Louise Creswick, Accredited Grief & Loss Coach, NLP Practitioner and Mindfulness Teacher

Loss is one of the toughest things you will face in your life, and grief is one of the most intense experiences to live through. I'm passionate about helping you to navigate the, often complex, grief journey and when ready, find your new normal, as well as adjust to life beyond loss.  I am here to walk the journey alongside you and offer the support you need, every step of the way.

Whilst grief is unique, I have been through my own painful losses and understand the emotional pain, turmoil, confusion and physical challenges that loss can bring. 

I combine my specialist skills, knowledge and experience to work in a compassionate and empathetic way because I understand it is important is for you to have somebody who will listen to what you need. I will help you, like I've helped many others, to gently transition from surviving to thriving in your own way, at your own pace.

When it comes to our sessions, I care about being fully present and immersed in our work together. I'm highly intuitive and will know when you've hit a wall, start to struggle or need to change the pace. Equally, I will give you gentle nudges when required. That's how I roll. I also want you to smile and enjoy our work together - it's okay to have some relief from your grief, right?

We will work with my personalised resources, tools and techniques to navigate your grief, adjust to your loss and embrace healing. You'll learn how to start working with your grief and stop battling against it.

My Training, Qualifications & Experience include:

• BSc & MSc Psychology
• Diploma & Accreditation in Life Coaching with NLP
• Additional Certification in NLP Practitioner Level
• Level 5 in Leadership & Management
• Certified Trainer
• Level 3 in Counselling Skills & Theory
• Certificate in Mindfulness Based Stress-Reduction (MBSR)
• Qualified Mental Health First Aider
• CRUSE Certificate - Grief Practitioner's Course
• Currently training as a Mindfulness Teacher at Bangor University, Wales.

I am also a member of two professional organisations; The Association for Coaching & The National Council of Psychotherapists.  

Professional membership demonstrates that I care about keeping my skills and training up to date, in order to be the best coach for you. It also means I undertake regular supervision from a qualified coaching supervisor and my professional insurance is present and correct. 

To view my personal story, please visit my website. 

Errol Lynch and Mariana Arando, Founders of Touch Tuina, York

Tuina is the most tried and tested massage therapy in the world.  It is an ancient healing art that employs the use of the hands to press on key points on the surface of the body.  When these points are stimulated, they release tension, increase circulation and improve the body’s own natural healing process.  In China, Tuina is recognised as a distinct medical system in its own right and can be tremendously effective at every stage of grief.

At our Touch Tuina Clinic, we combine the best from Eastern and Western knowledge of the body, health and well-being.  A Touch Tuina treatment incorporates not only massage, but rehabilitation, herbs, acupuncture, cupping, reflexology, kinesiology, heat therapy and dietary therapy.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, emotions and physical health are strongly and intimately connected. Classical Chinese Medical text defines seven emotions as major internal causes of disease and disability.  These emotions are joy, anger, fear, fright, anxiety, pensiveness and grief.

We all experience these emotions and must express them at the appropriate time but, when any one of them become excessive, prolonged, out of balance or are not properly transformed, they can begin to damage their respective organ systems.

When we experience traumatic or stressful events, our lives become unbalanced and the organs that express these emotions can suffer.

The emotional effects of grief are wide ranging and include: numbness, depression, anger, despair, insomnia, detachment, preoccupation with loss and an inability to show or experience joy.

Grief also affects our physical body and can lead to: digestive problems, fatigue, headaches, chest pain and sore muscles from postural imbalance.

Grief, especially if it is prolonged, can disrupt the energy of the Lung and other organ systems, causing imbalance and disorder.  We can use a range of techniques to address this imbalance and restore the body’s balance and energy.  This allows you to acknowledge your loss, before helping you to let go and begin to move forward. Not forgetting what has happened but rather integrating it within your whole life experience and being able to do so with less pain, increased balance and improved strength in the mind and the body.

At Touch Tuina, we think of this as the healthy process of grieving and we look forward to helping you on your own grief journey.

Please visit our website https://www.touchtuina.com/

Nic Stead, Owner of The Creative Studio in York

Being creative has long since been recognised as being beneficial to our health and well-being and being creative is a wonderful way to process and express your grief for a loved one who has passed. At The Creative Studio, we host clay workshops for families and individuals who have experienced bereavement. The studio offers a welcoming and friendly environment, where you will feel at home and at ease, whilst learning new techniques.

Clay is such a great medium to work with and, being an earthly material, is very grounding, allowing you to process your feelings in a safe way.

Handbuilding and pushing and pulling clay to form its many shapes allows you to be present and fully engaged in the moment. Grief can be surreal and bewildering but being able to create something tangible helps to centre us and focus our thoughts.

Lou Harrand, Creator and Owner of Yogabomb, York

Yoga can help you to cope with the initial shock and grief of losing someone, whilst giving you the headspace to process your feelings.

The yoga mat is a very safe space to facilitate heart opening and we can learn how to protect ourselves from emotional overload or being overwhelmed by grief.

We store our emotions deep in the physical and energetic body and emotions such as grief can create blockages within our bodies, resulting in numerous physical and emotional problems. Yoga uses physical postures to reopen these areas and allows us to keep our emotions flowing in a healthy way, free from judgement of ourselves or from others.

In addition to our regular weekly classes, we can offer many other beneficial techniques:

Gong Bath and Yoga Nidra - Gong baths are deeply relaxing and allow your body to heal itself on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. The resonance and vibration cause by the gongs can cut through the chatter of your analytical mind and when the mind is still, repair at the DNA and cellular level allow deep healing to take place. This practice will balance your energies and leave you with a deep feeling of positivity.

Yoga Embraced Reiki – This fully holistic and exquisitely realised practice weaves together the healing of Reiki with the grounding of Restorative Yoga. Within the fusion of these simple, yet profound, approaches to mind/body awareness, lies the potential to experience a deeply peaceful state, providing you with a much needed respite from your grief.

Cacao Heart Opening Ceremony – Cacao is a beautiful and gentle plant medicine used to softly open, awaken, connect and heal, to let go and bring in clarity, hope and self-love. This incredible superfood contains over 200 plant molecules and encourages the release of natural endorphins within our bodies. By opening the heart, cacao enables you to work through blockages and past traumas and dissolve any pent up negative energy.

During the ceremony, we will sit in circle and connect through a beautiful grounding meditation before completing the cacao ritual. We will set individual inentions before immersing in a deeper meditation, to assist in opening up our hearts and letting go. I also use the healing power of sound incorporating drum, Koshi chimes and bowls to help you find space and stillness. On completion of the ceremony, you will feel lighter, balanced and more in control.

And don’t worry if you have never heard of, or practiced, these techniques before. They are suitable for everyone and we will guide and support you to work within your own ability, as we do in our regular classes.

For more details, please visit here

We look forward to welcoming you. Namaste.

Sabine Horner, Founder of Asana Nutrition

I understand bereavement can be an emotional rollercoaster and have personally experienced the huge impact grief can have on our mind and body.

The emotional stress of grief is the number one cause of digestive issues and nutrient deficiencies, contributing to anxiety, depression, fatigue, a weakened immune system and many other health problems, following a major bereavement.

I also know the challenges bereaved people face when it comes to grocery shopping, cooking and eating for one (especially when eating is the last thing you feel like doing).

Yet there are simple ways in which we can improve our energy levels, mental focus and mood. Good nutrition and stress management are key. I run cookery workshops for bereaved people where I can show you to how to prepare nutritious food which will fuel your ability to cope. My workshops also provide a safe space to meet others who have experienced loss and share support.

I also offer Kundalini Yoga and meditation to help you regain your emotional, mental and physical well-being.

For more information, please visit www.asananutrition.co.uk

Geraldine Macé Grief and Relationship Coach

I always feel a huge sense of privilege when a client chooses to work me on their grief.  Each and every one of us will grieve in our own unique way.  Sadly, in our society, grief is an often neglected and misunderstood process.  As a result, we have been left ill equipped to cope with the roller coaster of emotions that can follow a bereavement.  Because we haven’t been taught how, we often don’t grieve in a way that is helpful and we sometimes get left with unresolved grief that can sit within us for many years.  Of course, bereavement isn’t the only loss we can encounter during our lifetime and if these losses accumulate unresolved grief can have a real impact on our ability to be happy.

As part of my coaching I teach a psycho-educational programme which is called the Grief Recovery Method.  This programme can be a life changer and I have worked with many clients both face to face and online.  I will provide you with a safe and supportive space where you can talk about your feelings and be truly heard.  I will also teach you, step by step, actions that you can take to help heal your heart.   Once learned you will have a valuable tool for life and I personally use it on a regular basis to help myself with losses and disappointments.  It gives me a sense of peace to have this ‘go-to’ tool on hand should I need it. 

I love my work and my passion is to help you complete what is unfinished with your lost relationships so you can rediscover your energy and capacity for happiness. 

I am both a Certified Life Coach and Certified Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist.  I am registered with the Association of Coaching and hold full public liability insurance.  I am also DBS checked.  My services are available both face to face and online.  For more information and contact details please do visit my website www.gerimace.com