Joan Hughes Wellbeing Therapist

"The grief recovery method was excellent. To be able to understand grief and work through the process to complete on emotional pain has been life transforming. Joan guided me with expertise and wisdom. I am now so much better equipped to recognise and deal with loss of all kinds. This not only helps me but also enables me to support others in my role as a vicar. Thank you"

"I came to Joan through a word of mouth recommendation. I knew I needed some kind of help as I was making no more progress on my own in my recovery, but I had uncertainty in abundance with the method. This uncertainty proved unfounded and was based on my own prejudice. After the first face to face meeting with Joan, I felt hope that this method could be a key part of my improvement. I felt safe and listened to, with a defined guide to assist. As lockdown occurred once more, it is of great testament to Joan that we continued without me feeling impaired in the recovery process - a non-face to face just wouldn't have seemed feasible to me in the beginning. Ten minutes in I didn't even notice the video conference aspect. I couldn't imagine having gone on this journey with anybody else but with Joan. I'm not an emotional person, but I had enough sense to know when no progress is being made and when a change in approach is needed. This programme along with Joan by my side gave me the tools to cope and improve as life progresses. I do feel more positive, and calm in myself, and I can re-read the book when needed. Some aspects may seem self-evident and common sense once read, but without the programme I wouldn't have realised these elements for myself. I can recommend Joan, and the programme for an emotional recovery, and for a greater understanding of how we as humans tick. With thanks."

"This was a really good experience, I am really glad that I have done it. I hadn’t heard of the grief recovery program before but since doing the program it has really helped me. Joan was really lovely and friendly which helped through the program, if it is something you are thinking of doing I really recommend."

"Joan is an incredible human being and simply exceptional at what she does. I have to say, I entered the programme a little unsure of what to expect and how successful (or unsuccessful) it might be. I had no reason to be concerned. Joan took me step by step through the framework with patience and untold kindness. The Grief Recovery Method is action based and I had some reading and a small amount of homework to do but it was completely worth it and is an integral part of the process. Completing the programme has made a huge difference to how I feel about 2 really significant situations in my life that had had an impact for far too long. I can't thank Joan enough. Put your trust and faith in her and the programme. You won't regret it."

"The beauty of the Grief Recovery Method is that it gives you tools & a structure to use again with whatever is causing you 'grief', be it death, relationships, loss of jobs, health or situation. There's a time frame too, so you know it’s not going to drag on and on with no end in sight, but like all these things you only get out of it what you put in. But with a Grief Recovery Specialist like Joan I knew I was in safe and understanding hands. By sharing her story with me a trust was built that made me feel safe in sharing mine with her. Without her I wouldn't feel at peace with the past as I do now and able to face the future, whatever it brings. For many years I’ve been carrying around grief without realising it; it was only going through this process with Joan that I came to understand the full extent of it. I was introduced to The Grief Recovery Method ostensibly to get over the loss of my one-in-a-million horse, Sparkie, who had died many years ago. I had no concept at the beginning that the method would identify a much bigger issue that I was unaware of, but also give me the tools and the confidence to be able to deal with it. Joan was so understanding and led me gently through the process, supporting me with the ‘relationship-loss’ of Sparkie, so I understood how it all worked, before encouraging me to take on the huge event that had shaped the last 40yrs of my life. She acknowledged that it was going to be a big piece of work for me, but was there at the end of the phone whenever I needed guidance and help to make sure I was on the right track and never made me feel silly or inadequate. The ‘structure’ of the process helped to me to connect with all of the elements of my past that had led to the present day, without judgement or exhaustive dissection. The discussion was more with myself and that gave me carte-blanch to say exactly what was in my heart. I didn't have to sanitize anything, I didn't have to justify my thoughts and feelings, I just had to be completely honest with myself. The only person who heard these thoughts was Joan and she held them safe for me. There was no picking over and examining, just acceptance. To give some context here’s my story … In 1980 I fell 20' during some training in a gym which resulted in a spinal cord injury causing paralysis from my hips down. I was seventeen. I learnt to live with not being able to walk again and having to use a wheelchair all the time, as well as having to manage my personal care in a very different way, and I focused on all the positives I could find; I was still able to drive, work, go on holiday, ride horses, have children ... all be it not as before. However, nothing ever stays the same and the things I initially took for granted have changed over the last 40yrs. My independence is now being stripped away as I get older and things wear out, and my dependence on others seems to be increasing with every year. This bereavement, this loss of the physical me and my independence, has taken a long time for me to acknowledge. I thought I'd dealt with it in my own little way back in the early 80's. I thought I'd come out the other side and was able to get on with my life. I understood what had happened to me back then so why, after all these years, did I find myself in tears and an emotional wreck whenever something else befell me. Because I hadn't dealt with what was underlying it all and allowed myself to acknowledge and grieve properly for what was lost all those years ago. Now, thanks to Joan, I finally feel I’ve been able to do that."