Finding Healing and Comfort The festive season is often portrayed as a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness. However, for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, experiencing grief during Christmas can be incredibly challenging. The festive atmosphere, traditions, memories, music and expectations can intensify feelings of sadness and loneliness. It's important to remember that it's okay to grieve during this time, and there are ways to honour your emotions while finding healing and comfort. In this blog post, I will discuss strategies for coping with grief during the festive season, helping you navigate this difficult period with compassion and self-care. Acknowledge Your Emotions: It's okay to feel sad, it's crucial to acknowledge and validate your feelings of grief during this time. Grieve in your way and at your own pace. Allow yourself to feel the emotions that arise, and don't be too hard on yourself. Give yourself permission to feel whatever emotions come up, without judgment or guilt. Remember that grief is a natural response to love and loss, and it's okay to not feel festive or joyful during this season. Grief is a personal journey, it is not linear and there is no timeline to your healing journey. Consider different ways of celebrating: While it may be challenging to engage in familiar traditions that remind you of your loved one, consider creating new memories or activities that honour their memory. This could be lighting a candle in their honour, preparing their favourite meal, listening to their particular music choice, visiting their resting place, or sharing stories and memories with others who also miss them. Creating new traditions can provide a sense of connection and help keep their memory alive during the festive season. If your grief is very raw, it may be that you don't want to do Christmas at all. It's important to do what is right for you and not feel pressured. Setting boundaries to prioritise your emotional wellbeing. Reach Out for Support: During these difficult times, it's essential to lean on your support system. Reach out to understanding family members, friends, or support groups who can provide comfort and companionship. If your grief is very raw, it may be that you don't want to do Christmas at all, you may want to have time with just your family or just yourself, using this time to self-regulate and be kind to yourself. Grief can be a lonely experience, which is why it's crucial to make an effort to spend time with others, even if it's the last thing you want to do. Isolation can make the grieving process even more difficult and is only compounded if we are alone too much. Take Care of Yourself: Grieving can take a toll on both your mental and physical wellbeing. Prioritise your self-care during the festive season. Take time for activities that bring you comfort, such as walking, practising mindfulness, engaging in gentle exercise, and listening to soothing music. It can also be about taking a moment to just be and connect with yourself. Setting boundaries and allowing yourself to rest and recharge is crucial during this time. Honour Your Loved One's Memory: Finding ways to honour the memory of your loved one during the festive season can provide a sense of connection and comfort, creating a memorial decoration, cooking their favourite festive food, lighting a candle or organising a memory walk with friends and family. Seek Professional Help: If you find that your grief becomes overwhelming and begins to interfere with your daily life, it may be helpful to seek professional help. Grief counselling or therapy can provide a safe and supportive space to explore your emotions, gain coping strategies, and find ways to navigate the festive season more effectively. Conclusion: Coping with grief during the festive season can be challenging, but it's important to remember that you are not alone. By acknowledging your emotions, creating new traditions, seeking support, taking care of yourself, and honouring your loved one's memory, you can find healing and a little comfort during this time. Remember to be kind to yourself and allow yourself the space to grieve. May this season bring you solace and the strength to find moments of peace amidst the pain. Sending love ~ Nikki Beautiful photo by: Nick Spence Photography

Prioritising  Wellbeing and Finding Balance The festive season can be both wonderful and overwhelming, often leading to increased stress levels. However, by prioritising your wellbeing and implementing effective coping strategies, you can navigate the Christmas season with more ease and enjoyment. In this blog, I will discuss various ways therapy, reiki, and other coping strategies can help you maintain balance and reduce stress during this busy time. A few signs of stress to be mindful of : . Disturbed sleep on a regular basis . Persistent headaches or dizziness. . Problems concentrating. . More frequent feeling agitated and irritable. . Change in appetite . Stomach problems. . Feeling overwhelmed and emotional. . Increased dependence on addictive behaviours - drinking, smoking or over - eating. The Benefits of Therapy: Therapy offers a supportive and confidential space to explore and address any underlying stressors, anxieties, or emotional challenges that may surface during the festive season. A therapist can provide valuable guidance, coping strategies, and tools to help you manage stress effectively. Embracing Reiki Practice: Reiki, a Japanese healing technique, focuses on promoting relaxation and emotional wellbeing. During a reiki session, a practitioner uses their hands to transfer energy to the client, helping to balance the body's energy centres. Reiki can provide a sense of calm, reduce anxiety, and restore harmony within. Incorporating reiki into your self-care routine during Christmas can alleviate stress, promote relaxation, and support your overall wellbeing. Effective Coping Strategies: Alongside therapy and reiki, implementing practical coping strategies can significantly impact your ability to manage stress throughout the festive season. Consider incorporating the following techniques: Time Management: Prioritise your tasks, delegate responsibilities, and set realistic expectations for yourself. Creating a schedule or to-do list can help you stay organised and reduce stress. Self-Care: Self-care looks different for everyone. Take time to engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. This can include practising mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, journaling, taking nature walks, listening to music or indulging in a warm bath. It can also be about taking a moment to just be and connect with yourself and allowing yourself to rest when YOU need to. It's important to remember that self-care is also... . How you speak to yourself. . Saying no & setting boundaries. . Taking a step back. . Forgiving yourself. . Practising Self-compassion. . Putting yourself first. . Asking for help. Setting Boundaries: Communicate your boundaries and learn to say no when necessary. A gentle reminder that it's alright to decline invitations or invitations that may cause additional stress or overwhelm. And this includes family members. “No”. Is a complete sentence. Connecting with Supportive People: Surround yourself with caring and understanding friends or family members. Share your concerns and seek their support when needed. It's ok to ask for help. Engaging in open conversations can offer emotional relief and provide different perspectives. Dealing With The Financial Pressures: Christmas can put an added strain on the finances. Especially, with the current cost of living crisis!  Instead, why not focus on the true spirit of the season and give the gift of presence, rather than presents? Spending quality time with loved ones, laughing, making memories, and sharing meaningful moments can be far more valuable than any material gift. Whether it's cosying up by the fire, going for a winter walk, having heartfelt conversations, or playing games these experiences create lasting memories and bring joy!  Prioritising the people in our lives and show them how much we care, because the best gifts are the ones that can't be wrapped. “It’s not what's under the Christmas Tree  that matters. It's who’s around it” Quote- Charlie Brown Conclusion: By prioritising your wellbeing and utilizing resources such as therapy, reiki, and coping strategies, you can navigate the Christmas season with a greater sense of balance and calm. Remember to take time for self-care, seek support and ask for help when needed, and allow yourself to celebrate in a way that feels right for you while managing stress effectively. Christmas can be a difficult time for anyone grieving. You will find support in my blog: Coping with Grief at Christmas ~ Nikki Beautiful photo by: Nick Spence Photography

My winter wellbeing unique blend of Therapy Gentle Massage, and Reiki. I'm delighted to introduce this unique blend approach to holistic healing through the synergy of therapy. In today's fast-paced world, finding balance and inner peace is more important than ever. This year more than ever I have noticed that people are dealing with burnout, stress and generally feeling low in mood. Combining these powerful techniques, I aim to elevate your wellbeing. Join me and explore the remarkable benefits of Serenities Path's unique blends and how they can positively influence your physical, mental, and spiritual health. Understanding Combined Therapy: Combined therapy is a unique blend of traditional therapeutic methods, gentle massage, and the ancient Japanese energy healing practice known as Reiki. Each technique complements and enhances the others, working synergistically to promote relaxation, release tension, and stress and restore the balance of energy within the body. Unlocking Physical Benefits: When therapy, gentle massage, and reiki are combined, the physical benefits are truly remarkable. Therapy sessions provide a safe space for individuals to explore their emotions and experiences, eliciting positive changes in cognitive and emotional wellbeing. Gentle massage alleviates muscle tension, increases blood circulation, and releases endorphins, promoting deep relaxation and reducing pain. Simultaneously, reiki energy healing activates and rebalances the body's energy centres, stimulating the natural healing process and strengthening the immune system. Enhancing Mental Wellbeing: The synergy created by combining therapy, gentle massage, and reiki has profound effects on mental wellbeing. Therapy offers a supportive environment where one can process emotions, gain insight, and develop coping strategies. In conjunction, gentle massage calms the mind, reduces anxiety, and encourages mindfulness, allowing for increased emotional stability. By incorporating reiki, the subtle energy shifts help release emotional blockages, facilitating emotional clarity and promoting a sense of inner peace. Nurturing Spiritual Connection: The combination of therapy, gentle massage, and reiki can also foster a deeper spiritual connection. Gentle massage and reiki provide a sacred space for self-reflection and spiritual growth. Reiki's energy-healing properties can help individuals connect with their inner selves, unlocking a heightened awareness and facilitating a sense of oneness with the universe. Sustaining Long-Term Benefits: One of the true strengths of combined therapy is its potential for sustained long-term benefits. By embracing this holistic approach, individuals can experience a comprehensive transformation that not only addresses immediate concerns but also creates lasting positive changes. Regular combined therapy sessions enable individuals to build resilience, enhance self-awareness, reduce stress levels, and nurture a sense of overall wellbeing. Conclusion: Incorporating therapy, gentle massage, and reiki into your wellbeing routine can bring transformative effects to your physical, mental, and spiritual state. The combination of these powerful techniques offers a multidimensional approach to healing, allowing you to discover a deeper connection with yourself and the world around you. Embrace the power of combined therapy and embark on a journey towards enhanced wellbeing, vitality, and inner peace. For my current availability and prices for your unique package please contact me, Nikki, I am located in Shrewsbury.

Having shared most of my life with my adorable pets I soon realised that saying that last goodbye was simply horrendous, a pain which is completely unimaginable and like nothing felt before. I never really felt that others understood my pain and the odd flippant, insensitive comment “ it was just a …..” or “you can always get a new one” “at least your able to go on holiday when you like now, without the tie” – these comments were always unhelpful and very hurtful to the point I chose not to mention it and only confided in the few I really trusted to support me without judgement. My pets have always been a huge part in my life and family, a house is not a home without them. The bond we have with our beloved pets plays such a special part in our lives providing unconditional love; friendship; trust; loyalty and an abundance of happiness. Our daily routines are a huge factor in our loss – the feeding, walking, shopping for the particular food are pets like, administering any medication they may need are all factors that shape our day to day life’s. Our pet’s routines can give purpose and structure to our days and in some cases, a sense of worth. If experiencing other difficulties in life the structure our pets give us can help keep us motivated and focused. Our pets are not influenced by our status, successes or failures, they are always happy to see us arrive and sad to see us leave and this love is unconditional. Our social life and holidays are geared around our pets. Whether its sorting suitable pet care for when going away or choosing holidays which cater for your pets to come along and enjoy too, we are always prioritising and factoring our day to day life around the needs of our beloved animals. In fact, we often decline invitations to such events or holidays because we can’t find a suitable place for our pet to stay – because no love or fuss is as special as the love they get from their owners. Our pets see us in every situation possible, naked, on the loo, without makeup, sad. They listen to our endless conversations and deliberations without interrupting once! They are there to cuddle on the settee at the end of the day and are usually the bed hogger! The time following our pets death can be immensely lonely and I understand, my counselling is as individual as your grief. Grieving for their loss, whether through passing, enforced separation, whether they’re stolen or have runaway, this can be traumatic. We all experience grief in different ways. I am here to help you cope, to help you adjust to your loss, and to be an understanding ear during this heartbreak. Quotes from high profile pet owners who have suffered loss : Tom Hardy “ Our souls intertwined for ever. Never ever forgotten. Your boy Tom “ Sue Perkins “cried until my skin felt burnt and my ears grew tired from the sound of it” “ But my love for you was different. It filled those spaces that words cant get in" Danny-Boy Hatchard “ My heart has been shattered into a thousand pieces. My precious baby boy Django has passed away. I am feeling beyond lost and am still heavily grieving. “

I have always loved animals and from a very young age. I always wanted a dog and as soon as I was able to write I would leave notes around the house for my Mum and Dad. “Please can I have a dog, I will be a good girl” or “I will keep my room tidy” to sweet talk them. As I grew older these notes would become more along the lines of “I will do jobs around the house” or “I promise I’ll walk the dog every day and clear up any mess” and so it went on. The notes would be left on my mum’s pillow, in specific drawers or even on the toilet seat! Anywhere I felt would give more impact and would be noticed! To my utter dismay my approach did not work where my pet dog was concerned, my dad was absolutely fanatical about his garden; a real Percy Thrower and didn’t want anything to destroy the kingdom he had created. I did also ignore the fact that he had been bitten by a dog as a child & was always very wary from that day on so maybe I was being a little selfish! As a surprise I came home one day to a beautiful black bunny rabbit who I named Flopsy. I instantly grew a strong bond with Flopsy - she had a wonderful temperament and was so soft and cuddly. I would sit and stroke her for hours on end telling her all my secrets. I adored how her little nose would twitch and how she was happiest when hopping around the garden to her hearts content – perhaps even ruining my Dad’s precious garden. I remember the day Flopsy died still to this day. It was the summer of 1976 – the driest summer on record since 1772. We took a family holiday to Scotland and I sensed something was wrong when my Dad seemed rather distracted and out of sorts when he asked me to go for a walk with him. He explained to me how nothing lives forever and sometimes people and animals become so unwell that they die, my heart sunk as he revealed Flopsy had died due to heat stroke. I will never forgot that feeling of emptiness and despair. I never forgot Flopsy. A little time went by without having a pet when Blanca (Spanish for white) albino rabbit arrived into the family household. I was thrilled. She was another beauty who may be described now as having “sass” - she certainly knew her own mind and was a free spirit! I loved her and we had many happy years trying to catch her in the garden when she was keen to escape! We also had a big pond in the back of my garden where we had many fish. I found it so therapeutic and mesmerising when standing watching and feeding them. It gave me time to reflect on a bad day and take a few deep breaths to unwind. When I left home I was unable to get my dog due to accommodation restrictions but I was thrilled to have Benson my little kitten. When the time was right excited beyond belief I was the proud mum of Winston - a black Labrador pup. He was such a gorgeous character and a big part of our family for many years, until the very sad day came when we had to say our goodbye to our beloved boy, the emptiness in our hearts was hard to bare, such a huge void was left. Mum now to two young children, I was ready to have another dog to bring into their lives and brighten up their childhood. A friend of the family’s circumstances changed so at 11 weeks old we adopted Tia - a Border Collie. Ecstatic, happy children and very keen to name our little black and white bundle themselves, conscious of not confusing Tia it was agreed that we would only make a very slight change so little Tia was re named Kia. Kia was intelligent, fun and as you would expect with the Collie breed incredibly energetic to say the very least! Kia loved nothing more than playing in the garden with the children, chasing around the trampoline and going for very long walks, she never seemed to tire. She even loved jumping in our very own pond and chasing our ducks. Thirteen years later Kia’s health deteriorated and with a heavy heart it became apparent that the hardest goodbye ever was looming again. It never gets any easier saying goodbye and my children were equally heartbroken. They pestered me every year for another dog for Christmas. Friends and family asked me to look after their pets which I thoroughly enjoyed to the extent that I undertook a big change in career and became self employed, running my own Pet Service. Now I was focused more at home and had time incorporated into my day to walk and train dogs, I believed the time was right to now get our own puppy again. After looking after so many gorgeous animals over a number of years and getting a feel for all different types of breeds, we settled on the Cavapoo breed for our next furbaby. We named her Ava – a name fitting for such a kind and gentle nature. She has brought so much joy to our family unit - you just can’t beat having your own dog and watching them grow with you from 10 weeks old, watching how they grow to fit into your family ways and traditions. During this period I qualified as a Canine Behaviourist and more recently qualified with distinction as a Pet Bereavement Counsellor, with my own experience I am only to aware the significance of our pets dying and the magnitude of grief that follows. I myself faced the realisation that not all family, friends and work colleagues understood my grief and with my counselling background felt the overwhelming need to support others during their difficult time. Grief is grief. And our pets are family.