Guest Expert Michele is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, parent mentor, and founder of Good Grief Parenting. Michele seeks to support parents who are raising young bereaved siblings after child loss. She finds incredible purpose in sharing her personal story and expertise on finding the joy in grief and parenting young children (early childhood, from infants to children 10 years of age) who have experienced loss. Michele discusses some of her own insights with us today.
Michele’s Story: When Michele’s own six-year-old son died of cancer, her daughter said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." She was just 3 1/2 years old. Even though Michele was going through the grief herself and teaching early childhood parenting classes with a Masters degree in early childhood education, she didn’t know how best to help her daughter. This inspired her to become the support that she had needed most during that time so that parents like her wouldn’t have to go it alone. She’s spent more than 20 years learning all she can about the psychology behind early childhood sibling loss, its lifelong impact on the surviving sibling, and how parents can help their bereaved child grow up whole and happy. Michele equips parents with tools to help their family heal after child loss, to foster hope, and to build resilience. Parents who work with Michele tap into their own wisdom and gain the insights, skills, and confidence to find the silver linings of grief and move forward toward a future bright with possibilities and joy.
