Kathryn Shirley Certified Grief Recovery Specialist

22/08/2023

Are you a parent or carer of a child with an EHC plan?

We have a few places left on our ‘EHC plan masterclass’ training day (run virtually on Zoom) on 12 September - for families who already have an EHC plan in place.

From looking at the information a plan should contain, through to how to achieve that through annual reviews, re-assessments and appeals to the SEND Tribunal, this training day will help you navigate the system, supporting you to make informed and positive decisions regarding your child’s education.

To book, visit: https://buff.ly/47FAR4y

Places are £65.

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If you can't make this date, you can take a look at our other parent carer training sessions here: https://buff.ly/3rnkitE

Thanks to a donation from The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund, we have funding available on some of our training sessions for parents and carers who cannot access a full cost place. See individual training session pages for details on whether this is available.

07/04/2022

15/03/2022

I love this illustration ❣

25/01/2022

12/12/2021

Life and death are probably the two most assured events in life, and when our loved ones pass away, the pain of losing them is immense, it is a deep physical pain...heart ache is real.
It can be described in this way:
Standing on a beach, all is well, the sun is shining, you can feel the breeze on your face, smell the salty air...life is good.
Suddenly we are bowled over by crashing waves, barely being able to catch our breath, and the pain and the waves keep coming, they are relentless. Over time, the waves become calmer for short periods, the crashing waves come over us less, but when they come, they still crush us, we still feel the acute pain.
Grief doesn't disappear, we don't suddenly 'get over it' or 'move on'. We do not forget those we love - how can we?
Every one we love is an important and significant part of our lives, and each and every one has a special place in our hearts.
If we can, we learn to re-educate ourselves about what grief is, and in the process, we understand that our pain is the normal and natural reaction to loss.

There are over 40 recognised types of loss, if you would like to learn more about how the Grief Recovery Method can help you, please get in touch.

22/09/2021

Nothing you love is lost .
Not really .
Things , people .. they always go away ,
sooner or later .
You can't hold them , any more than you
can hold moonlight .
But if they've touched you ,
if they're inside you ,
then they're still yours .
The only things you ever really have
are the ones you hold inside your heart ..

~ Bruce Coville ~

28/04/2021

Ever heard this advice:
Be strong
Hold it together
Don’t feel bad?

Well guess what? It’s impossible not to feel! At best, you simply numb or distract yourself which lessons the quality of your life.

What if instead we encouraged people to feel, and in turn heal, leaving them to be fully present and available for the people in their lives!

28/04/2021

Did you know that there are no stages of Grief? In 1969, Elizabeth Kubler Ross wrote the book On Death and Dying in which she discussed emotions that a patient might feel upon finding out they have a terminal illness. The stages are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. The problem is that people have applied these arbitrary stages that a terminal patient MIGHT feel to something that all grievers DO feel. And it’s simply not true. Some grievers cry, some don’t. Some grievers are angry, others are not. Grief is unique to each individual, so classifying stages can be harmful.

02/04/2021

Grief is a journey in life, it's not a moment, a day, a week or a year, and many of us need to acknowledge the emotions we have and that it doesn't just disappear ❤

27/01/2021

Living with the pain of loss is often overwhelming and unbearable, and in my mind there is no doubt that is because we love and care deeply in life.
Please message me to discuss the eight lesson 1-2-1 online method that will allow you to recover from your loss

The different losses for a whole world right now...
Family members
Friends
Relationships
Jobs
Homes
Independence
Meeting our loved ones
Finances
Hugs
Routines
Education
Opportunities
Freedom
Innocence
Social interaction

What losses are you struggling with?

14/01/2021

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies.. Awards tarnish.. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are
buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.T

03/12/2020

This week is National Grief Awareness week, please feel free to share this informative talk.
If you feel overwhelmed by the losses you in your life, there is a way to help yourself. Message me for details of how Grief Recovery can help you to empower your life and to give you the understanding that your reactions to grief are normal and natural

Lynette spoke to the founder of the Good Grief Trust about National Grief Awareness Week

03/12/2020

02/12/2020

Tell me about a time (name) made you laugh.

Let us know in the comments and please tag three people you think would like to answer this, too.

Of course, if we were talking in person – we would make sure we knew the name of the person who died so we could use it to ask you about them.

Grief isn’t all about the end and sadness. This can be a time to remember the good times, too. Thinking about a funny time can help shift your mind to looking at the whole relationship with your loved one. It can bring warmth and comfort. This is particularly useful if the person who died had a long-term illness and it changed their appearance or personality, or if it was a sudden death and then you’ve experienced trauma and shock. Talking about something funny will hopefully bring about a smile, or even a laugh.

We’re often asked about what people can say to a grieving person, as it can feel difficult to instigate a conversation about something that might be painful to talk about. Our cards are there as a prompt to help start those tricky conversations about how they’re feeling and give them the opportunity to be heard without judgment, criticism, or interruption.