Some say I’ve been a counsellor since I was 10 years old. I was always the one my friends (and even their friends) came to for guidance and that has continued until today.

 

I spent most of my adult life running a successful manufacturing clothing company that my husband and I established in Indonesia in 1988 which at its peak, employed over 120 staff.

It was when my one-week-old grandson Cooper died in 2005 that there began a shift in me. What is life all about? Why are we here? Why is life so cruel for some when others seem to get it “easy”.

But it was in 2012 (when the heart of my healthy 25-year-old son Kane suddenly stopped and he died that those questions became of desperate importance. Even though I had a wonderful husband, two more children and two gorgeous grandkids, I didn’t want to continue to live such was the agony and the pain I was feeling. It just didn’t make sense to me. Why was I still here and he wasn’t?

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We gifted our business in Indonesia to our staff and established a charity. ​​ www.kwaya.org

Over ten years we made seven trips taking volunteer Aussies to Uganda to work on community projects alongside The African Children’s Choir in the slums of Kampala.

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During that time, we also brought the African Children’s Choir and UBUNTU Africa (each two times) to Australia for 3-month tours starting in the Mornington Peninsula and ending on the Sunshine Coast.

During those tours (both in Uganda and Australia) I found myself spending many hours counselling both Aussies and Africans as they embarked on challenging and daunting journeys.

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My hope is that I can continue to "make it count" by reaching out to those who are struggling with this phenomenon called "life".

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I love journeying alongside people as they find relief from struggles, achieving goals, relieving anxiety and to have more fulfilling relationships.

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I especially am drawn to those suffering loss in their lives. Whether it be a loved one, a job, a house or your dreams, we can work together to find ways to cope, ease the pain and rediscover purpose and meaning in your life at a time when we feel there is none.

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My Major in is in grief therapy. I believe that talking about loved ones and openly treasuring memories is both beneficial and comforting. The end of life in no way translates to the end of a relationship. Understanding why we are suffering can help, as can talking to and sharing our emotional pain with others.

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Grief numbs our body, ravages our heart and sucks the air out of our lungs. And yet ... grief is love. My own experience of loss has led me to understand that whether the loss is recent or years ago, we need an empathetic and an understanding ear when our world has come crashing down.