Meet Megan
My mission is to help people understand that in life, we don't just grieve over physical death. We can go through life with feelings of grief and not understand why. I love nothing more than to help identify that grief, introduce the tools to help relieve it, and walk along side anyone who chooses to take the path towards discovery and recovery.
My Story
In June of 2011, my father was diagnosed with cancer. He declined very quickly and passed away in November of that year. Over the next few years, I experienced the death of all my living Grandparents, and my Uncle, who died by suicide.
I was not a stranger to grief, but I wasn't equipped with how to deal with it. So, I just lived with it, thinking that was all I could do.
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In 2017, I started having severe panic attacks and was diagnosed with anxiety. My life completely changed, I had to take time off work, stopped doing things that I enjoyed and started implementing new habits to help combat the attacks. I truly felt like I had lost myself as a person and had to live this new life, as a new person that I didn’t know and wasn’t comfortable with.
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As the weeks went on, I found myself feeling unmotivated, forgetful, moody. Sometimes, I just felt completely lost. I couldn’t understand why I was feeling this way. It was during this time that I heard the term 'intangible loss' and I learned that in life, we don’t just grieve because of death, we also grieve over things we can't see, hear, or touch. I realized that I was grieving my old life, my old self.
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With this new knowledge, I saw grief everywhere, especially in the retirement home I worked in. I knew I wanted to help them, but I also knew that I needed to help myself first. I found the Grief Recovery Method and was able to use it to relieve some of the grief in my life, it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from my chest. I then became certified so I could help others.
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I now have a passion for educating people about what grief really is, how and why it might be affecting their lives, and what they can do about it.
Experience
July 2020
Grief Recovery Method Certification
Grief Recovery Method Specialist – Grief Support Worker
This is where it all started. Becoming a certified GRM Specialist and working with individuals and groups to guide them through the Grief Recovery Method Program lead to so much more.
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I love working in retirement homes providing educational seminars, monthly Support Circles and interactive programs for staff and residents. I also offer non-clinical support for individuals and groups in interesting and unique settings. I enjoy using art and nature to help with the healing process.
June 2021 – December 2022
Contracted through
Grief Advocacy
As a Support Group Facilitator, I had the privilege of providing education and support for managers and front line staff of Long Term Care homes for Revera Living. Each home had it's unique needs and challenges to work through, and we always found the best solution.
August 2024
Durham College
Thanatology Certificate. Completed course with honours.
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Thanatology is the study of death and dying from multiple perspectives—medical, physical, psychological, spiritual, ethical, and more. It promotes awareness and understanding of death and how it affects individuals, whether the death is a result of a long-standing chronic illness, an acute condition, or a traumatic incident.
