In 2000, a bus carrying 7 young tourists in Bolivia crashed into a ravine killing all of the 9 passengers on board; the driver had fallen asleep. Among them were two young Irish sisters. In this episode, Musician and Poet Siobhan Daffy, talks about the sudden death of her best friend, the importance of getting the girls home to Ireland and how community and poetry supported her in coming to terms with her bereavement. Two years later, Siobhan’s little brother Donnacha died suddenly, leaving a bereft family. They were barely coming to terms with their grief when their father also died.  Siobhan speaks about the magnitude of love and loss that hit her family and how they coped together, somehow finding a way to grieve, to find the courage to move forward with their enormous grief and to take heart in the love and life that still remained for them.

The accident was widely covered in the Irish press at the time https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/driver-in-ravine-horror-deaths-may-have-dozed-off-26118447.html

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 most, sign-up HERE for our FREE Masterclass in Loss & Grief.

Note from Liz:

I hope you're all getting something really beneficial from the Shapes Of Grief podcast. I want to send out a huge thanks to those of you who have sponsored the podcast so far. I'm delighted to let you know that there is a new sponsorship option of just $1 per month - I'm hoping this will encourage more listeners to sponsor us and help to keep us going.

Become a sponsor for as little as $1 per month! Your support is much appreciated. ♥️

https://www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

#grief #bereavement #suddendeath #accident #loss #poetry #bereavementoverload

To access Siobhan’s work, please see the links bellow

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/poetry-bath-tickets-62211226453

https://siobhandaffy.bandcamp.com/releases

www.shapesofgrief.com

www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

Author of "Love's last gift" Bebhinn Ramsey recounts the sudden death of her husband Alistair while on holidays in San Francisco, leaving her widowed at 31 with a baby and a toddler. At the age of thirty-one Bébhinn had lost her soulmate, the father of her two young sons, but also her faith in life.Bebhinn tells of how the weight of her grief made her feel like a 'cornered rat' and how she went on a search for the cure for grief. That search lead her to The Work of Byron Katie, which provided her with a map that worked for her and helped her to navigate her grief by taking a spiritual approach to her experience. A heart-warming story from a beautiful woman. Bebhinn's ebook can be bought on Amazon at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Loves-Last-Gift-Bebhinn-Ramsay/dp/1444743112

In 2008, Bébhinn Ramsay set up ARCH, the Alastair Ramsay Charitable Trust, and moved to Florianópolis, Brazil to oversee Child Health Florianópolis, a child-focussed charity.

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 most, sign-up HERE for our FREE Masterclass in Loss & Grief.

Note from Liz:

I hope you're all getting something really beneficial from the Shapes Of Grief podcast. I want to send out a huge thanks to those of you who have sponsored the podcast so far. I'm delighted to let you know that there is a new sponsorship option of just $1 per month - I'm hoping this will encourage more listeners to sponsor us and help to keep us going.

Become a sponsor for as little as $1 per month! Your support is much appreciated. ♥️

https://www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

#grief #bebhinnramsey #sepsis #suddendeath #byronkatie #thework #griefspirituality #bereavement #widow #loveafterloss

Helen Lamb, owner and founder of the Dublin Wellness Centre, takes us on an intimate journey through her experience of grief following the death of her beloved husband when their baby boy was just months old. Listeners who have accompanied loved ones through cancer will resonate deeply with some of the experiences that Helen shares. She talks about the acute loneliness of grief and the importance of friends who ‘get’ exactly what you’re going through. Helen describes how grief changed her and how she approached loving again after losing ‘the love of her life’. 

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 most, sign-up HERE for our FREE Masterclass in Loss & Grief.

Note from Liz:

I hope you're all getting something really beneficial from the Shapes Of Grief podcast. I want to send out a huge thanks to those of you who have sponsored the podcast so far. I'm delighted to let you know that there is a new sponsorship option of just $1 per month - I'm hoping this will encourage more listeners to sponsor us and help to keep us going.

Become a sponsor for as little as $1 per month! Your support is much appreciated. ♥️

https://www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

For more information on the Dublin Wellness Centre, click here https://www.dublinwellnesscentre.ie/about-us/

Helen refers to her friendship with author Bebhinn Ramsey. To read Bebhinn’s book "Love’s last gift”, buy the kindle edition here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Loves-Last-Gift-Bebhinn-Ramsay-ebook/dp/B007TNY3F4/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=Bebhinn+ramsey&qid=1564426661&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

Bebhinn is our guest on the Shapes Of Grief podcast next week, episode 22. 

Catherine Monaghan talks to Liz about life after the sudden death of her brother, what the grief of losing a sibling was like for her and how Tony’s death affected every part of her life. To read Cath’s article in the Irish Times, click here https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/my-brothers-were-inseparable-until-one-died-1.3878482%3fmode=amp

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 most, sign-up HERE for our FREE Masterclass in Loss & Grief.

Note from Liz:

I hope you're all getting something really beneficial from the Shapes Of Grief podcast. I want to send out a huge thanks to those of you who have sponsored the podcast so far. I'm delighted to let you know that there is a new sponsorship option of just $1 per month - I'm hoping this will encourage more listeners to sponsor us and help to keep us going.

Become a sponsor for as little as $1 per month! Your support is much appreciated. ♥️

https://www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

For those of you who listened to last week's episode with Justin Caffrey, this is your opportunity to now listen to Beatrice Caffrey's perspective on the life and death of their beloved baby son Joshua. Having endured three miscarriages, Beatrice and Justin were delighted that this pregnancy was going well. When Beatrice was 25 weeks pregnant, they took a much-needed holiday to the south of Spain, when Beatrice was woken by her waters breaking, 15 weeks early.  Several days later in hospital, Joshua was born and immediately needed the care of the neonatal unit where he was not expected to live through the night. But Joshua was a little fighter and lived for almost a year, most of that spent in the intensive care unit. Beatrice takes us through that really difficult twelve months where their whole life was put on pause and Joshua's intense care regime was central to their lives. She takes us through the tasks of caring for a very ill baby, the days leading up to Joshua's death and how she took to the Wicklow hills to walk with her grief. 

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 most, sign-up HERE for our FREE Masterclass in Loss & Grief.

Note from Liz:

I hope you're all getting something really beneficial from the Shapes Of Grief podcast. I want to send out a huge thanks to those of you who have sponsored the podcast so far. I'm delighted to let you know that there is a new sponsorship option of just $1 per month - I'm hoping this will encourage more listeners to sponsor us and help to keep us going.

Become a sponsor for as little as $1 per month! Your support is much appreciated. ♥️

https://www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

#grief #loss #bereavement #multiplemiscarriage #born25weeks #neonatal #justincaffrey #babyloss

From high-flying banker to kangaroo parenting, Justin Caffrey takes us through a searingly honest account of his experience when his second son Joshua was born fifteen weeks early and life as they knew it stopped for the rest of the family. Forced to live in the south of Spain near the NICU unit where their son battled for survival, their son’s ongoing dance between life and death would change Justin’s perspective on almost everything in his life. After Joshua’s death, just short of his first birthday, Justin’s suppressed grief would eventually scream to be addressed, forcing Justin into a whole new way of being in the world. He generously shares with listeners what this journey was like for him, the abyss of grief that he faced, along with suicidal ideation and eventual acceptance of his grief and the rebuilding of family and career after trauma. Justin describes being surrounded by friends and family at a barbecue yet feeling totally alone and desolate. It is a poignant reminder to all of us to not forget our grieving loved ones, even though the outside can appear ‘normal’. 

In the following episode of Shapes Of Grief, we shall talk to Beatrice Caffrey, mother of Joshua and married to Justin, for her maternal perspective of multiple miscarriage and the death of her beloved baby Joshua. 

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 most, sign-up HERE for our FREE Masterclass in Loss & Grief.

Note from Liz:

I hope you're all getting something really beneficial from the Shapes Of Grief podcast. I want to send out a huge thanks to those of you who have sponsored the podcast so far. I'm delighted to let you know that there is a new sponsorship option of just $1 per month - I'm hoping this will encourage more listeners to sponsor us and help to keep us going.

Become a sponsor for as little as $1 per month! Your support is much appreciated. ♥️

https://www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

From twenty years in general practice to a full-blown transition to journalist and broadcaster, Dr. Ciara Kelly takes us through her experience of grief following the very sudden death of her father several years ago and then the more recent and prolonged death of her mother just under two years ago. Ciara speaks candidly with Liz about the different experiences, what surprised her about their deaths and how the experience of deep grief changed her as a doctor and as a person. We also hear about her first experience as a doctor, having to break the news to a young mother that she was going to die and how her own bereavements have changed her as a person.

The first 11 minutes, Ciara chats about her transition from GP to broadcaster. The conversation then turns to grief and Ciara’s very personal experience of loss.

Note from Liz:

I hope you're all getting something really beneficial from the Shapes Of Grief podcast. I want to send out a huge thanks to those of you who have sponsored the podcast so far. I'm delighted to let you know that there is a new sponsorship option of just $1 per month - I'm hoping this will encourage more listeners to sponsor us and help to keep us going.

Become a sponsor for as little as $1 per month! Your support is much appreciated. ♥️

https://www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

Ciara and Liz both reference some of the articles that Ciara has written on her parents’ deaths, links can be found below. You’ll need to login or register for free access.

https://www.independent.ie/life/ciara-kelly-i-saw-my-mother-slip-away-from-me-and-there-was-nothing-i-could-do-about-it-38125299.html

https://www.independent.ie/life/dr-ciara-kelly-grief-really-is-very-odd-theres-one-niceish-thing-that-has-occurred-since-my-mother-died-36483205.html

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/dr-ciara-kelly-love-loss-and-the-memories-of-mum-that-will-never-die-37584206.html

https://www.independent.ie/life/family/family-features/dementia-is-the-long-goodbye-dr-ciara-kelly-on-the-recent-death-of-her-beloved-mum-35809611.html?fbclid=IwAR0FqUgOAznOE9-N1Awlp8zg7j1tVaN08XAt5YASy6rNFOEbtXV7ErsDXSE

More like a conversation between friends, Liz and Interfaith minister Treacy O’Connor talk about a variety of topics related to loss, personal growth, separation, as well as the dance between spirituality and the corporate world. Treacy discusses how her relationship with her father became deeper through the continuous bonds she forged with him after his death. She takes us through her personal journey from a young, searching woman to corporate life and eventually to the role of interfaith minister. We talk about the spiritual aspect of growth, as well as spiritual bypassing, childbirth, the grief of relationship breakdown and self-rediscovery.   For more on Treacy's work, see https://treacyoconnor.com #Treacyoconnor #interfaithminister #continuousbonds #death #loss #bereavement #separation #spiritualbypassing 

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 most, sign-up HERE for our FREE Masterclass in Loss & Grief.

Note from Liz:

I hope you're all getting something really beneficial from the Shapes Of Grief podcast. I want to send out a huge thanks to those of you who have sponsored the podcast so far. I'm delighted to let you know that there is a new sponsorship option of just $1 per month - I'm hoping this will encourage more listeners to sponsor us and help to keep us going.

Become a sponsor for as little as $1 per month! Your support is much appreciated. ♥️

https://www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

Kevin Toolis is a BAFTA winning film maker and writer of the acclaimed death guide My Father’s Wake: How the Irish Teach Us to Live, Love and Die.  Toolis has reported on famines, wars and plagues all over the world for The New York Times and The Guardian. As a documentary maker he has filmed in the middle east and directed the Emmy-nominated Cult of the Suicide Bomber television history series. He is also producer/director of a compelling new stage work Wonders of the Wake that revives the lost art of Irish keening and celebrates the ancient rite of the Irish Wake.  

In this episode, Kevin talks to Liz about what compelled him to write this book about his father's death and what it taught Kevin about  life. It will take the reader on a sometimes uncomfortable journey towards mortality, but ultimately is an invitation to wake up to our finite lives and live them. Buy 'My Father’s Wake' https://amzn.to/2vbg08I

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 most, sign-up HERE for our FREE Masterclass in Loss & Grief.

Note from Liz:

I hope you're all getting something really beneficial from the Shapes Of Grief podcast. I want to send out a huge thanks to those of you who have sponsored the podcast so far. I'm delighted to let you know that there is a new sponsorship option of just $1 per month - I'm hoping this will encourage more listeners to sponsor us and help to keep us going.

Become a sponsor for as little as $1 per month! Your support is much appreciated. ♥️

https://www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

Liz refers to the Think Ahead programme run by the Irish Hospice Foundation, details can be found here. 

https://hospicefoundation.ie/programmes/public-awareness/think-ahead/

Kevin speaks out against euthanasia in this episode. For another perspective, Liz recommends the documentary 'How to die in Oregon', available to rent on Amazon Prime for $3.99. https://www.amazon.com/How-Die-Oregon-Peter-Richardson/dp/B007Y35YTS

#death #dying #irishwake #kevintoolis #myfatherswake #mortality #dying process #grief #shapesofgrief #thinkahead #irishhospicefoundation #howtodieinoregon

Donna tells us about the work of the Dougy centre in Portland Oregon and gives us some insight into what support children may need to help them through times of grief. The Dougy centre have some really useful resources for supporting grieving children and adolescents, which can be found here https://www.dougy.org.

We also mention the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network who are a great resource for childhood bereavement in Ireland, details can be found here https://www.childhoodbereavement.ie.

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 most, sign-up HERE for our FREE Masterclass in Loss & Grief.

Note from Liz:

I hope you're all getting something really beneficial from the Shapes Of Grief podcast. I want to send out a huge thanks to those of you who have sponsored the podcast so far. I'm delighted to let you know that there is a new sponsorship option of just $1 per month - I'm hoping this will encourage more listeners to sponsor us and help to keep us going.

Become a sponsor for as little as $1 per month! Your support is much appreciated. ♥️

https://www.patreon.com/shapesofgrief

#childrensgrief #grief #loss #childhoodbereavement #griefsupportforchildren #dougycentre #childhoodbereaement #shapesofgrief #griefpodcast