If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I focus on providing training about loss and grief for professionals. That didn’t just come out of nowhere—there’s a wealth of life experience behind it.
Recently, I received a message that truly touched me. Brainz Magazine invited me for an interview as an Executive Contributor. The result? An in-depth article in which they describe me as “one of Europe’s leading voices in grief and loss psychology.”
Honestly? That still feels a little surreal. Because for me, it all began in a very simple way: I saw professionals struggling. I saw how helpless they felt when their client began to cry. How they thought: “This loss is so big—what could I possibly add here?”
That moved me. Deeply.
From personal pain to professional mission
In the interview, I share my story. How I lost my first husband at the age of 34 and was left behind with our five-year-old daughter. How, back then, grief therapy hardly existed—especially not for children. And how that senseless loss eventually became the starting point for everything I do today.
Because that’s what loss does: it forces you to look deeper. To discover what is truly needed. Not only for yourself, but for all the others who must walk through that dark valley.
The influence of loss
The article talks about the SCHIP approach that I helped develop. About Lutography and Deepfake Therapy. About the books and the trainings. But what touches me the most is this quote they used: “How loss became a teacher.” In that single sentence, they somehow summed up my life as it is now.
My mission: creating a world where grief is no longer a silent struggle, but a supported path forward
That is exactly why I started the Academie voor Verlies (Grief Training Centre). Because I have seen up close how deeply loss can affect lives. Not only for those experiencing it, but also for you as a professional who wants to support them. Training in grief and loss is essential for anyone who works with people in these moments—whether the loss is big or small.
The reality in your practice
Perhaps you recognize this: your client sits across from you, overwhelmed by grief. And you think: “I want so badly to help, but I don’t know how.” Or: “My client is stuck—how do I help them move forward?”
In the interview, I talk about a young man who lost both his wife and newborn daughter during childbirth. Broken, with no future in sight. Of course, I could not take away his loss. But by staying present with him in his pain, I trusted that one day he would find his footing again.
And he did.
Grief needs witnesses
That story illustrates something essential: grief needs witnesses. Recognition makes the difference. You are that witness. You are the one who can make a difference.
But only with the right knowledge, tools, and confidence.
Grief is not something you “fix”
The reason I share this is not to impress you with a fancy title in an international magazine (though I’m very proud of it). But because this interview captures exactly what I stand for. And because I know that you, like me, want to help create a world where grief is no longer a silent struggle.
In the interview, I say: “Grief is not something you solve; it is something you learn to live with. It can even become a source of resilience and connection.”
That also applies to you as a professional. You don’t need to have all the answers. You don’t need to be perfect. But you can learn how to be present in someone’s pain. How to ask the right questions. How to spark movement.
Hope for the future
The interview offers a beautiful glimpse into my work and vision. They write about my hope for the future: that grief can be talked about as naturally as love or joy. That schools, workplaces, and communities create spaces where grieving people feel supported.
And that you, as a professional, no longer need to feel powerless.
Because that’s what I see happening in my trainings. Professionals saying: “Finally, a training that really dives into practice.” Or: “I no longer feel empty-handed—I know what to do now.”
Read the full interview in Brainz Magazine
Do you want to learn more about my story, my methods, and my vision on grief? You can find the full interview on the Brainz Magazine website. It offers a wonderful overview of everything I stand for.
And who knows—it may inspire you to take the next step toward more confidence in your work with grieving clients.
Because, as I say in the interview: almost everyone has the resilience to learn to live with loss, no matter how big it is. That goes for your clients. And it goes for you as a professional too.
👉 You can read the interview here.
I’d love to hear what you think! And of course, I’m curious: what touches you most in this story?