A Gift For Grief

In this episode, I’m joined by Lucy Bee, both a therapist and the founder of Rage Rooms Leamington Spa.In this episode we talk about a powerful and often overlooked side of grief - anger.Lucy brings a unique perspective on grief, emotional suppression, and why sometimes talking alone isn’t enough. In this conversation, we explore how movement, expression, and safe release can play a role in healing.Lucy created her rage room as a place where people can safely release what they’re holding inside. While smashing objects might sound unusual at first, the intention behind it is deeply therapeutic - allowing people to physically move emotions that feel stuck in the body.We also dive into Lucy’s personal experiences with grief, what helped her move forward, and why acknowledging the full spectrum of emotions, including anger can be an important part of the healing process.If you’ve ever felt like your grief doesn’t fit the neat, quiet version society expects, this episode may help you feel less alone.Recommended reading:The Body Keeps The Score - Bessel van der KolkThe Courage To Be Disliked - Fumitake Koga and Ichiro KishimiMetaphysical Anatomy - Dr. Evette RoseTapping Therapy (EFT) - www.thetappingsolution.comConnect With Lucy Bee – theinsidejobwithlucybee@gmail.comwww.ragerooms-leamingtonspa.co.ukConnect with your host Louise Bates:https://linktr.ee/louisebatesIf this episode moved you, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might need it.You help this show reach others walking their own path through grief.

A Gentle Note: This episode contains discussion of mental health struggles, trauma, and the death of a young person. Please listen with care and seek support if you need it.In today’s episode, I’m joined by Marianne Griffiths, a mother who shares her experience of losing her adult daughter - first through years of separation and struggle, and later through her heartbreaking sudden death in 2019 from SUDEP. SUDEP stands for Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. It refers to the sudden, unexplained death of someone with epilepsy who was otherwise healthy, where no other clear cause is found after investigation.In this deeply moving and important conversation, Marianne shares the story of her daughter, Abi, a young woman who spent much of her life fighting to be understood, supported, and believed.From an early age, Abi faced learning difficulties, mental health challenges, and repeated trauma. Her family spent years navigating education systems, social services, and mental health support in search of the right care. Along the way, there were moments of hope, heartbreak, and resilience.This is a conversation about unconditional love, advocacy, and the urgent need to listen to vulnerable voices before it’s too late.In This Episode, We Explore:Marianne’s journey as a mother navigating complex systemsAbi’s early life and the challenges she facedThe impact of separation when a child is taken into careLiving with ambiguous grief and lossThe reality of grieving twiceAdvocacy within education, social care, and mental health servicesThe importance of being heard, seen, and believedRemembering Abi and the legacy she leaves behindConnect with your host Louise Bates:https://linktr.ee/louisebatesIf this episode moved you, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might need it.You help this show reach others walking their own path through grief.

Moving house is one of the most stressful things we can do. When you’ve spent 28 years building a life in one place, leaving becomes even harder - especially after losing a loved one who shared that space with you. As I prepare to leave the home we’ve lived in for nearly three decades, I’ve been reflecting on how our places and possessions quietly hold the stories of our lives. In this episode, I share what it’s like to sort through decades of memories, how difficult it is to let go, and how we begin to decide what we carry with us into the next chapter.Connect with your host Louise Bates:https://linktr.ee/louisebatesIf this episode moved you, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might need it.You help this show reach others walking their own path through grief.

In today’s episode, we explore a form of grief that is so often minimised, misunderstood, or pushed aside: the loss of a beloved pet. I’m joined by Debbie McLeod, known as The Midlife Mystic Mentor. Debbie is a counsellor, hypnotherapist, medium, spiritual guide, and the author of Best Friends Forever: Practical Steps and Wisdom to Ease the Pain of Pet Loss. Her work gently bridges emotional support with spiritual understanding, helping people navigate some of life’s most tender experiences.Together, we dive into why losing a pet can feel so devastating, how to honour that grief, and the deep, spiritual connections many of us feel with our animals. Debbie's book:https://debbiemcleod.co.uk/servicesConnect with Debbie:instagram.com/midlifemysticmentorFacebook - Midlife Mystic Mentorhttps://www.facebook.com/DebbieandMollie/ Connect with your host Louise Bates:https://linktr.ee/louisebatesIf this episode moved you, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might need it.You help this show reach others walking their own path through grief.

In today’s deeply moving episode, I’m joined in the studio by Helen Smith mum to Evelyn, her beautiful daughter who tragically died when she was just seven years old. Evelyn’s death was particularly heartbreaking, because it was something that could have been prevented.Since that unimaginable loss, Helen has been learning to live with both grief, trauma and PTSD and her loss has shaped every part of her life. Yet from that deep heartbreak, Helen has created something truly special; a charity called Evelyn’s Gift, which shares kindness and compassion in Evelyn’s memory. Through this work, Helen has found small moments of light and a sense of purpose.In this episode, Helen opens up about:What life was like before Evelyn diedThe events leading up to her daughter’s death and the devastating realisation that it was avoidableThe long, painful journey of seeking answers through an inquest and civil litigationThe ongoing fight for truth, accountability, and changeHow Evelyn’s Gift was born from grief, and how it continues to spread kindness in Evelyn’s nameWe also talk about the challenges of medical trust and accountability, sharing personal reflections from my own experience with my son Matthew’s illness and the haunting “what ifs” that so many bereaved parents live with.During our conversation, I also highlight the story of Jessica Brady, a 27-year-old engineer whose preventable death inspired ‘Jess’s Rule’, a vital reminder to doctors to take action when patients repeatedly present with the same symptoms.Helen’s courage, honesty, and compassion shine through every word. Her story is not just about loss, it’s about turning pain into purpose, finding meaning through kindness, and keeping her daughter’s spirit alive in the most beautiful way.So grab yourself a cuppa (and maybe a box of tissues) and sit back as Helen shares her powerful story and one that will stay with you long after the episode ends.Connect with Helen through her wonderful charity www.evelynsgift.co.ukConnect with your host Louise Bates: https://linktr.ee/louisebatesIf this episode moved you, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might need it.You help this show reach others walking their own path through grief.

Whether your loss was sudden or expected, the first days and weeks can feel surreal, like the world is still spinning while you’re standing completely still. Louise shares her own honest and tender experience of losing her son Matthew, offering listeners reassurance that every reaction in grief is a normal one.This episode explores:What those first hours and days after a loss can feel likeThe shock, numbness, and disbelief that often protect us in the beginningWhy anticipatory grief doesn’t make the final moment any easierHow emotions in early grief move in waves - sometimes tsunamisThe fog, exhaustion, and confusion of that first weekThe strange push-and-pull of practical tasks in the middle of heartbreakThe loneliness that can appear even when you’re surrounded by peopleThe moment when the world seems to 'move on' while your grief is still rawThe importance of glimmers, those tiny sparks of relief, laughter, or peaceWhy healing isn’t about forgetting, but about growing around your griefThis episode reminds listeners that grief has no timeline.There is no right way to feel. Early grief is not meant to be solved - it is meant to be survived, one breath and one step at a time.Connect with your host Louise Bates: https://linktr.ee/louisebatesIf this episode moved you, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might need it.You help this show reach others walking their own path through grief.