You’re here because you’ve suffered a profound loss.
Maybe you’re obsessing over the idea that loss could happen to you again. Maybe you’re worried about your health or your safety. Maybe grief feels like an experience that is so out of control that it feels like you’re drowning in sorrow and fear.
Add a global pandemic and an inability to be close to those you love and chances are that it's amplifying your worry, your stress and completely depleting your energy.
Grief anxiety is a real thing. How can we NOT grapple with anxiety when the worst has actually happened?
Grief anxiety is so common that it’s been called the 6th stage of grief.
Grief anxiety can manifest as panic attacks, hypochondria, OCD, racing thoughts and a constant feeling of dread.
Grief anxiety is exhausting and can severely impair your quality of life, your sleep, your energy levels AND your interpersonal relationships. If you have suffered from the loss of someone you can’t live without and are left reeling and in fear, know that you’re not alone and that grief anxiety IS TREATABLE. Joining this group experience will give you the tools to process your grief and to reduce the space that anxiety takes up in your life.
Hi! I’m Marie, a Grief and Anxiety Coach who walks the path of healing with women who have suffered a profound loss. I specialize in helping women get to the root of their anxiety after loss in order to reclaim their joy and lives in the “after”. My approach is based on the assumption that you are the expert of your own grief and my work focuses on guiding you back home to yourself. Having lost my life partner to cancer, my guidance and coaching comes from both education and personal experience which allows me to deeply relate to my client’s experience of grief and loss. I am the founder of Empowered Through Grief, a coaching practice and community that provides a safe space for healing and post-traumatic growth for thousands of women.
Understanding the cycle of anxiety.
Unlike what you may think, anxiety doesn’t come out of nowhere. There are 2 things that FUEL your anxiety and keep it going.
WORRYING.
Worrying is really a habit of thought. When we have faced death intimately, it’s no wonder that our minds worry more than before. The world has caved in. The worst has happened. We realize that bad things really DO happen and that not everything happens for a reason. Some level of worry is completely natural and normal. However, when worry becomes overwhelming to the point where we are sending ourselves in anxiety or panic attacks, when it’s preventing us from getting good rest and when it’s affecting the way we show up in our lives, that’s when worry becomes problematic. All of our emotions come from thought and so if we spend most of our days in worry, that might lead to anxiety. If kept unchecked, it might become a full blown anxiety disorder.
AVOIDANCE (your clever anxiety systems)
While worrying leads to feelings of anxiety, avoidance fuels the fire and keeps the anxiety going in time and intensity. We are clever humans and because anxiety feels SO deeply uncomfortable, it’s only normal that we try to avoid it by any means possible. Some avoidance behaviours you may recognize and some you may not. That’s how clever we are at avoiding our emotions. Avoidance can look like numbing through mindless scrolling on social media, like OCD rituals, overeating, drinking and shopping, seeking reassurance through calling our loved ones frequently and making sure nothing bad has happened, it can look like avoiding people and places that trigger our anxiety and it can manifest as us trying to control the people around us so that we feel safer and more at peace.
“The more you work at avoiding your anxiety, the more you fuel and intensify it”
Avoidance behaviours can be really simple like calling your loved ones frequently to reassure yourself that nothing bad has happened. Every time you do this, you are signalling to your brain that there is indeed a danger and you are fuelling your anxiety. Over time, your anxiety will keep intensifying and can become debilitating.
That’s where your power lies.
You can begin to decrease your anxiety symptoms by learning tools to manage worrying and to stop engaging in the behaviours that fuel your anxiety. I will teach you simple skills in Transform your anxiety in 8 weeks that will help, not only with your anxiety, but also with your grief. Learning to be present with your emotions without running away, without judgement and knowing that you have the capacity to hold the enormity of grief will greatly enhance your ability to cope and contribute to building the resilience you need to find meaning and fulfillment in your life post-loss.
Living with anxiety leads to:
Living in fear.
Anxiety makes us scared of our own minds and body. It makes us feel as though it isn't safe to be in our bodies and feel our emotions.
And so we try everything we can NOT to feel.
Numbing our emotions can look like overeating, drinking too much alcohol, reliance of Netflix or social media for distraction, OCD and a host of mechanisms that help us avoid the pain of anxiety.
Living in fear also means that we are living SMALL. Do you avoid people and places that you think might trigger your anxiety? Do you avoid doing things that you really want to do out of fear (like traveling, switching jobs, leaving that bad relationship or simply going out in social situations)?
Lowered immune function.
Living in survival mode makes it impossible for the body to rest and repair itself, leading to increased levels of cortisol and lowered immune function. That means that years of living with anxiety makes it harder for our bodies to protect us against disease.
A disconnect with our own heart.
Living with anxiety long term can completely disconnect us from our own heart and authenticity. It makes it difficult to have healthy boundaries with others which can lead to a lot of self doubt and worthiness issues.
Feeling lost as though we're living someone else's life is often a result of living with anxiety and a lifetime of making choices to avoid pain.
I understand that feeling so well because I’ve spent my entire life being anxious.
I have spent more than 30 years abandoning myself and being out of touch with my own truth and heart in order to avoid feeling the discomfort of uncertainty.
Once I started healing, I realized just how deep my anxiety ran. It manifested in every sphere of my life:
I stayed 10+ years in a relationship that was completely wrong for me (and for him) to avoid disappointing others, being too afraid of what would happen if I left
I played small in all of my corporate jobs and always thought of myself as someone who wasn't meant to be a "career woman"
I abandoned myself and my own truth in order to please others and fit their idea of who they thought I should be
I was always the "good girl" and someone who "did the right thing" to the point where I lost touch with my own soul and had no idea who I was
My adrenals were suffering, headaches were a constant part of my life and I had trouble sleeping
I woke up one day and looked at my life wondering if it was even my own
Eventually, I made some changes, left that bad relationship and started getting in touch with my own heart.
I met “A”, the love of my life.
When he tragically passed away, my anxiety came back with force.
That is when I decided I was going to heal my anxiety for good.
I set out on a journey of self-discovery to try to reduce the space that anxiety was taking up in my life.
I heard and tried ALL of the advice.
Over the years, so many psychologists, healers and life coaches told me to:
"feel my feelings"
"do yoga"
“try breathwork, it’s life changing”
“meditate every day" and “try to live in the now”
And although those are all pieces that contribute to healing, they don't work on their own.
I couldn’t figure out why nothing seemed to work for me.
I needed to understand what I was doing, both in my mind and with my behaviour, to cause myself this much anxiety and stress.
I finally went back to therapy.
I consulted 3 different therapists (and spent more than 5000$) until I found the strategies that actually allowed me to get to the root of the problem and find REAL relief from anxiety symptoms.
I was able to bring my anxiety from an 8 to a 2 and felt more free than I had ever felt before.
I am lucky to have access to health insurance and to be able to spend time and $$$ figuring this out for myself and I realize that this isn’t the case for everyone.
That’s why I am so passionate about teaching this here, in this program.
My goal is to ensure that these strategies, which have brought me such profound healing, can be accessible to everyone who wants to help themselves heal from anxiety.
What My Clients Are Saying:
“What I most want to express is gratitude. I have gratitude for you, for your commitment to my healing and for holding a safe space for me to have genuine, truthful conversations about the grief of watching my beloved die but also a part of myself as well. You have continuously held the belief for me that he will never leave me even in moments of sadness and fear. The tools presented have given me the opportunity to delve into the roots of my anxiety and the ways in which I actively avoid it. With this awareness comes healing. No longer do I awake crying because I awoke. I do not feel the desperation I once did.”
—Mary B, on her experience in Transform your anxiety in 8 weeks
“I couldn’t have gotten to this place of starting to feel confidence and empowerment in my grief without Marie. I am so grateful to have found an amazing community and mentor, inspiring hope, love and finding meaning and reclaiming my truth in life after loss.. The intimate hands on coaching and the supportive space has truly been life changing.”
— Anita F. on her experience in Transform your anxiety in 8 weeks and Sisterhood in Grief
“Working with Marie has been transformational for me. The program overall has helped me look at my healing journey through a new lens. I am the creator of a life that aligns with the new me post loss.”
— Jenny C. on her coaching experience
More testimonials:
“Your platform is so supportive and soothing. I am sure that I am not the only one who feels less alone. There is a lot of consolation in knowing that our grief is validated and understood by others. Your words always touch me deeply. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
— Élodie
“Thank you for being YOU and for being here. You bring so much comfort to me in this unfair painful experience in my life. You help bring so much hope. Thank you.”
— Ketarae on her experience in Sisterhood in Grief
“Such a powerful meeting! Thank you for creating such a beautiful group with such inspiring, open-hearted women. I am blown away by these amazing women.
— Susie W. on her experience in Sisterhood in Grief
If this is YOU and you find yourself ready to finally let go of the anxiety that is keeping you stuck and holding you back from the that is STILL available to you, I would be honoured to support you in healing. Join me and a group of women who really deeply “get it” for a truly transformative and supportive experience. My coaching is tailored to the needs of grieving women and I act as a gentle guide, walking the path of healing with you with great compassion and regard for what you’ve been through.
Healing is possible and you have everything you need within you in order to heal even from the deepest wounds.
Finally find true, long-lasting healing that will allow you to say YES to a full life.
Start living out of the depths of who you really are without fear of how others will react
Stop waiting for the other shoe to drop and for another tragedy to happen and instead find joy in the flow of life. Be more present with your loved ones and make the most out of this short time we have here
Learn to truly take care of YOU and of your own heart so that you stop feeling alone in this world
Stop abandoning yourself and instead show up for yourself with love and compassion
Have healthy boundaries with others in a way that supports your goals, your values and your true Self
Live a fulfilling life that feels true to you
Let go of caring so much about what others think and finally heal self-doubt
Stop giving your power away and begin to trust your own decisions
Reconnect with your intuition
Improve your sleep and immune function
Make better lifestyle choices EASILY. Finally let go of bad habits like smoking, drinking or overeating by healing the underlying issues.
Finally feel WORTHY of the life that you can still create EVEN if you’ve suffered a profound loss. Meaning and fulfillment are still possible in your life post-loss.
What you get when you enroll in this program:
Transform your anxiety in 8 weeks includes:
6 Modules + a BONUS Module with simple, easy to understand concepts and exercises that will help you understand WHY you are anxious and HOW you can begin to find freedom from it
Lifetime access to my online course (videos and homework) across all of your devices
A proven method that will begin to decrease the space that anxiety takes up in your life right now
Skills and tools that will help you process your emotions in a healthy way so that they move through you rather than getting stuck
Strategies that will help you build the resilience to process emotions that rise up from your grief and assist in your healing
FAQs
Is there any 1:1 support with this online course?
No. It is a self-paced online course. However, you can add 1:1 calls with me to get more support with the materials. Email me for more info: empoweredthroughlife@gmail.com
What if it doesn’t work for me?
I can’t guarantee results. The results you get are based on the work you put in and how long you are doing the exercises. I can say that I have healed my own anxiety using this method. It has taken me time but I finally have some significant relief.
How do I know whether this is right for me?
This is right for you if you’re suffering from anxiety after the death of a loved one and have already done some work around resolving trauma. This program is NOT meant to help you with unresolved trauma. If your anxiety manifests as a trauma-response, please seek the support of a trauma-informed psychologist or therapist.
This program is not a replacement for 1:1 therapy but can be used in conjunction with therapy.
If your grief anxiety manifests as unwanted and intrusive thoughts that you can’t seem to control and if your anxiety is keeping you from having the life you really want, then you are in the right place!
Do you offer refunds?
Unfortunately no. Because of the low price point of this program, I do not offer refunds. Make sure to send me a DM or an email if you have any questions before purchasing!
Stop searching for support and advice with healers that haven’t walked the path of grief and don’t understand what you’ve been through. I know how disappointing it is to listen to platitudes and be met with someone who means well but just doesn’t get it.
No amount of yoga and meditation will help you heal deeply if you don't change the way you relate to your thoughts and learn to dismantle all of the behaviours that you default to in order to avoid feeling anxious. I will help you get to the root of your anxiety and together, we will create a plan for you to free yourself so that you can reclaim joy and peace and surrender to the flow of life.
Transform your anxiety is 8 weeks goes deep into:
All of the ways your avoidance strategies enhance and prolong your anxiety
All of your "anxiety systems" and how to dismantle them
How much space anxiety actually takes up in your life and in the decisions you make daily
How to create distance between your true Self and your anxious thoughts in order to avoid panic attacks and uncontrollable anxiety
How to heal anxiety-related problems such as OCD, overeating, over drinking, numbing emotions, etc
