Today, Wendy is joined by Dr Monika Wieliczko, a licensed clinical psychologist who specialises in grief, trauma and loss. She shares how losing her husband to bowel cancer inspired her to create the "Grief MOT," a first aid course for grief, to help individuals understand their grieving journey and found the online therapeutic community - A Guide to After Life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Grief affects cognitive, emotional and physiological functions, as well as relationships and your perception of the world.

• There are differences between grief, loss, and bereavement.

• Grief is a process, but, it does not have to be torturous.

• Therapy allows individuals to fully express their feelings without burdening friends and not fall fowl of avoidance behaviours like substance abuse.

• Grieving people alternate between thinking about the loss and engaging in daily life.

• People often feel guilty or overwhelmed when engaging in activities after a loss.

• Take breaks from your grief to allow your brain to process the loss.

• Grief can become complex due to trauma, previous loss and guilt. If this is not addressed people become stuck in grief.

• Seek out a therapist who specializes in grief.

BEST MOMENTS

“Grief is a very complicated, very multi-faceted process.”

“Grief is much more than just talking therapy. It’s the whole range of things we can do.”

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr Monika Wieliczko - Chartered Clinical Psychologist D.Clin.Psych, MSc, MA, is dedicated to helping people rebuild their lives after loss. After losing her husband to bowel cancer in 2022, Monika left her NHS role to focus on providing effective support for those dealing with traumatic loss. Helping them to build resilience despite their grief. She founded A Guide to After Life, a therapeutic community offering grief therapy and resources, including the Grief MOT program. Monika is also developing an online grief course, writing a memoir, and planning therapy retreats in Southeast Asia.

She also serves as a visiting lecturer at The Institute of Psychiatry London and has extensive experience with charitable organizations and the NHS. Her therapeutic approaches include psychodynamic therapy, EMDR and MBT.

https://www.instagram.com/guide_to_afterlife

https://www.facebook.com/guidetoafterlife

https://www.guidetoafterlife.com/the-grief-mot

https://www.guidetoafterlife.com/podcasts/a-guide-to-after-life

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.wendycastelino.com

https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino/

https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798

https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino

ABOUT THE HOST

Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential.

Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience.

Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own.

Further details are available at: WendyCastelino.com.