My Story
I became a Grief Counsellor because I needed one.
When my mum died suddenly in 2013, I was 24 and completely unprepared for how grief would turn my life upside down. I struggled with anxiety and depression, and I felt like my life was unravelling before my eyes. I felt lost and alone, feeling like the support I had didn't quite address the unique experience of losing a parent at such a pivotal life stage.
Through a series of losses that followed, I learned that grief extends far beyond bereavement – it encompasses all the ways we navigate change, loss of identity, and life transitions that leave us feeling untethered.
Over the following decade, I developed tools and understanding through my own healing journey – including therapy, spiritual practices like meditation and breathwork, and especially discovering grief tending. I learned that grief isn't something to overcome, but something to learn to live alongside with grace.
When I lost my Dad in 2023 at the age of 34, becoming an 'adult orphan' was an even deeper initiation into grief. It solidified my understanding that grief would forever be an inevitable part of life, igniting my passion to support others navigating this lonely and isolating journey in the ways I wish I'd received.
How can I support you
Supporting All Forms of Grief
Grief goes beyond bereavement - it's what we feel with any significant loss or life transition. Relationship endings, job losses, health diagnoses, identity shifts, unfulfilled dreams, or collective losses that touch our communities. These experiences are often dismissed by a society that struggles to acknowledge pain not tied to death. My grief therapy and tending welcomes you and all of your grief, whatever it may be.
My Speciality: Early Parent Loss
Because of losing both my mother at 24 and my dad at 34, I'm particularly passionate about supporting those who've lost parents young. This experience occupies a uniquely isolating space.
Maybe you've noticed:
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Feeling "orphaned" despite being grown up - suddenly expected to cope like an adult whilst your heart yearns for the person who helped shape who you're becoming
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Friends can't relate - they shy away from the topic or you feel like you're "bringing down the mood" when you mention your grief
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Questioning yourself - feeling like "I should be over this by now" or wondering if there's something wrong with you for struggling so much
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Struggling to make decisions alone - navigating careers, relationships, perhaps starting a family without their guidance feels overwhelming
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Guilt about moving forward - celebrating achievements feels hollow, or you feel bad about enjoying life when they cannot
The Reality
Losing a parent at an early age creates a unique form of grief. You're building your adult life whilst processing profound loss, often without understanding from those around you or the right kind of support.
And if like me - you've lost both parents, becoming an "adult orphan" adds another layer. Losing your safety net, feeling that you're nobody's child anymore and suddenly becoming the "older generation" by default.
You're Not Getting Grief Wrong
I understand the weight of all of this. Your grief isn't something to "get over" - it's something to learn to live alongside. When we experience such profound loss, it's natural that it continues to show up as we move through different stages of life.
I'm here to offer the compassionate, understanding support I wish I'd received during my own journey. Together, we can find ways to honour your grief whilst embracing the fullness of your life.
"People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be.
When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying
'soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner'.
I don't try and control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds."
- Carl Rogers
Qualifications, training and other important things
So that you know you are in safe hands, I thought it would be helpful to know...
❂ I hold a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, which is fully accredited by the professional body, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
❂ As a registered member of the BACP, my work is guided by their ethical principles, ensuring my clients safety and best interests are always at the heart of what I do.
❂ I have undertaken training specifically in online and telephone counselling, allowing me to fully support my clients when working online, and to provide therapy in a safe and effective way.
❂ I take part in regular supervision that helps guide and enhance my work with clients.
❂ I am passionate about keeping my skills and knowledge up to date, and I complete regular training in areas of interest and importance. You will also always find me with my head in a book or listening to a podcast of some kind!
❂ Finally, when holding space for you, it's important that I take care of myself too. So I am committed to receiving my own personal therapy and working on my own self-development, including my own spiritual practices of breathwork, meditation and reiki.
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