Who am I?
An orphan, sister, wife, mother and good friend
A qualified solicitor (now practising on a limited basis only) with over 30 years’ experience in the legal profession, specialising in wills and probate, care of the elderly and those with mental capacity issues
An experienced teacher, mentor and trainer in wills, probate, powers of attorney, tax and trusts
Previously an examiner for the Law Society and lecturer delivering professional training courses for solicitors, and member of various professional committees and bodies
A Dementia Friend trained to work and support people with dementia and their carers
A director of BrumYODO, a CIC committed to normalising and welcoming conversations around death and dying
A facilitator of Death and Bereavement Cafes for people of all ages, accompanying people in their bereavement and grief
SOMETHING HAD TO CHANGE
I retrained as a life coach on an ICF recognised programme. I’d seen coaching’s transformative work and committed to journey alongside others wanting to reach their full potential and explore some of life’s big questions: whether personal or professional.
Life involves change; welcome or not. Each change involves loss: loss of the familiar, loss of relationships, loss of reputation, loss of the known, loss of finances, loss of health, loss of a loved one, loss of routine, loss of a pet, loss of a home, and many more subtle and often unrecognised losses.
Each loss may be painful but presents opportunities for growth. I want to work with you to support you in those times of change and live your best life possible.
My Story
Death has accompanied my life:
my father died when I was 3
my mother died a decade ago,
my grandparents are long dead,
a cousin’s baby died of a cot death,
close friends have had adult and infant children die,
others have themselves died young.
Deaths that have been sudden and unexpected, others long and protracted.
As a solicitor, I would practically help clients to legally prepare for growing older: addressing mental frailty and death; and sorting out the legal issues following death. Something was missing: there was no time for people to address their grief, move forward, and explore their new normal. I also observed how poorly bereavement was handled in the workplace and how little support was available for bereaved employees. Meaningful conversations were often absent, and there was a tendency towards avoidance rather than engagement around grief: not helpful for anyone suffering the death of someone close.
