NAOMI GIBSON

Hello wonderful human!

I’m Naomi, I’m currently finishing up my PhD at Leeds Uni, and fast approaching 30, making me the oldie of the Grieve and Groove team! 

My journey with grief has been a long one, or you could say a long time coming. My Dad died when I was 2, and whilst I remember at times being acutely aware of the massive impact this had on my life, I didn’t ever really engage with my emotions around it. Then, in 2017, following the death of a family friend, I was unexpectedly hit by overwhelming grief for all the losses associated with my Dad’s death, and forced to face my feelings.    

It was with some trepidation that I went to the Parental Loss Group, unsure whether it would be helpful or not. I have no memories of my Dad, and knew there’d be times that I wouldn’t be able to share in the same way as other people there. Some sessions were really tough, but going through the process with a group of students who were also trying to navigate grieving the loss of a parent, and accepted me where I was, without judgement, was such a relief. 

Grief is a very individual thing; no two experiences are the same. We each grieve differently through different losses and times in our life. However, there is a comfort, freedom and strength that can be found in the sharing of personal experiences with grief; hearing other people’s stories can be oddly comforting – it really helps to know you’re not alone.

So, whether this is your first time reaching out and exploring some sort of grief support, or you’ve been on the grief train for a while now; whether your loss was 20 years ago, 2 days ago, or you are experiencing anticipatory grief; please know you are welcome here. We hope you find something that helps you to process, explore or understand your grief; a safe place and a community where you can find support, encouragement and strength to be able not only to grieve, but also find your groove.

​

Naomi x