Frequently Asked Questions

• Does Grief Recovery only apply to bereavement?

No! We can face all kinds of loss during our lives. Some are obvious such as death of a family member or friend, others may be loss of relationships e.g. divorce/separation, health, jobs, faith, belief, or loss of a home. One bereavement which can often surprise us by its intensity is that of losing our pets. It can be one which other people handle most badly – “just get another” . Yes, you might in the future but now you are missing your friend.

• Will I be on my own?

Grief Recovery can be offered in small groups or one to one. As a qualified Grief Recovery Specialist I will guide you through all the steps. I commit to complete confidentiality in our sessions so you can speak openly and freely and with full trust in the process. I also promise that I will work with you with respect and dignity, without interruption, analysis, criticism, or judgment. 

• How soon after a loss should I contact you?

When you feel you need to. You can experience the effects of unresolved grief anywhere from shortly after your loss to years later, so there's no particular right and wrong timescale. I have worked successfully with people on losses they have experienced 20, 30 or 40 years after the event. If you believe you could do with some help, contact me and we can go from there.

"It has made a huge difference, in giving me the tools to work with and have a better understanding of how to deal with loss.

"I feel that I can now move forward and the programme has enabled me to do that."

"It’s helped me understand that when someone dies, it doesn’t end the relationship. It’s made me realise that I was fixated on how the person died, not the relationship I had with them."

I needed to be honest with myself about what I was really feeling, so I know how difficult it can be to reach out and make that first call – and also how important it is. I know that the Grief Recovery approach works because of my own experience and the fact that I have been privileged enough to support and work alongside other grievers in one to one programmes.

Since 1987, when I qualified as a Probation Officer and Social Worker, I have been working with individuals and organisations to help them develop and grow professionally and personally. I also work as a volunteer with bereaved children and their parents and carers on therapeutic weekends with a Norfolk charity. I am committed to increasing my own skills and knowledge and am qualified in nonverbal communications, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Psychotherapy/ Hypnotherapy, Personality Type assessment and Mediation.

• Does it work?

Yes! In addition to the numerous personal accounts (some on this site), there is also scientific research to support the true effectiveness of Grief Recovery.

Dr Rachael D. Nolan and Dr Jeffery S. Hallam of Kent State University (Ohio, USA) conducted research and published two scholarly articles in the American Journal of Health Education: "The GRM programme is an evidence-informed, practice-based program that has been shown to effectively influence components of grief and grief recovery.”