Grief Response | Grief Recovery | Grief Resilience
Did you know…?
- There are more than 40 types of major losses in life. No one is immune to grief, so we ALL need to learn how to grieve well.
- Unresolved grief may already be exacting a cost on your organisation, and on the health and well-being of your staff.
- Help your staff recover from grief, and you will have happier and more productive employees.
- Training your managers to know how to handle situations of loss and grief correctly will aid in talent management and retention.
CORPORATE CLIENTS
Micro Focus
A multinational software and information technology business listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
“CLEARLY A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT”
“I would definitely recommend Whispering Hope. Clearly a subject matter expert who has a wealth of knowledge and the ability to give pragmatic yet insightful advice to anyone who is trying to learn more about the journey in overcoming grief.
It was Women’s Health Week, so our employee resource group, SHINE, thought that organising a talk on emotional health might be interesting for our members. My colleague from HR suggested that I contact Gracie from Whispering Hope to find out more.
After speaking to Gracie and listening to the two radio interviews that she did on CNA 938, I was pretty sure that Gracie would be very qualified to come talk to our employees about this topic.
- We had about 159 employees from across Asia-Pacific & Japan join us for the panel discussion and had a fair number of questions thereafter, so I would say that the talk did very well in terms of audience engagement and interest.
- The talk was in the form of a panel discussion, and in the limited duration, I thought that Gracie did an excellent job correcting common misconceptions of what grief is.
- We received positive feedback from the participants. Some employees also reached out to ask questions about Whispering Hope and the types of services it provides.
Generally, we tend to have a lot of misconceptions about grief and how to get over grief. Doing a talk like this at a company/organisation level certainly increases awareness.
Everyone will go through grief in life, so it is better to be educated about grief in the right way, or at least to know who to approach, if help is needed.”
Focus on the Family
A non-profit organisation and multiple-time recipient of the Work-Life Excellence Award
“MY STAFF ARE HAPPIER & HEALTHIER”
by Mrs Joanna Koh-Hoe, CEO, Focus on the Family Singapore
“I am so glad we engaged Whispering Hope. My staff are happier and healthier. I strongly recommend this program to other organisations, for the well-being of their employees.
As an organisation that has been recognised for our work-life excellence, there was a very clear organisational rationale and benefit for us in engaging Whispering Hope.
Because for any organisation to thrive, you need healthy individuals and productive workers. When our staff are emotionally healthy, they perform better. Because no matter how well a person compartmentalises it, grief and other struggles in life would definitely affect their work. So there was strong justification for it.
We started with a Grief Awareness Talk for all our staff, which is something I believe everyone in the organization should be exposed to. It helps them understand what grief really is. Grief is not just sadness, but conflicted emotions about any kind of loss, including the loss of our familiar way of working. Our staff said that this introductory session helped them better support others, and further strengthen our team culture.
Next, we arranged for the Grief Recovery Method® program to be conducted on company premises during office hours, for all staff who were keen on the program. The Grief Recovery Method® program is a preventive measure that is relevant to all, because grief happens to all of us, and we need to properly process it.
With all the buzz about mental health issues, as a leader, I didn’t want my staff to languish in their loss. I want them not only to survive the loss, but to come out from it better and stronger.
We gave all staff the option of using their corporate training allowance for the GRM program, and assured them that the sessions would be kept strictly confidential.
Our staff said that the Grief Awareness Talk helped them better support others, and to further strengthen our team culture. Some came up to me personally to say that they really benefitted from the Grief Recovery Method® program.
I am so glad we engaged Whispering Hope. My staff are happier and healthier. I strongly recommend this program to other organisations, for the well-being of their employees.”
SILVER RIBBON SINGAPORE
A non-profit organisation focused on promoting mental health
“EXPERIENCED, HELPFUL, PRACTICAL”
by Ms Porsche Poh, Executive Director, Silver Ribbon Singapore
“I could tell that Whispering Hope is experienced in helping people out of grief. They gave very helpful insights about the common myths we usually believe about grief, and the practical things we can do to support our family and friends who are grieving.
Gracie Mak spoke as a panelist for our recent online forum on the topic, “Finding peace and stillness in the midst of disappointment and grief”. The session was conducted in Mandarin.
I look forward to collaborating with Whispering Hope to help more Singaporeans bounce back from grief and attain positive mental health.”
HOLLAND VILLAGE METHODIST CHURCH
A religious organisation
“COMPASSIONATE & INSIGHTFUL”
“Our Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS) committee is pleased to recommend Whispering Hope as a resource partner in equipping the church to be more compassionate.
We wanted to help our leaders and members understand the nature of loss, and how to extend compassion in times of loss. We did the session over Zoom and received great feedback from our participants!
They found the session by Joan Swee of Whispering Hope helpful and insightful. Our members now have a better understanding of loss, what the normal grief process looks like, what to say and what not to say — so as to better support those who go through life’s transitions and curved balls.”
INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS
“A SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO PROCESS MY PAIN”
“This was a safe environment. Like pulling out a rubber stopper, dealing with the pain causes friction, but once it’s pulled out, all the hurts, pain and abuse are flushed away.” – P.Y.
“WHAT A RELIEF TO KNOW THAT I AM NOT GOING CRAZY”
“Going for the Grief Recovery Method® Program at Whispering Hope reassured me that I wasn’t losing my mind, and confirmed for me that grief is messy and complicated. It helped me to look at my own loss and grief, and figure out what to do with it/with myself. It also helped me realize there may be other issues in my life that need to be dealt with, as I journey towards wholeness.” – G.H.L.
“I AM NOW ABLE TO SEE THE ROAD AHEAD, BEYOND THE INTENSE GRIEF”
“I view grief differently now. I can slowly see the long road ahead more clearly, beyond the intense grief. I have a better understanding of recovery and have the hope to continue on. I also have better tools to help me in managing my children’s loss and grief.” – G.A.
“I’M NOT AFRAID OF THE MEMORY OF MY SON ANYMORE”
“I’m truly glad that I came to Whispering Hope for the Grief Recovery Method® program. I am not afraid to recall the memory of my son anymore, as I’ve learnt how to deal with my emotions in a more constructive way. I am more confident to move forward, because I now have the skills to complete my emotions with no negative feelings; to remember him without the pain.” – L.S.L.
“I NOW UNDERSTAND WHY I BEHAVED THE WAY I DID”
“I experienced multiple losses — loss of loved ones, health, job and finances — all within one year. It was difficult to face up to all these losses. The Grief Recovery Method® program at Whispering Hope helped me to break the standstill and numbness in my life. Through the sessions, I became aware of the misinformation and myths on loss. I began to understand why I behaved the way I did — it was my way of coping with the grief. GRM has taught me what I can do with the buried pain, why I need to do it, and how I can do my part towards becoming emotionally complete and healthy.” – S.G.
“I CAN NOW MOVE FORWARD”
“I learnt that we can actually do something to move ourselves along the road of recovery, without needing to depend on the response or apology from the other person. ‘Giving a voice’ to whatever that was not complete is a very powerful tool. Thank you.” – E.C.
“THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR. I FEEL LIGHTER AFTER EVERY SESSION.”
“Since my dad’s suicide, I have been searching for a way to recover from my grief. The journey had not been easy. The Grief Recovery Method® has taught me to re-learn and re-look at how to have the right perspective, knowledge and use the right action-based tools to walk out of my grief in a shorter time successfully. I felt freer, lighter and happier each time I walked away from the sessions.” – Y.L.
“FACING MY GRIEF WAS TOUGH BUT THE OUTCOME IS FULFILLING”
“The Grief Recovery Method® gave me hope that I can recover, and not be crippled by the different and inevitable losses we have in life. GRM is hard “heart” work. The “deep dive” into life losses during the program was tough, but the outcome is fulfilling. The program has equipped me with the needful tools that I can turn to, when I face losses in the future.” – C.C.
“EMOTIONALLY CHALLENGING BUT VERY ESSENTIAL”
“The process was emotionally challenging, but very essential. It has released my emotions, helped me see things differently and humbled me. It made me aware and helped me take ownership of the relationship (as it takes two hands to clap). The goodbye to my pain and disappointments gave me a completion to my grief. I feel it has been resolved. Thank you for the Grief Recovery Method®. I feel recovered.” – S.L.
“I LIVED IN MISERY FOR 31 YEARS. NOW I CAN FINALLY MOVE ON”
“The Grief Recovery Method® program at Whispering Hope has given a ‘voice’ to my 31 years of misery. It has allowed me to cry my heart out. I am now a changed person! I have thrown away my grief… and I am now back to being a lively person, able to to move on in life.” – A.C.
“I COULDN’T EVEN BRING MYSELF TO THINK OF MY DAD OR TALK ABOUT HIM”
“I had been holding it all in since my dad passed away from a sudden and massive stroke. The whole thing felt so unreal and dream-like. I could not talk about my dad or look at his photos. I did not even dare to think of him, for fear that I will just lose it and cry uncontrollably. I felt as if there was a huge boulder on my chest and I could not even breathe properly.
I chanced upon the Whispering Hope website, and decided to sign up for the Grief Recovery Method® program after some encouragement from my boss. I thank Joan for bringing me through the program, and creating a safe environment for me to talk, cry and to remember my dad. Joan was that safe anchor that allowed me to finally have the courage to swim through my memories of me and my dad, and to express the unspoken things I had to say.
It was not an easy journey. but I am glad I did it. At the end of the program, I felt the boulder weighing on my chest melt away. I could finally breathe again! I can talk about Dad with my mum, my siblings and my close friends. I still feel sad whenever I think about my dad, and about how I won’t get to see him again in this lifetime, but the pain is now manageable, after I had gotten rid of the feelings of guilt and regret, with the help of the GRM program.
Now I can cherish and honour the memories of my dad, which was what I really wanted to do. Thank you so much Whispering Hope, for bringing the GRM program to our shores. The program has helped me deal with the pain of losing my dad suddenly, so I can continue to cherish lovely memories of him without feeling overwhelmed by grief and pain. That is exactly what I need, and what I think a lot of people around me, who have experienced loss, need.
I would definitely recommend this program to others. It is important to seek help to deal with your grief, instead of thinking that time will heal everything. One good analogy Joan shared with me was: Would you leave an open wound to bleed, or would you treat it? Thank you for affirming my choice to seek help.” – W.L.