Shapes of Grief Training Programme

22/10/2026

The Pride Circle at 👸🏻 (formerly Grammarly) hosted a webinar on Loss and Grief for LGBTQ+ employees and allies. It was my honour to deliver the webinar to staff across the States and Europe.

Due to stigma and marginalisation, LGBTQ+ people can experience loss and grief in ways that differ from those of heterosexual or cisgender colleagues. The loss of a partner or estrangement from family, or exclusion from funeral planning, can often lead to a lack of acknowledgement and disenfranchised grief.

For some people, their gender or sexual identity can mean ongoing stigma and discrimination, which in itself can cause chronic stress and ongoing grief.

It’s so important for workplaces to not only acknowledge grief at work, but to recognise how grief may hit differently depending on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Thanks to vrinda for organising and to all in the Pride Circle who showed up and participated today - 🏳️‍🌈 +grief

My podcast Shapes of Grief includes several episodes on loss and grief in the Queer/LGBTQ+ community. Find it at www.shapesofgrief.com

13/10/2026

Thanks to HopeSpace for inviting me to speak about children and grief at their public event last night. It is always a humbling and moving experience to be in the company of people who are carrying immense loss. Nobody was built to grieve alone, grief needs to be tenderly held in community. Over 100 people did that last night in the Dexcom stadium. It was moving, as always, to hear Katie-Anne O’Toole to speak about how her family navigates the deaths of three siblings, resulting in the sibling bereavement charity Jacinta's Smile-Sibling Bereavement Support - and particularly lovely to meet their big-hearted Dad, Frank.
And two of my own children, who both have recently bereaved friends, joined me too - it’s never too young to learn how to be a good friend in times of loss and grief.

The event was filmed and will be available via Hopespace in time. If you would like to learn more about how to support a grieving child or adolescent, the Irish childhood Bereavement Network has excellent resources. For anyone in Galway or nearby, HopeSpace offers a listening service and other resources.

05/10/2026

05/10/2026

Join us this evening at 7pm for a live webinar on loss and grief, with Fiona of The Positive Habit. Attendance is free, but you must register beforehand with The Positive Habit on their website.

30/09/2026

Free Public Talk on Supporting Grieving Children
HopeSpace, children’s grief support service is hosting a free public talk titled ‘Supporting Grieving Children’ at 7.30pm on Monday, October 12, 2026, at Dexcom Stadium.
This session is designed to offer clear, compassionate guidance on recognising how children experience loss, normalising their reactions, and finding practical ways to support them through their grief.
The talk is a vital resource for anyone who supports grieving children and young people—including parents, grandparents, family members, friends, teachers, youth workers, sports club coaches, and health and social care professionals.
Admission is free, but prior booking is advised

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2000258909243?aff=oddtdtcreator

28/09/2026

When I launched the Shapes Of Grief online training programme, I hoped, at the very least, that it would show healthcare professionals how MUCH there is to learn about loss in all its facets, and how much depth and breadth there is to this topic. Feedback (example below) arrives to my inbox every day - and each piece of feedback gives us SO MUCH information about the assumptions we make about offering effective grief support and why knowledge sharing is vital. But this course is not just for professionals; it's for anybody and everybody with an interest in learning more about loss and grief, whether it's your own journey or someone you're supporting.

💡 It's never just a professional CPD; there's always personal learning too.
💡 People who think they are grief-literate are amazed when they learn how much they didn't know before (we don't know what we don't know!)
💡 The programme is a good barometer to understand one's own competence - where it stretches to and where it ends.
💡 Nobody expects that race or sexuality will impact grief - but they do and we tell you how and why.
💡 There is an expectation that older people grieve better because they're more used to it or expect it - our lesson with older people will leave you thinking differently.
💡 The personal stories bridge the theory with practice. When we hear someone else share their experience, we find some of ourselves and our common humanity there too.

For course enrollment, follow the link: https://shapesofgrief.com/grief-training-course/professional-certificate-in-grief-loss/