In this episode of The Grief Lounge, I share my personal experience of grief, loss and love as I reflect on the difference between the first year and the second year of my grief journey.

I talk honestly about the early days of grief, the numbness, brain fog, emotional overwhelm and physical impact that loss can have on the body and nervous system. I also explore how my grief didn’t begin the day my husband died, but was shaped by years of anticipatory grief, prolonged isolation and the national pandemic, creating layers of what is often called complicated or compounded grief.

This episode is a raw reflection on what it means to live through loss while the world keeps moving, including the impact of COVID, shielding, and the long-term effects of isolation on mental health, identity and connection.

I share the reality of navigating grief as a parent, the heartbreak of changing relationships, and the loneliness that can come when support fades. Alongside this, I reflect on what has helped me begin to heal, from self-compassion and community to understanding grief as both emotional and physical, and learning how to carry love and loss together.

This is an honest conversation about grief, healing, resilience and personal growth, and a reminder that if you are on your own grief journey, you are not alone, your grief is valid, and there is no right way to navigate loss.

Keywords

grief, grief journey, loss, love after loss, healing from grief, complicated grief, pandemic grief, COVID grief, mental health, coping with loss, widow grief, anticipatory grief.

If you would like to connect with me you can find me via my website : www.thegriefcoachuk.com

or via instagram @the_grief_coach_uk

Maybe you are looking for a community space where you can feel supported in your grief..... Join our Facebook page herehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

In this episode I sit down with Mary Tomlinson, the founder of Mary Ellen Jewellery, and we have one of those conversations that just flows. The kind where grief is not dressed up or fixed. It is simply shared.

Mary began creating bespoke cremation and ceremonial jewellery after losing her dad. What started as her own way of staying connected to him slowly became a business rooted in love, memory and deep care. She talks about the emotional process of working with families, how personal each piece is, and why communication and trust matter so much when someone is handing over something so precious.

We speak about what it means to keep someone close. Not in a metaphorical way, but in a physical, tangible way. Something you can hold. Something you can wear. Something that carries story.

But this conversation is about more than jewellery.

It is about what grief asks of us. About how loss can change the direction of your life. About the spiritual side of missing someone and the quiet ways they still feel present. We talk about friendships shifting after loss, about mindset, about intuition, and about learning to live differently after someone you love has gone.

If you have ever felt the need to create something to honour your person, this episode will speak to you. Whether that is jewellery, art, writing, planting a tree, or simply finding your own ritual.

This is a conversation between two women who understand that grief is not something to fix. It is something to carry. And sometimes, to create from.

I hope you feel seen in it.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. If you would like to connect with me you can find me via my website www.thegriefcoachuk.com or follow me on instagram @the_grief_coach_uk

If you are looking to join in the Grief Lounge Community space on Facebook here is the link https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

If you would like to connect with Mary or look at her work you can find her on instagram here @maryellent22 or on her website here maryellen.co.uk

Today marks two years since I launched The Grief Lounge.

In this opening episode of Season 3 I take a moment to pause, reflect and honour what these last two years have held. Two years of living without Chris. Two years of learning how to be a widow. Two years of showing up behind this microphone and speaking honestly about grief, loss, death and everything in between.

I share what those early days of grief really felt like. The fog, the physical pain, the shock of surviving something you never imagined you would have to. I speak directly to those of you who are in that place right now, in the trenches, wondering how you will make it through the day.

I also reflect on how I have changed. How grief has shaped me. How I have grown stronger with my boundaries, more intentional with my time and more protective of my energy. I talk about guilt, about learning to feel joy again without shame, and about refusing to hide my grief to make other people comfortable.

This episode is a thank you to those who have walked alongside me since the very beginning. And it is a message of hope to those who are just starting out.

Grief does not disappear. But it changes shape. And so do we.

Welcome to Season 3.

If you would like to work with me or connect you can find me on my website www.thegrieflounge.com or you can connect on instagram @the_grief_coach_uk

Or if you are looking for a community of fellow grievers come and join us in The Grief Lounge Community Group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

Grief changes everything — how we feel, how we think, and how we live in our bodies.
In this special conversation hosted by The EFT Centre, Sadie explores how Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can help us navigate grief in all its forms — from the loss of a loved one to the quieter griefs of change and uncertainty.

Through this heartfelt discussion, she shares how grief lives in the body, how tapping can calm the nervous system, and how self-compassion and gentle emotional release can bring us back home to ourselves. Sadie shares her personal experiences and how using EFT herself helped her navigate her own grief and how becoming a trained practitioner in EFT has enabled her to help many others.

Sadie talks about anticipatory grief, trauma, emotional expression, and the courage it takes to feel deeply and heal gently.
This isn’t about fixing grief. It’s about creating space for it, learning to live alongside it, and finding freedom through feeling.

If you would like to work with Sadie with EFT you can find out more on her website here thegriefcoachuk.com

You can find Sue Beer and Emma Roberts at The EFT Centre here https://theeftcentre.com/

If you would like to be part of the The Grief Lounge Community on Facebook you can join here www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/ or join me on instagram here @the_grief_coach_uk

In this episode, Sadie shares something deeply personal. On the second anniversary of her husband’s death, she returned to the beach in Norfolk, a place filled with memories and where she always feels connected to him. She spent time with her morning rituals – journaling, pulling cards, and sitting with her grief. The words she pulled that day were gather, wonder, and love. They felt powerful as she gathered her thoughts and memories, wondered where he might be and if he would be proud of her, and sat with the love that will always remain.

Grief is heavy, and anniversaries can feel especially hard. But what Sadie is learning, and what she hopes this episode offers listeners, is that love can sit alongside the pain. We can gather our broken pieces, hold space for wonder, and lean into love as we remember those we’ve lost.

For anyone navigating grief, feeling the weight of anniversaries, or needing to know they are not alone, this episode offers compassion, connection, and hope.

If you would like to visit my website here is the link ⁠www.thegriefcoachuk.com⁠

Follow on Instagram here ⁠@the_grief_coach_uk⁠

Or join the Grief Lounge community here ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

In this deeply personal episode Sadie shares how her returning to Holkham Hall, a place full of family memories, to lead three sessions at the Gone Wild Festival this year. The event comes just days before the second anniversary of her husband Chris’s death making it a powerful and emotional time.

Sadie talks honestly about showing up and holding space for others while still living with her own grief. She explores how even when you are not fully healed you can still be there for others and why places that hold our memories can also hold our healing. This episode touches on her life as a widow to a guide.

This episode is for anyone navigating loss supporting someone through grief or searching for hope in the messiness of healing.

If you would like to read more about her story visit her website here www.thegriefcoachuk.com

Follow her on Instagram here @the_grief_coach_uk

Or join the Grief Lounge community here https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

In this deeply moving episode of The Grief Lounge, Sadie shares her honest experience of navigating the difficult emotions around her son’s 18th birthday, a milestone made heavier by loss and the absence of his father. As a solo parent, she talks about the unique challenges of marking significant moments while carrying the weight of grief alone. Sadie reflects on how birthdays and other milestones can bring unexpected waves of sorrow and reflection, especially when trying to create some sense of normality for her son amid family struggles.

Listeners will hear about the power of remembrance and storytelling in keeping loved ones close, even when they are no longer physically present. Sadie highlights that grief does not follow a clear timeline and often changes shape during key life events, encouraging families and communities to have open conversations about loss. This episode offers emotional support, practical coping ideas, and a reminder that it is okay to take time for yourself while working through the ongoing process of healing.

If you have experienced loss or are supporting someone through grief, this episode provides a compassionate perspective on holding space for both joy and sorrow, especially within the realities of solo parenting and family milestones.

Join The Grief Lounge community here https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

Follow me on Instagram here @the_grief_coach_uk

Visit my website here www.thegriefcoachuk.com

In this episode of The Grief Lounge, Sadie sits down with artist Natalia Millman to explore how grief can be expressed and reimagined through creativity. Natalia shares the story behind her powerful project, Letters to Forever — an upcoming exhibition in St Albans that brings together 215 personal letters written by people about their grief. Through her creative process, Natalia transforms these words into visual pieces, allowing memory, sorrow, and love to take shape in ways that go beyond words.

Together, they reflect on what it means to feel seen in grief, the quiet strength in expressing pain, and the connection that comes from shared stories. Natalia also talks about losing her father in 2019, how that shaped her work, and how her earlier exhibition at the Crypt Gallery in London led to this next chapter.

The exhibition will also include daily workshops — from grief yoga to clay-making, offering a gentle and creative space for people to show up with whatever they’re carrying.

This is a tender and honest conversation about grief, creativity, and what it means to make something meaningful from loss, for anyone who’s ever searched for a way to say the unsayable.

If you are looking to discover more about Sadie please visit her website here:www.thegriefcoachuk.com

You can also connect on instagram here: @the_grief_coach_uk

For further information about Natalia Millman and her project Letters to Forever please visit her website here: https://www.nataliamillmanart.com/

And you can find Natalia on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/nataliamillmanart?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MXB5a3pyYXl2bWNrNA==

In this heartfelt episode of The Grief Lounge, host Sadie opens up about the emotional struggles of solo parenting after the loss of a partner, especially during life’s big milestones. As her son graduates without his father by his side, Sadie shares the grief, envy, and quiet heartbreak that surface in moments that should feel joyful. She explores the unique weight of navigating grief while raising children with additional needs, and the daily challenges of showing up for your kids when you're carrying your own pain. This episode is a raw, honest reflection on parenting through loss, the emotional toll of milestone moments like graduation, and finding resilience in shared experiences. Whether you're a grieving parent or know someone who is, this conversation offers compassion, connection, and a reminder that you're not alone.

takeaways

• Grief can manifest during significant milestones.
• It's normal to feel envious of others' experiences.
• Parenting children with additional needs brings its own grief.
• Every day can feel like a battle when advocating for children.
• Acknowledging one's feelings is an important step in coping.
• The absence of a loved one is felt deeply during family events.
• It's okay to struggle while trying to support your children.
• Community support is vital for those experiencing grief.
• Sharing experiences can help normalize difficult conversations.
• Finding strength in shared struggles can be empowering.

If you would like to find out more about my work my website link is here:www.thegriefcoachuk.com

You can also find me on Instagram here: @the_grief_coach_uk

And if you are looking for a supportive Facebook Community you can join The Grief Lounge community here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

In this week’s episode of The Grief Lounge, I’m speaking from a very real and honest place about grief, cancer and the fear of it all happening again.

As I support a loved one through a new cancer diagnosis whilst still living with my own loss, I found myself facing a wave of anticipatory grief, fear and health anxiety all at once. It brought me right back into the depth of what grief can feel like when life hits you again before you’ve had time to catch your breath.

This episode is not about fixing grief or finding a way through it neatly. It’s about holding it. The heartbreak, the memories, the responsibility, the fear of repeat… and still trying to stay connected to yourself within it all.

I share a moment that shifted something in me. A quiet walk where, for the first time in a long time, I felt a small sense of space again. Not healed, not resolved, but just enough to breathe.

If you are coping with grief whilst facing illness again, or living with the fear of losing someone you love, I want you to know this.

You are not alone in this.

If you would like to join our Grief Lounge Community on FB here is the link https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

Connect with me on Instagram here @the_grief_coach_uk

Or if you are looking at ways to work with me the link to my website is here: www.thegriefcoachuk.com