Join us, wherever you are on your childless journey, for this webinar exploring the metaphor of emotional seasons and childlessness.
We'll brainstorm how these seasons—Autumn (stripping down, releasing people and things that no longer serve us), Winter (darkness, deep introspection, and transformation), Spring (vulnerability, experimenting, setbacks, learning, and gaining confidence), and Summer (high energy, flow, forgetting self and boundaries)—reflect our unique, cyclical experiences.
This is not a linear grief model but rather a way to understand the living losses we face, recognizing that no season will last forever, no matter how dark or bright it currently is. Sometimes it can feel like experiencing four seasons in one day or enduring one season for years.
We will reflect on sharing our stories, identifying the stage we are currently (mainly) in, and discuss what we found useful for navigating these seasons.
DATE: Monday 16th September
TIME: 2pm BST - Find your timezone HERE
REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR HERE
Please note: Whilst the panellists will be recorded, your camera and audio will be turned off. If you are unable to attend the webinar live, you DO NOT need to register to watch the replay. Just subscribe to the World Childless Week YouTube channel and you’ll be notified when new recordings are added.
PANELLISTS
Sandra McNicol - Spain
WCW24/25 People’s Champion
Sandra, the founder of Childless.Life, is an ICF Coach with a Master's in the Psychology of Coaching and a Postgraduate in Grief Therapy. Permanently childless, not by choice, Sandra has experienced the multi-layered losses of this journey.
She faced challenges in finding a life partner, freezing her eggs, multiple miscarriages, and failed IVF. The process of becoming permanently childless left her feeling lost, alone, and utterly empty.
Finding World Childless Week was a turning point, showing her she wasn't alone. Since 2020, Sandra has supported the childless community by offering individual grief therapy, running “Healing horseshoes” (CNBC grief circle), and helping women find new purpose through her "Embracing Us" Community. She offers safe, non-judgmental support from her own lived experience, empathizing deeply with this challenging journey.
Ellen Connell - US
Ellen Connell, Psy.D. is a psychotherapist in Washington, D.C. and is childless not by choice. She is ever grateful to have found the CNBC community a few years ago, when she started more seriously facing the reality of her childlessness.
Although she recently has taken on the role of part-time step-parent (step-friend?) to a teenager, this experience has often further emphasized the difference between step-parenting and having children of one’s own. In her therapy practice, Ellen gets to nurture her clients by helping them grieve the losses that arise in mid-life, as well as helping them create a greater sense of meaning and purpose.
Emily Chaffin -US
Emily is a Certified Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Trainer who leverages her dual Master’s degrees in neuroscience and psychology and professional experience in healthcare management to bring a scientific and organizational edge to her training.
She incorporates an awareness of power and privilege into her approach, envisioning a world that works for all. She finds great fulfillment in supporting individuals and couples navigating complex relationship scenarios, including life-altering transitions like divorce. Her mission is to foster healing, clarity, and a renewed sense of direction for those she accompanies.
Marianne Graham - Australia
I live in rural Australia and was brought up in a very traditional style where one just assumes you would have a partner and children. My journey, as it turns out, was not to follow the traditional or conventional and while I admit it has been hard and there is grief, I have been grateful for the support I’ve found along the way.
I do experience intense periods of peace now and other rewards and having more time to myself has enabled me to commit to personal self-growth, firstly in a psychological sense but eventually leading to a more psycho-spiritual journey which I find fascinating. This is not what my head wanted but perhaps it is what my soul has desired and it has assisted myself and others in building an increasingly enriched life.
Nicky Shaw - Scotland
My name is Nicky and I recently started up my own training and consultancy business for education and care professionals, in which I focus on empathic relationships as core to learning and care.
I was a primary and nursery teacher for 20 years before becoming an early years lecturer at a University. I recently published a book chapter about supporting young children’s emotional wellbeing. I loved working with young children in the nurseries and schools and now I enjoy working with the adults who care for them. I have a beautiful wee dog, a lovely husband, and I am close to my siblings and parents. I love long walks, especially near the sea. I love live music and comedy, and my husband and I regularly go out to concerts together.
Suzanne Crossley - US
Hello, my name is Suzanne. I live in the Kansas City area with my husband of 23 years. Even though we were fortunate enough to find each other in our late teens, our story as far as having children doesn't have a happy ending. I have a chronic illness that has left me sick since age 18.
The symptoms that come with the illness are disabling. Being sick has led to enormous grief of many shattered dreams. The biggest being the inability to try to have children. It has been a journey to deal with the grief of being CNBC. I’m grateful that I found this community to share in the grief and to help me find joy and purpose even if it looks different than what I envisioned for my life. I am here to bring light and connection to others on a similar journey. I don’t want anyone to feel alone in their pain. It truly helps so much to connect with those that understand.
REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR HERE
