My Story

About Me

Hiya, I'm Jen, married mum of two girls, grieving daughter of two wonderful parents.

I lost my dad unexpectedly in January 2011 and then my mum after her long cancer battle in December 2017. I was understandably heartbroken and my life changed forever both times. I started to notice similarities in my grief, common feelings and thoughts but not necessarily the ones you read of. Missing my parents throughout big life events such as getting married and having children but also the small things like asking how to make their amazing Macaroni Cheese, ringing to vent about a rude shop assistant or seeing a show advertised that you wish you could take them to.

I feel incredibly lucky that I had them but this lead to a variety of feelings about what I'm missing out on.

Generally I'm a positive person and can look on the bright side of things. I'm a lifelong learner, love to hear another point of view and challenge my opinion. I am also a realist and understand grief has no end date and can creep up on you when you least expect it. This combination makes me a fantastic coach and educator.

There's no order or timeline to feelings in grief!

Why do I want to be a Grief Coach?

I had taken to writing quite a lot about my grief as it helped me cope after my dad and then my mum, I'd also found I would talk to friends or colleagues who had lost someone or were in the midst of providing end of life care and they would say that I'd made them feel better or think about something differently. Subsequently I was asked by a number of people if I was a Life Coach as I have a great energy to be around thus leading to me looking into the training and discovering world grief expert David Kessler's programme.

My career prior to this has always been people focused from hospitality management, housing officer and employment mentor. I have a unique way of explaining things and engaging with people. I thrive on uplifting others and never shy away from an uncomfortable or sensitive issue in order to help find a resolution.

I have never felt more aligned to do anything in my life and am looking forward to making a positive difference in this complicated world of grief with my individual coaching, group workshops and corporate education.

What is a Grief Educator?

A Certified Grief Educator is committed to providing the highest level of grief support through education, experience, and insights into the often unacknowledged rocky terrain of grief.

Certified Grief Educators completed a certificate program designed by world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler. They bring his unique methodology, tools, and decades of experience to help people navigate the challenges of grief.