Master Class

Dr. Bill Webster is one of the leading and most influential lecturers on bereavement issues. As member of the American Association of Death Education and Grief Counselling, Dr. Webster conducts many seminars and educational programmes throughout America, Canada and Great Britain, he is the author of several books and hosts a national weekly TV programme in North America called 'Living with Loss'.

“While we must never minimize the pain and the difficulty of grief, we need to hold on to hope that someday the pain will subside, and life will have meaning again.”
Dr. Bill Webster

Dr Bill Webster is someone who knows about grief, not just in theory, but from a very difficult personal experience. In 1983, Bill's young wife, Carolyn, died very suddenly, leaving him to cope with his loss, and to care for their 2 boys, then only 9 and 7. At first, Bill seemed to be doing well, and many commended him that he appeared "so strong", and "doing so well" at the time of the death. But that apparent strength was, in fact, numbness, and three months after his wife's death, when the shock of her sudden death wore off, Bill felt like he was falling apart.

"That was probably the worst time of my whole life." writes Dr Webster. "Three months after Carolyn died, I felt a thousand times worse than I had at the actual moment. And the worst thing was that people's expectations seemed to that, by now, after three whole months, I should be 'getting over it'. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I 'pull myself together'?
Nobody told me that this was grief. Nobody told me what to expect, so the entire process caught me completely by surprise. What I would have given for someone to say that, while it was possibly the most difficult time of my life, that grief is a natural human experience, and reassure me that I was normal."

"Your grief is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that you cared."
Dr Bill Webster

In the years since his wife died, Bill has had the privilege of helping many people going through their own grief journey. They have told him that what helped was not only that he knew something about grief, but that he had "been there" himself. People today, especially in their most difficult moments, want a relationship with someone they can trust, and who has an understanding of their situation.

Today, Dr Bill Webster is a grief counsellor, author, TV host and increasingly well known international speaker. He brings a unique blend of personal experience, academic education and many years of practical application to his work. Acknowledged as a dynamic, personable and practical communicator, Dr. Bill Webster combines his own story with his knowledge and sense of humour to effectively communicate his message. Bill completed two additional academic degrees, including his doctorate in 1990, and has developed his grief support program to a highly effective and widely recognized resource for people after a significant loss.

Because there is so little understanding of grief and loss in our "death denying culture", people often fear they are "losing it", or "going crazy". When they understand that grief is a natural, albeit difficult, experience, this fact can free the person to explore their reactions and feelings by giving them "permission" to grieve.

Next course to be scheduled for early 2005

www.GriefJourney.co.uk