Shapes Of Grief

When Alan Creedon was a young boy, his sister Aoife was quietly removed from their home and placed in a home for children with disabilities, as was the 'done thing' in rural Ireland. This ambiguous loss and the resultant disenfranchised grief would play a significant part in how Alan would engage with life and other people. After decades of depression, Alan decided to embark on a solo journey, walking from the UK to his hometown in Kerry, in memory of his sister Aoife. To speak about what had been unspeakable for years.    #disenfranchisedgrief #cerebralpalsy #ruralireland #childrenshome #bereavement #meaningmaking #ambiguousloss  www.endless-river.org (book, mindfulness courses, nature connection events all on there) Insta: https://www.instagram.com/alan_creedon_/ FB:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009184006368 (I share a lot of my work and thoughts on here, even though it's a personal account)  People in Ireland can buy my book from here https://www.bookhubpublishing.c

Psychologist Dorothy Holinger, author of 'The Anatomy of Grief', talks to Liz about her early experience of loss and how it shaped her life as a psychologist. They discuss Prolonged Grief Disorder, how grief affects the body, the heart, the brain, how some people make meaning from their loss and experience psychological growth, while others do not. A rich discussion relevant to everyone. https://dorothypholinger.com  #grief #griefinthebody #thephysiologyofgrief #cardiomyopathy #takotsubocardiomyopathy #dorothyholinger #prolongedgriefdisorder #theanatomyofgrief About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss. With a curriculum that has been meticulously de

I absolutely loved this conversation with Addison Brasil. It is so full of wisdom and possibilities in the face of profound, multiple losses. It will not be for everyone, but if you’re someone who doesn’t want your losses to define your entire life moving forward, then sit down and tune in to this one. "Addison Brasil's new book is a must-read for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one." Addison Brasil lost his brother to cancer, found his father after suicide, and survived a fatal event that killed a dear friend and left him relearning to walk all before age 30. Despite being "just to the left" of death so intimately, whenever someone would share they had experienced loss or ask how to support another person dealing with the loss he would freeze. After thirteen years in the grief club arena, Addison's new book is something he wants to offer to anyone grieving. First Year of Grief Club: A Gift From A Frend Who Gets it (#1 New Release in Death, Grief, and Spirituality) is available on Amazon now. F

This is part 2 of the conversation I had with Sandy Adams, about how she navigated grief when her fiancé John died suddenly. We talk about choice in grief, expectations of others, good support and finding ourselves again, after profound loss. How do we survive and then thrive when our assumptions about the future are shattered? Another rich, rich conversation. #grief #bereavement https://mrskilpatrick.wordpress.com/2022/04/09/45-the-gifts-of-grief/?fbclid=IwAR3ZVF0faDlgbsnh9fOphmqkoWg5wvawG0F7he6Btn0FbNkFOYhYU-6KaC4 About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss. With a curriculum that has been meticulously developed to include the most comprehensive evidence-

I really enjoyed this conversation with Sandy Adams about how she navigated her grief following her partner's sudden and unexpected death. In fact, it was so interesting, I asked her to do a part 2!  Sandra has a lot of wisdom to share, so this is well worth listening to. Most of all, she offers a voice of hope after profound loss. I was particularly delighted to learn how the Shapes Of Grief podcast and then training programme, helped her to navigate the experience of grief and gave her options that she wasn't finding elsewhere: YES! #grief #bereavement #suddendeath #spousalbereavement #partnerloss #whenthepersonyoulovedies #survivingloss #compassion #resilience #flexiblity More about Sandy here https://mrskilpatrick.wordpress.com About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools an

The official launch of Shapes Of Grief was a truly powerful evening, last Thursday, March 31st 2022.  Branwen Kavanagh opened and closed the event with her beautiful music.  Introduction was given by Liz Gleeson, who shared a personal story of loss and then talked about the many Shapes Of Grief. Ruth Fitzmaurice read three pieces, including from her book 'I found my tribe', about her grief following the deaths of her husband Simon and a year later, her brother John. Ger Murphy spoke of the grief that followed him through his life having discovered his father dead, at the age of nine, and then his brother's death by suicide twenty years later. Ger also shared a piece about climate grief.  Kathleen Keyes spoke about the depths of her grief following the deaths of her three children, Grainne, Darragh and Fergal. Orla Keegan, from the Irish Hospice Foundation, spoke about the Adult Bereavement Pyramid and the structures that bereavement support falls into.  Marian Cronin and Branwen Kavanagh p

We know that grief never really goes away, we learn to live with it and accommodate it in our lives. For some people, about 5-10%,  their grief can remain very intense and cause major disruption in their lives for a prolonged period of time; years and even decades. It is normal for grief to endure for years, but when it is debilitating and people find it impossible to readjust to the world after a loss, perhaps it is what has become known as Prolonged Grief Disorder. Here, Andy talks about how grief affected her in a debilitating way for two decades, after her husband Tom died. #prolongedgriefdisorder #drkathyshear #complicatedgrief #stuckgrief #longgrief #grief #bereavement From the author My name is Andrea Gilats, and I’m the author of After Effects: A Memoir of Complicated Grief, a compelling new book published by the University of Minnesota Press. In a sentence, here is my story. After my husband died of cancer at the age of 52, I was effectively paralyzed by grief for ten long years, and I continued

A very insightful conversation with Linda Allen about her grief following her son’s death by suicide. We explore the physicality of grief, the importance of connection in grief, as well as moments of choice we may have in the grieving process. Article written by Linda https://www.alustforlife.com/voice/personal-stories/see-you-in-two-minutes-ma-a-mother-writes-her-story-of-losing-her-son-to-suicide Available on Amazon & kindle ISBN is 9781911013341 #grief #bereavement #suicidegrief #suicidebereavement #parentalloss About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss. With a curriculum that has been meticulously developed to include the most comprehensive eviden

Deena Goldstein talks about her father's dying process, death and how writing about her grief helped her through. #dying #death #bereavement #hospice #deathprocess #whatisdying #oklittlebird #deenagoldstein About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss. With a curriculum that has been meticulously developed to include the most comprehensive evidence-based material available, Shapes Of Grief stands out as the only program to feature contributions from international grief experts. The award-winning online programme offers different levels of training to accurately meet the needs of each learner. Don’t wait to make a difference in the lives of those who need it

By the age of 15, Tahseen Rizvi had lost both her parents and was sent to live with relatives in another country, another continent, another culture. What followed was another series of significant losses which would negatively affect every relationship Tahseen would enter, including with her children. This is her story of loss and reconstructing her life as she gained more insight in adulthood. #grief #bereavement #muslimgrief  About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss. With a curriculum that has been meticulously developed to include the most comprehensive evidence-based material available, Shapes Of Grief stands out as the only program to feature

I often hear grieving people describe their experience of grief 'like a tsunami' that just washes over them. This week's guest, Clemmie Clough, experienced the devastation first-hand of the 2004 tsunami when she was just a child. It was an event that would rob her of her mother and change the trajectory of her life. Clemmie talks about how the trauma of that event has stayed with her and how, as a young adult, she had to address the imprint of the event on her, both physically and psychologically. We talk about how alone people can feel after a very public community disaster, the importance of physical support and how we need to continue to open up these conversations of loss and grief, even years after loss.  Clemmie is co-host of the podcast 'how is today?' available at https://www.howistoday.com #grief #bereavement #childhoodbereavement #tsunami2004 #trauma #traumaticloss About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss,

A tender episode from D Anaya about the sudden death of her little daughter Phoebe and how difficult it was for her to find grief support as a black woman in a predominantly white community. We also talk about sex after loss and the strain on a married couple when a child dies. #parentalloss #grief #bereavement  About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss. With a curriculum that has been meticulously developed to include the most comprehensive evidence-based material available, Shapes Of Grief stands out as the only program to feature contributions from international grief experts. The award-winning online programme offers different levels of training

There's often nothing more helpful to those who are suffering than an open and frank conversation from someone who has survived the abyss of depression, addiction or grief. I loved talking to Caitriona about the common human struggles of fitting in, not having a sense of belonging, being too identified with our thoughts and the often excruciating road to recovery that requires such committment and courage. Caitriona talks about a time in her life when she wanted to die, how her person Kayla helped her through and in recovery, how she found meaning and purpose in life by helping others who feel suicidal. Both Caitriona and I hope that this conversation will bring hope to those of you listening who might be really struggling this Christmas. You are most definitely not alone.  https://ccrtireland.ie/  Instagram: @CCRTIre  Facebook: @Crisisresponseteamire  Twitter: @CRTLIM  Our Community Crisis Response Team crisis line operates 5pm -6am 7 nights a week 0851777631 Support lines: Pieta Hou

In this episode, we speak with Dr Francis McGivern about his recently published book 'Life after a Partners Suicide Attempt'.   #suicideattempt #survivingasuicideattempt Life After a Partner's Suicide Attempt is the first publication to document in depth the lived experiences of the partners of individuals who have attempted to take their own lives. Although no one has died, the ramifications are, nonetheless, life-changing and permanent. Research in suicidology has paid virtually no attention to these partners, other than to explore their role as caregiver. Based on a series of sensitively conducted interviews, Dr. McGivern proposes a psychotherapeutic pathway towards recovery through exploration of personal trauma, relationship injury, reactivation of adverse childhood experiences, ambiguous loss, boundary ambiguity, as well as post-traumatic growth. He highlights implications for psychotherapy training and research and makes recommendations for practice and policy.  Written with both the gen

Be in with a chance to win this bundle of ten books, signed by the authors! All you have to do is sign-up to the Shapes of Grief Education Programme during December 2021 to be in with a chance to own this bundle of ten grief books. Use code griefawareness20 for 20% discount during Grief Awareness Week 2021, 2-9th December #griefawareness2021 About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss. With a curriculum that has been meticulously developed to include the most comprehensive evidence-based material available, Shapes Of Grief stands out as the only program to feature contributions from international grief experts. The award-winning online programme offers diff

The experience of grief within the lgbtq+ community can be profoundly painful as a result of past losses connected to sexuality. This can be experienced as bereavement (the AIDS crisis), stigmatisation, marginalisation, tacit acceptance from family & community, outright homophobia or erasure by parents or other family members. Many young Irish people left Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s to find a larger gay community and the relief of anonymity in bigger cities such as London. In this episode, Irishman Pat Dollard takes us through the choices he made and why, how he met his partner Mike, the story of their relationship and the utter shock and devastation experienced when Mike went missing while on holidays four years ago. We explore ambiguous loss, meaning making and how grief changes us, as well as the importance of lgbtq specific bereavement groups. Thank you Pat, for this very touching conversation. #grief #loss #bereavement #ambiguousloss #disappeared #meaningmaking #lgbtqgrief #lgbtq #griefpodcast #g

I'm so grateful to Rach Underhill for this really tender and beautiful episode. It's coming up to two years since Rach's beloved wife Kris died from terminal cancer. Rach takes us through the love story, to Kris' diagnosis and eventual death. The love and grief that Rach experienced from firstly meeting Kris, then losing Kris, are palpable. I think it's perhaps the depth of love and the depth of grief that make Rach's message of hope and choosing life after loss, all the more inspiring. There is a lot of wisdom for all of us here in this chat, delivered with tenderness and humour. We also talk about sex after loss, and having a second chance at love. I'm delighted that Rach has stepped forward to represent the lgbtq+ community on the Shapes Of Grief podcast.  If you would like to join a lgbtq+ specific bereavement group, contact the #goodgrieftrust at hello@goodgrieftrust.org and they'll put you in touch with the group organisers, Rach & Pat. #goodgrieftrust #grief #bereavement #lgbtq+ #lgbtq+grief #

Dr Vanessa Lacey recently finished her PhD studies on the grief experienced by older transgender women and their families. In this episode, Vanessa talks about her personal experience of loss, what her research uncovered and how she has cultivated an impressive 'live and let live' attitude, despite various attempts to alienate her from her family and hometown. This is a heartwarming conversation and Vanessa certainly engenders a faith in humanity that is enviable.  #transgenderwomengrief #grief #loss #ambiguousloss #teni #transgenderequalitynetwork #lgbtq+grief #lgbtq+ About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss. With a curriculum that has been meticul

Stephen Teap became a young widower when his wife Irene died of cervical cancer, leaving him to parent two young boys age 2 and 4 alone. In this conversation, Stephen talks about the hope, the denial and the devastation of living with terminal cancer and how grief following Irene's death has been for him and his young boys, Oscar and Noah. #grief #bereavement #cervicalscandal #widowhood #singledad #cervicalcancer #childhoodgrief #childhoodbereavement About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss. With a curriculum that has been meticulously developed to include the most comprehensive evidence-based material available, Shapes Of Grief stands out as the only pr

Dr Nyasha Grayman speaks to Liz about the premature birth of her sons, navigating a white healthcare system and the death of one of her twins. We talk about why 'nice' therapists need more grief & trauma training and why more black psychologists are needed in America.   For a comprehensive grief education, go to www.shapseofgrief.com and sign-up today.  #grief #bereavement #blackgrief #twindeath #twintotwintransfusionsyndrome #whenonetwindies #griefeducation #griefpodcast About Shapes of Grief: Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss. With a curriculum that has been meticulously developed to include the most comprehensive evidence-based material available, Shape