My Story:

I was 30 when my husband and best friend, Drew, died suddenly one sunny Monday morning in May.

I was shattered. I lost not only my partner, but our life together, our future, my own sense of self, and my belief in a fair and predictable world.

At the time, I was a social worker and psychotherapist in a mental health hospital. I understood grief intellectually, at least in theory. But nothing could have prepared me for how profoundly Drew’s death would affect every part of my life.

In those early months, I struggled with anxiety, panic attacks, and relentless insomnia. I tried coping in the ways I knew how. I kept busy, pushed myself to work harder, and tried to somehow “grieve well.” When that didn't work, I tried to numb what I was feeling and escape the pain.

Eventually, I left my job and travelled through South America. Part of me was trying to figure out who I was without him and find some sense of meaning. But truthfully, I was also trying to run away from a life I no longer knew how to live.

What I did discover was that yoga, mindfulness, and writing gave me ways to be with what I was feeling, without having to make sense of it.

During my first yoga teacher training, I began learning about how emotions affect our bodies and nervous systems. This helped me better understand what I was experiencing and find ways to live with my grief and care for myself, rather than trying to push through it or run away.

The past thirteen years have been messy, confusing, and full of grief, change, unexpected adventures, and so much learning. I've slowly built a life that feels meaningful to me, while continuing to grieve the life Drew and I never got to have.

Eleven years ago, I moved to Santa Marta, on Colombia's Caribbean coast. I opened a yoga studio and began leading wellness retreats, sharing many of the practices that had become such an important part of my own life.

Over time, I found myself drawn back to my roots in mental health and social work. I wanted to bring together my own experience of grief, my years as a psychotherapist, and everything I'd learned through yoga, mindfulness, and writing to offer others the kind of understanding and support I'd needed myself.

I went on to become a Certified Grief Coach and Grief Educator, specializing in mindfulness and body-based practices for caring for ourselves after loss.

When I think back to those early years after Drew died, I remember how much I needed someone who could listen without trying to fix what couldn't be fixed. Someone I could talk to about Drew and everything I was feeling, who wouldn't shy away from my sadness, anger, confusion, or the questions I didn't have answers to.

I also needed help understanding what was happening to me beyond my thoughts and feelings, and finding ways to care for my whole self when everything felt so overwhelming.

That's the kind of understanding, care, and practical support I now offer others through one-to-one grief coaching, Mindfulness & Grief groups, and retreats.

This work is deeply important to me. I know how terribly confusing and lonely grief can be, and I would be honoured to connect, whether that's to explore how I might support you or to help you find something that feels like a better fit.