You don't need to know exactly what you need before you begin.
How it works
If it feels right, it starts with you getting in touch.
We begin with what you're experiencing now, what you want to be different, and what's most likely to make a meaningful change.
Some people come to me for a few focused specialist sessions. Others work through the full Grief Recovery Method®.
Loss isn't something you simply 'get over'. But in a safe and structured way, our work together addresses grief at its emotional roots — freeing you up to feel lighter, more at peace and better able to connect with the people you love. Living, not just coping. As one client put it, our sessions helped to "hugely turn the volume down on the pain."
Not only bereavement
This work isn't only for bereavement. I also work with divorce, estrangement, heartbreak, chronic illness and other life-changing losses – and with people who simply feel flat, stuck, or as though something important is still unresolved.
Working with Jess
This is sensitive, focused work. We can work 1:1 or in small groups, online or in person.
I currently work in person in Charlbury, near Oxford, as well as online, and I'm gradually preparing to relocate my in-person practice to Sussex.
First, a conversation
We start with a short introductory conversation. If it looks as though I can help, the next step is usually a Preliminary Assessment Session.
Preliminary Assessment Session
Around 75 minutes.
This is valuable in its own right – not 75 minutes of you telling me your life history before the 'real work' starts. We look closely at what you're facing and where it makes sense to begin. Sometimes it becomes clear that we need to design something quite different for you. There's no obligation to continue.
I also often use this session to introduce some of the thinking behind The Grief Recovery Method®, so you can experience the approach rather than simply read about it. Even a few of its core principles can make a huge difference.
What happens next
If The Grief Recovery Method® is right for you, that means a commitment to seven sessions plus a follow-up, usually weekly.
Each week involves around an hour of preparation and some reading – an important part of the process. I'm contactable for support between sessions, in a way we agree together before we begin.
Ways of working
One to One – in person or online
Individual specialist sessions are 60 minutes.
Grief Recovery Method® sessions are more flexible, and usually take between 50 and 90 minutes, depending on where we are in the process and what's most useful that week.
I take on a set number of clients at a time, with a waiting list when needed. You can read my pricing policy here.
Small groups – in person or online
A carefully curated group of 6–8, meeting weekly for eight weeks. Much of the more personal work happens in pairs or groups of three rather than in front of the whole group, and confidentiality is agreed from the start.
My next group (online) starts Autumn 2026 – more info here.
One-off workshops
Free introductory workshops on navigating loss and bereavement – a taster of the approach, and often enough to significantly change how you understand grief.
How this is different from counselling and therapy
Many people try psychotherapy or counselling for grief – there are wonderful practitioners out there for that. I spent over three years as a bereavement counsellor for one of the UK's largest charities, including working with complex and traumatic loss. I saw first-hand how valuable talking to the right person can be – and how, for quite a few people, talking alone isn't enough to get them to a new place.
My work is different. It isn't psychotherapy and it isn't open-ended. Most people work with me for two to three months; sometimes three sessions are enough for a significant, palpable impact. Some stay longer, but mostly because they choose to focus on other key relationships and aspects of their lives, once they experience the difference this work can make.
“Here's the thing - you do the work. There's homework, there's effort and there's focus. And emotion. And time to work through all the history and forgotten feelings. Jess's approach was interactive, proactive and not at all 'sit on a couch and tell me about your mother” – Mike, Oxford
I bring all the listening and sensitivity of my counselling experience, but there’s also structure, a sense of direction and work and even contact between sessions.
Much of what I do is built around The Grief Recovery Method®, an evidence-based process. It gives us a tried and tested map, with a clear start and end point. I also draw on coaching, psycho-education and my psychodynamic training at Oxford.
By the end of our time together, you'll feel far more prepared for any loss that might come next. Most people leave feeling lighter, clearer, and more able to engage with life again.
"This process nourished my soul and soothed my heart in ways I didn't think possible. Jess created a safe, compassionate space where every person felt seen, heard, and valued."
Fiona, Barcelona
How to take the next step…
If you're ready to explore whether this is right for you, send a message through the contact form – write as little or as much as you like.
I'll reply personally, and we'll find a time to talk that works for both of us.