Smooth Seas Don’t Make Good Sailors

Finding your way forward with grief specialists who have lived experience

At Grief Specialists, we know firsthand that real understanding of loss doesn’t come from books alone. It comes from lived experience—the kind that changes the way you see the world.

Every specialist in our grief specialists directory has experienced grief and loss in their own life. That matters. It’s not just something we mention in passing—it shapes the way we work, the way we listen, and the way we support.

Experience Matters

Grief is not a puzzle to be solved. It’s not a list of stages to tick off. It’s messy, unpredictable, and deeply personal. When someone reaches out for help, they’re often met with well-meaning advice or platitudes that miss the mark. That’s why it makes a difference when you're speaking with someone who has been through their own version of heartbreak.

Our grief specialists don’t come with sympathy—they bring empathy. They don’t try to fix or cheer you up. They understand that grief can be heavy and complicated, and they sit with it alongside you because they’ve felt it too. Their training is important, but it’s their lived experience that gives their support real depth.

They can understand the particular challenge of facing birthdays after loss, the complexity of grieving someone you had a difficult relationship with, or the isolation that can follow when others expect you to "move on." These insights come not from textbooks, but from having lived through similar experiences.

No Assumptions - Your Grief, Your Journey

There’s no ‘right’ way to grieve, and no one-size-fits-all approach. Because our team has walked through their own personal losses, they know better than to assume what someone else’s experience might be like. Whether the grief is recent or decades old, whether it comes with anger, guilt, numbness or confusion—our specialists know that all of it is valid.

This awareness allows us to meet people exactly where they are, without rushing them along or minimising what they feel. It’s not about offering a shortcut through pain. It’s about providing the kind of support that helps people begin to live with their loss, rather than around it.

A Different Kind of Trust

When someone is grieving, trust is essential. And trust is easier to build when you sense that the person you’re talking to gets it. Not just because they’ve read about it, but because they’ve lived it.

This shared understanding creates a space where people feel seen, not judged. That kind of space is rare—and it’s where real change can start to happen.

Why It Matters

We don’t pretend that having lived through grief makes anyone an expert in someone else’s pain. But it does mean we know what it’s like to feel lost, to struggle with unanswered questions, or to feel stuck in a place where the world has moved on but we haven’t.

It means we’ve asked ourselves hard questions. And it means we’ve chosen to use that experience—not to dwell in it, but to reach out to others who are in the middle of their own storm.

Smooth seas don’t make good sailors. And smooth lives don’t create the kind of empathy that helps people feel less alone. Our specialists have all weathered their own rough waters, and that’s what makes their support real, grounded, and deeply human.

If any of the above resonates with you at the moment, we're here. Get in touch when you're ready. There's no timeline for grief, and there's no wrong time to seek support when it impacts your life.