Hi - I'm Jess. Thank you for finding me here.

The very fact that you’re here, researching grief support for yourself or someone you love, is already a sign of your resourcefulness and resilience. Many people discover, often painfully, that it isn’t time that heals grief or a broken heart, but the actions we take within the time we have.

And for whatever professional experience I might talk about below, what matters most is that I know grief intimately, and know what it is to create a life you love with your losses. More of that later.

QUALIFICATIONS

I’m a licensed Grief Recovery Method Advanced Specialist and a volunteer bereavement counsellor for a leading UK charity, where I often work with people who have experienced traumatic loss.

I also hold a Postgrad (Cert) in Psychodynamic Studies from the University of Oxford, with a focus on attachment, grief, loss, depression and anxiety.

I’m based in West Oxfordshire and work both in person and online, one-to-one. My next group programme starts soon.

WORKING WITH ME

I offer a free 20-minute call to help us work out what kind of support would be most helpful for you. My intention is that this conversation is useful in its own right.

If it feels like a good fit, we might work together through one-off or short-term specialist sessions, or through The Grief Recovery Method – a structured programme of seven sessions plus a follow-up.

It is the most practical, compassionate and effective approach to grief support I know. It is evidence-based, has been used for over forty years, and focuses on helping people take meaningful action rather than simply talking around their pain.

I work with people affected not only by bereavement, but by many other forms of loss – including divorce, heartbreak, pet loss, redundancy, infertility, or loss of health.

Whatever your circumstances, I will create an environment for us that is safe, relaxed, and completely confidential.

HOW I HELP

Loss is not something you simply ‘get over’.

But it is possible to live meaningfully with grief and find moments of joy and a renewed sense of purpose. Clients often describe the work as “turning down the volume on the pain and isolation” and feeling lighter, clearer and more able to participate in life again.

By the end of our time together, you can handle future losses with resilience and perspective using the tools we have learned and practised together.

You don’t have to do this on your own.

A LITTLE OF MY OWN STORY

I have experienced multiple bereavements, including traumatic loss. Through my training, I also came to understand how other, less recognised losses had shaped my life.

I grew up in the Ethiopian famine of the mid 1980s. I saw things a child should never see, and was sometimes surrounded by loss and suffering.

I lost much of my functioning in 2016. When I was eventually given a diagnosis, I was told there were no medical answers for my neuro-immune condition. I was often bed bound and in and out of wheelchairs.

I lost so many of the simple, everyday things I had taken for granted: running, swimming, dancing, moving around my flat and choosing when to brush my teeth and hair.

Most of all, I lost the ability to sing for many years – as a professional musician and successful performing artist, the thing I most lived for.

It has taken nine years and a lot of work, the support of my family and community, and I’ve developed the tools and resilience to build a beautiful, flourishing life around these losses.

The Grief Recovery Method has become a vital part of that process for me – I will keep living my own work.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If you’d like to explore working together, you’re welcome to book a free 20-minute call via this website, or contact me directly:

Email: [email protected]

I don’t work with everyone. But I do aim for this first conversation to be useful, and to help you find the right support, whether that’s with me or elsewhere.

Really looking forward to connecting soon,

Jess

WHAT CLIENTS ARE SAYING:

“If you're dealing with a loss, talk to Jess. She's an incredible guide, listener, therapist, human. My mum died earlier this year and I was surprised by how hard her loss hit me. She'd been ill for a few years, so it wasn't a surprise. But I wasn't dealing with it that well. Jess had a very clear process, with the Grief Recovery Method, that created a structure and format for managing my feelings around the whole experience. Here's the thing - you do the work. There's homework, there's effort and there's focus. And emotion. And time to work through all the history and forgotten feelings. Jess's approach was interactive, proactive and not at all 'sit on a couch and tell me about your mother'. I can't recommend Jess enough - her level of intelligence is matched only by her empathy and willingness to flex to the needs and place of the person she's working with. Totally rigorous and incredibly kind. If I could give 6 stars I would. Thanks!”

Mike, Oxford

“Jess is an empathetic and caring grief counsellor. Her passion to help people through dark times, her ability to listen, recognise and validate the emotional complexity of grief has really helped me in my journey. I felt safe to speak with Jess, and grateful for her support and guidance”.

Ria, Canada

“She is smart, empathetic, strong and compassionate. She may just be what you are looking for to move forwards in life and I cannot recommend her highly enough”.

Max, Marlow

“Jess's listening and dialogue skills were perhaps the most powerful part of the experience... I would recommend Jess without hesitation, and have already done so. Her understanding, patience and encouragement made the whole experience life-changing for me".

Gil, London

“If you’ve been impacted by grief, whether personally or professionally, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Jess is an absolute superpower in this field and we can’t thank her enough for her time today".

Marianne, Beconsfield