Research in the fields of trauma, grief counselling and psychotherapy has always been an important part of my work.  

My focus has been on transforming the lived experience of tragic bereavement into support. 

My research is based on my own personal experience and my work as a psychotherapist supporting bereaved children and their families. 

In 2003, I created the Upward Spiral of Grief  model, first published in the Grief Encounter Workbook (2004).

This pioneering model transformed conventional thinking about grief. It’s now a widely adopted therapeutic tool used across the entire bereavement world.

The model rethinks traditional ideas around ‘stages of grief’. It shows the common feelings of grief, but not in any set order. The spiral more closely reflects the recurring emotions that a person may feel. 

It removes the pressure of the ‘stages’, making it less frightening to revisit these feelings time and time again.

Most importantly, it gives bereaved people permission to grieve in their own way, in their own time.

In 2016, I completed my doctorate on young people’s lived experience of trauma and grief. (Metanoia Institute of Psychotherapy , Middlesex University/UCL). 

I was awarded the Middlesex University/Metanoia end of year prize for my work, as well as BACP/Wiley Researcher of the Year (2016/7). 

To read my PhD thesis (unpublished), click here:

Insights Into the Grief of Parentally Bereaved Young People: A Grounded Theory Study Exploring Young People’s Psychological and Emotional Experiences Following the Death of a Parent 

Abstract published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, July 2021. 

In partnership with Anna Freud and Dr Saul Hillman, I’m engaged with ongoing research on the topic of trauma, grief and bereavement of children and young people. Our work is presented in collaboration with The Association for Child and Adolescent Health (ACAMHS). 

Through my research, I continue to challenge conventional thinking in the fields of traumatic grief and bereavement support. My goal is to change our approach to grief, allowing us all to grieve in a much better way than we do now.