Embracing Life Transitions

Embracing Life Transitions

Oct 21, 2023 | Bereavement, Grief counselling, Life Transitions, Relationships

LIFE..

I had always dreamt of becoming a business owner and looked forward to one day realising that dream .

In my 30s I was busy growing my family and life was what I would call ” Chaotic bliss”

Three kids under four, a teenager, elderly parents, and a FIFO husband.

I was lucky enough to work part time for a local funeral service in Victoria with the most amazing, caring people.

I am sure it was there that I discovered my deep interest in people and how grief impacts us all.

How important it is to Honor the life of a loved one in the most beautiful way possible.

Funerals are a wonderful way to celebrate a life lived but I believed it did not end there.

There was a unique story for each one of those people as the hearse made its way down the tree-lined exit from the funeral home to their place of final rest.

It was now up to their loved ones to carry on without them.

LOSS…

When I was in my forties and lost my own Dad I realised the true meaning of the word grief.

I was devastated and the thought of never seeing my dad again was heart wrenching to say the least.

My mum had developed Alzheimer’s disease and passed away a few years later.

That felt like a double loss, having to grieve the person she once was and then her death.

I remember sitting by her bedside as she was slipping away and thinking how I did not want to live the rest of my life with regret for not following my dreams.

Something inside me felt a pull to the Sunshine Coast in Qld, surrounded by beautiful beaches and fine weather for most of the year. I had always felt connected to the coast. We had spent many wonderful family holidays there.

NEW BEGINNINGS…

Before too long that dream was realised and we found ourselves living in a gorgeous home with a pool, the kids started new school, made new friends, and started playing sport. I was so grateful for the opportunity to give our children a better life with endless possibilities. It was a whole new world for us all.

When everyone had settled in, I decided to start a cleaning business.

I worked for teachers primarily as I needed the school holidays free to look after my kids while my husband was away interstate at work.

I absolutely loved helping others who were busy themselves with work and family commitments.

They quite often would share their struggles and difficulties with me, and I would assist where I could on an emotional and practical level.

I wished I could do more.

 Even though people were living in the most beautiful place they still struggled with life’s challenges.

SPARK…

Something sparked in me to pursue a formal qualification as a Counsellor.

 I knew I had enough Life Wisdom to really help them.

I completed my Diploma and was fortunate to travel to Fiji to volunteer with an amazing group of people to do my Placement. This was truly a life changing experience. It taught the meaning of community and how serving others can provide us with so much joy.

I believe life can feel like a battle between holding on and knowing when to let go.

Full of beginnings and endings.

ENDING…

Shortly after completing my studies, I had to let go of my 27-year marriage.

I have since realised that although things end and its painful, you must grieve that loss and move forward to a point where you can look back and remember the good times and the bad without feeling the pain off loss so intensely.

You take the love and the lessons, and you move forward one day at a time.

Hope will get you through your darkest days.

HOPE…

 I found hope.

I looked for the spark.

I found my passion and I found love.

This is where Life Wisdom Counselling was born- a new beginning!

PASSION…

I opened my Private Practice here on the beautiful Sunshine coast and I am grateful every day for the opportunity to support people.

My area of expertise is helping those who are grieving the loss of someone they loved, whether it be a bereavement, or the end of a relationship.

I gently encourage them to move forward at their own pace with the beautiful unique memories of their loved one tucked safely away in their heart.

As a Grief Counsellor I can provide guidance, encouragement, and support to those experiencing any Life transition. We can explore coping strategies to help navigate the challenges that come with starting a new chapter in Life.

If your heart is heavy and you could use some support and guidance,

 I am here for you.

 If you are feeling hopeless, Ill hold hope for you until you discover the spark.

It is there, I will help you find it.

Grieving the loss of a pet

Grieving the loss of a pet

Sep 14, 2020 | Grief counselling, Pet bereavement

Losing a beloved pet can be one of the most devasting times in our lives

When we bring that precious bundle home and immediately fall in love, we may choose not to think that more than likely we will outlive them.

What we do find is that they bring us so much joy for the time that we are blessed to have them. They love us unconditionally, always greet us with excitement when we arrive home and provide us with endless comfort without judgement whenever we need it.

For some people, a pet is their only constant companion and the strongest of bonds are formed.

The thought of ever losing them is overwhelming to say the least.

Grieving the loss of a pet can be just as intense as losing anyone or anything we have formed a loving attachment to.

The way in which we lose them can also affect the way we will grieve the loss.

Some may say the best-case scenario is when we are fortunate enough to have our pet live until a ripe old age and pass away peacefully. Even so let’s face it there is something about our elderly animal companions that touches our hearts in a way nothing else can, making it so hard to think about our final goodbye. We may have to watch them aging and declining in health as we do our best to comfort and support them as we know they would do for us if they could.

Those of us who have to make the choice to euthanise our pet may have feelings of immense guilt even when we have been reassured by the experts that it was for the best.

Some people struggle to afford the vet bills or don’t have enough spare funds to pay for a possible treatment that could have prolonged their life and because of this suffer tremendous guilt.

Sometimes the death is an accident where someone may have inadvertently left a gate or door open and our pet has wandered onto the road or simply disappeared.

We may feel an ongoing sense of “If only “or” what if” when we lose a pet in any of these circumstances.

Grief has no time frame , the pain we feel is real and is an indication of the depth of the love that was felt for our beloved pet.

Just as we humans find comfort in compiling photos and videos and producing a DVD presentation with suitable background music for a deceased family member, we can also do the same for a beloved pet.

This can be a wonderful way to help with the grieving process as well as celebrating the life, love and precious moments shared your cherished pet.

If you feel that you have been grieving for an extended period of time and  your sadness has begun to affect your day to day responsibilities or is impacting on your sleep or eating patterns then it may be time to seek professional help, especially if you may be sensing that friends and family are thinking you should be over your loss in a shorter period of time than what you are capable of.

I can help you process your feelings and make sense of your loss as you move through your grief in your own time to a place where you can look back and smile when you think of your beloved companion.

Let me help you.