The Approach
We are story beings
Human beings have always used stories to make sense of life. They help us understand who we are, where we belong and what our experiences mean.
Bereavement can rupture that story. The life we understood changes, and we may wonder who we are now and how our relationship with the person who died can continue in a different form.
Narrative grief work gives this experience language and shape. Drawing on philosophy, literature, ancient wisdom and our natural capacity for storytelling, I help you explore the story your grief is telling. This is not about finding a neat ending. It is about finding a way to carry loss within the continuing story of your life.
Why storytelling in grief helps
Grief affects more than how we feel. It can unsettle our sense of identity, our memories and the future we imagined. Telling and retelling parts of our experience can help us notice what has changed, what still matters and what remains connected. There is room for unfinished feelings as well as love and remembrance.
One story can illuminate another
A myth, poem, philosophical idea or piece of ancient wisdom can sometimes give words to something difficult to name. We may recognise part of ourselves in another story and begin to see our own experience from a new angle. These resources are invitations to reflect, chosen around your life and your loss.
Philosophy as a framework
Philosophy means a love of wisdom. Its questions about love, time, mortality and meaning are also questions grief often brings close. We can explore an idea or a passage that resonates with your circumstances: a thoughtful “philosophical prescription” to consider, question and weave into your own understanding.
Soul and spirituality
For those who welcome a spiritual dimension, the work can include symbols, ritual and soul-level reflection. This offers another way to listen to what grief is asking of you and to bring insight into everyday life. You can choose the form of support that feels right for you.
The thinking behind the work
Optional short section at the bottom of this page, after the visitor-facing copy. Keep full academic discussion off the main page. Wells (1986) and Hardy (1988) consider storytelling as a way people organise experience; Turner (1996) explores narrative as a basic instrument of thought; Oatley (2011) discusses imagination and how stories let us enter experiences beyond our own. Add full bibliographic details only after checking the original sources.