This Mental Health Awareness Week, Joanna Kiely wants to raise awareness of the incredible support she has received from counselling services at St Ann’s Hospice.
Jo lost her mum to cancer in 2015, after she was cared for by St Ann’s Hospice. This had a major impact on Jo as she lived with her mum.
Soon after Jo lost her mum, she reached out to her doctor for counselling, however this support wasn’t quite what she felt she needed. “I didn’t feel connected to the counselling and was told I needed to fill in a spreadsheet about how I was feeling, that wasn’t how I needed to be supported.”
Jo later found out about St Ann’s counselling service and had many sessions which helped her to get through the first Christmas without her mum and her 30th birthday.
In November 2017 Jo lost her brother Dave very suddenly to a brain aneurysm. Jo says: “Dave’s death absolutely destroyed me; he was my rock. I contacted St Ann’s after this and immediately started having counselling sessions again, they welcomed me back straight away.”
During this period of counselling Jo totally changed her life, going from a teacher in Manchester to having a fresh start moving to London to train as cabin crew.
However, at the start of last year Jo took a huge step backward in her grief journey. “I know that grief isn’t a linear process, but I couldn’t believe how much further back I’d gone.
“I felt ashamed about this step backwards and it took me longer than it should have to contact St Ann’s. I never should’ve worried about this though as I was immediately booked in for more counselling sessions which has helped me so much.
“St Ann’s have continued giving me support so far down the line, I truly wouldn’t be standing if it wasn’t for the hospice. They have saved me so many times and they never even question why I need help and support, they just ask what I need from them. I feel so much better knowing that their support is there for me.
For more information on the services St Ann’s Hospice provides, please see here.
