Dr Shelley Gilbert MBE, PhD, PGDPM, UKCP(Reg), PGD in Counselling & Psychotherapy, Senior Accredited MBACP, and Founder and Lifetime President of Grief Encounter, one of the UK’s leading child bereavement charities.

Shelley experienced the death of both of her parents by the age of 9 for which, like the majority of bereaved children, she received little professional help or support. Shelley used her lifetime learning about the complex issues facing bereaved children and their families to set up Grief Encounter in 2003, which is now one of the UK’s leading child and family bereavement not-for-profit services, spearheading their bespoke family training programme.

Shelley has trained, researched and worked as a professional psychotherapist for bereaved children and young people for over 25 years. She wrote the interactive Grief Encounter Workbook, now known as Griefbook, which rapidly became an award-winning bestseller. The success of the book enabled her, with the help of some exceptional people, to make it her mission to ensure that free and accessible life-changing therapeutic services are available in the UK, to grieving children and their families.

She received her PhD in 2016, receiving awards for her Doctorate on young people’s trauma and grief (Middlesex University/Metonoia Year prize and BACP/Wiley Researcher of the Year 2016/7). Together with Dr Saul Hillman and Anna Freud Centre, her research work continues. Shelley has been a thought leader in the world of grief and trauma; dedicating her extensive Doctorate research and creating the model of the “Upward Spiral of Grief” process, which exponentially changed the landscape of grief and is now widely adopted and utilised therapeutic tool across the bereavement world.

She shares her learning through trainings (including the university accredited Good Grief Training programmes), lectures, keynote speeches, workshops, and the development of specialist bereavement resources, both in the UK and internationally. She inspired and actioned Bad Times Rhymes, a national poetry competition which saw Poet Laureate Andrew Motion hand out the awards to the winning children. This initiative was later turned into a book housing many of the fabulous competition entries. Shelley also set up and Chaired an influential Clinical Advisory Panel. Shelley then went further in her mission and began the now established Children’s Grief Awareness Week, which is recognised nationwide in November every year.

Shelley has made many TV and radio appearances including the BBC, ITV and Sky Channels. She has also featured in many press articles and spoke on Cariad Lloyd’s award-winning podcast Griefcast. Some of her story can be seen in her TEDx Talk.

Her tireless and selfless work has been acknowledged by some prestigious awards including the Daily Mail’s Inspirational Woman of the Year (2016/7). Others include the Bank of America Excellence Hero Award in 2007, the Norwood Helping Hand Award in 2006 for recognition of exceptional dedication and the AOL Community Innovation in the Community Award. Her most significant accolade was being awarded an MBE in 2015 in recognition of her services to bereaved families. Shelley always wanted to lead by example, telling her own story and encouraging others to do the same. Her MBE is a testament to a lifetime of work and dedication to her mission that no bereaved child should suffer alone.

Over the years, Shelley has encountered some real life superheroes who have supported and championed her work, these include Katherine Jenkins, Al Murray, Clive Owen, Jeff Brazier, Craig Revel Horwood, Princess Anne, Darcey Bussell, Antonio Carluccio, Beverley Knight, Lisa Riley, Kevin Wells and Alfie Boe.

Shelley continues to dedicate her life to supporting bereaved children and ensuring that no child suffers bereavement alone and in silence as she did. 

She is married with four children and lives and works in London.