Marianne Bowdler

What inspired you to start working at Griefline? 

Although bereavement is a universal human experience some experiences of loss hit harder than others and impact the quality of life for years and even decades to come, creating mental and physical health difficulties. 

This can have an effect on a person’s earning capacity so it is important to me that I work in an organisation providing free support to those who reach out. Griefline values this kind of accessibility and I find my values are strongly aligned with the values of this organisation: Compassion, Courage and Connection.

What are your qualifications and career highlights? 

I value life-long learning and have qualifications in Philosophy, Sculpture, Person-Centred Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Couples Counselling (EFT), Executive Coaching, ACT for Grief and Loss, Trauma Informed Care, Psychological First Aid as well as Working with Climate Distress.

I have studied Clinical Supervision with Robin Shohet, Bereavement Counselling with Colin Murray Parkes and Attachment Theory in Clinical Practice at the Bowlby Centre. My career highlight is distilling all of the above with a heavy dose of lived experience and practical everyday wisdom to support the next generation of Bereavement Counsellors, watching them integrate their learning to develop and flourish.

What are you passionate about in the grief and loss education space? 

Everything that is mentionable is manageable. The more we can talk about grief and loss the better we can manage our own responses and support those around us. Education helps us destigmatise grief and create more resilient and supportive working environments.

When you are not working and educating, where will we find you? 

You will find me near the water or walking in the bush.