I’m 57, and I’ve been a counsellor for 24 years. Over that time I’ve trained and become qualified in many areas that I’ve had first hand experience in, but in recent years my work has naturally moved towards grief, bereavement, and supporting those who have lost someone to suicide. I have completed specialist training and gained qualifications in suicide survivors’ grief and bereavement counselling, as well as spiritual counselling. I am a spiritualist, though I only bring that into my sessions when someone specifically asks for it. It’s important to me that every person feels safe, respected, and met in the way that suits them.
I am — and will always be — mum to three wonderful children: Danielle, Zav, and Josh. Josh died by suicide in February 2025, and his loss has changed my life in every possible way. I have also lost close friends and a partner to suicide, and the last fifteen years have been incredibly hard. What I’ve learned, though, is that I have always counselled people through the things I know first-hand. I have never worked with anything I haven’t personally lived. And now, after losing my son, my path has shifted again.
I’ve spent the past year retraining and deepening my skills so that I can support others facing this kind of loss. I will be beginning this new chapter on the 17th of February — Josh’s anniversary — a date that feels both heartbreaking and meaningful. My hope is simple: to help people navigate what is, for many, the most traumatic experience of their lives, and to make sure they never have to walk that journey alone.