We know how important pets can be, yet many people without children also feel shame or judgment by others for the significance that animals can play in their lives.
In this webinar we want to bust some of the negative stereotypes and shine a light on how and why our pets contribute to our wellbeing and create richness in our lives. These relationships can be precious, and in our care they are often the happiest pets in the world!
The webinar will be hosted by Judy Graham and Sarah Roberts with guests Narelle Hudson, Anne Xavier Altamore and Rochelle Trimnell-Ritchard. You can find their details below.
DATE: Saturday 17th September
TIME: 9.00pmBST Find your time zone here NB. This webinar is 90 minutes long
REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR HERE
Please note: This webinar will be recorded and available to view on the website, if you are unable to attend it live. You do not need to register to watch the replay.
Judy Graham - Australia
Sasha
Judy is the founder of WomenHood Counselling in Australia, where she provides specialist support for women who are childless not by choice. She is a registered counsellor and Gateway Women Reignite Facilitator. She integrates over twenty-five years of professional practice, with her own experience as a childless woman, to create the kind of safe and sacred space women need to tell their stories of childlessness and readjust to a life they didn’t expect.
Judy’s own experience fuels the compassion she brings to other women and it helps her shine a light on hope and the possibility of living a life of purpose, meaning and connection. Judy credits dear friends, the gifts of nature and the company of her quirky cat, Sasha, as key factors in her day-to-day wellbeing.
Sarah Roberts - Australia
Max
Sarah is a childless not by choice woman and founder of The Empty Cradle, a counselling service that supports women to grieve the loss of motherhood and create lives of connection, meaning and joy. As a specialist childlessness grief counsellor and Gateway Reignite facilitator, she knows that every woman’s story is precious and unique. Bringing together her lived experience and over 30 years in counselling and community work, Sarah is completing a Masters of Social Work focusing on women’s transition to permanent involuntary childlessness.
Living on a rural property, she paints, plants trees and loves juicy conversations about life. She is deeply honoured to witness women navigate the existential challenges of involuntary childlessness, embrace their whole selves and flourish as mature adult women.
Narelle Hudson - Australia
Narelle and Raggles
Narelle Hudson is a counsellor, teacher, healer, and author – who supports clients with their healing through her private practice: Narelle Hudson’s Counselling and Natural Therapy Practice. As a registered counsellor, Narelle specialises in supporting people with their grief and loss journeys, through: professional counselling skills, natural healing techniques, public speaking opportunities, and her previous publications.
Narelle has written four books to date. Her most recent publication being The Baby Dream – Learning to Live with Infertility and Loss; based on her own lived experiences with infertility, IVF, and pregnancy loss. Published by Animal Dreaming Publishing in May 2021. Narelle’s next publication will be a deck of grief healing cards, set to be released in April 2023.
Narelle lives with her husband and Ragdoll cat, Raggles, in Brisbane, Australia.
Anne Xavier Altamore - Australia
Viva and Joshy
Anne is the founder of Life After IVF. This name is both a personal statement and the name of her counselling and psychotherapy practice dedicated to helping people who have disembarked from the IVF treatment roller coaster.
In addition to lived experience of the #IVFRollerCoaster and #involuntarychildlessness, Anne is postgrad qualified, holding a Master of Counselling & Psychotherapy, and is certified by and insured with PACFA (Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia).
After many years of looking for specialised support and understanding not only around infertility grief and loss but also in redefining her life going forward, “Maybe you were given this mountain to show others it can be moved” was a quote that spoke to her loudly. She am excited to now be in a space where she is #thrivingnotmerelysurviving and to be able to provide a safe space for others on this journey to be heard and seen.
Anne is passionate about removing the stigma of childlessness and breaking taboos around infertility. She is also furmom to two Havanese dogs - Viva & Joshy who have brought her tremendous love and healing.
Rochelle Trimnell-Ritchard - Australia
Bentley
Rochelle Trimnell-Ritchard lives on the Central Coast of NSW with her husband and Bentley, her cat. She loves building and renovating, interior design, cooking, reading, and travelling. After Bentley came into Rochelle’s life, Rochelle stopped working as a manager of a team and travelling regionally, to working solo from home managing change projects for the NSW Government. This was a conscious move to create a better work-life balance and spend more time with Bentley.
Bentley is a giant (11 kilos) cream and ginger Maine Coon cat. Bentley likes sharp cheese, outdoor adventures, and meeting people. Bentley enjoys daily walks on his lead or else bird watching near the local waterways in his pet pram.