced in your twenties and thirties.
Young adulthood is similar to school, in that we often compare ourselves to friends and peers as a way to check we are where we think we should be – whether that’s jobs, careers, relationships, children, etc.
If we are bereaved and/or grieving, we are less likely to feel we “belong” in our existing peer groups and this can feel threatening to our nervous system.
We might also have some extra challenges to face, it can feel as if our sense of freedom has been taken away during this time and we may now be grieving a lost future as well as what was.
If you’re grieving during young adulthood, therapy with me can provide you with a space to safely lean into your grief, make sense of what you’re experiencing (both in body and mind) and learn how to intentionally heal the pain of grief & loss.
Introverts & Highly Sensitive People (HSPs)
As someone who identifies as an introverted HSP, I understand the challenge of navigating a neurotypical world that leans towards favouring extroverts.
I relate to and understand the challenge this can present in both social situations and in the workplace and how our differing needs can put us at greater risk of burnout and hold us back from fulfilling our goals and aspirations.
Being introverted and/or highly sensitive is nothing to be ashamed of. When you learn to harness the power that comes with these unique traits, they can become your superpower. Some of the most famous and successful people in the world are introverted and you have the potential to harness your power and thrive too.
Working with me is a chance for you to self-reflect in a quiet space that is free from external stimuli. I work relationally to help you begin recognising the strengths in your own uniqueness and can support you to establish strategies, which help you flourish in the different areas of your life.