I’m Dr Shelley Brunskill-Matson
I help people navigate grief, uncertainty & change
Grief & Grief Support Specialist.
Grief Postvention Researcher.
Grief & Suicide-loss Educator, Speaker & Practitioner.
As a grief specialist and grief support researcher, educator and practitioner, I’ve spent my career supporting thousands of individuals through life’s most difficult times, equipping them with the practical tools that work for them.
A global authority on supporting children and families after suicide loss, a leading voice on grief support, and founder of the mattering-reinforcing care approach to grief support, I help individuals and teams explore how to live and work, while grieving or navigating life’s toughest times. I don’t offer empty platitudes or false positivity. I bring grounded hope, evidence-based insights and practical tools proven to make a difference.
Whether you are grieving, yourself, or doing your best to support others who are, I can help.
My goal is simple: to bring hope, agency and genuine care to life’s hardest moments.
Looking for a Speaker your audience will thank you for booking?
I work with teams and organisations navigating grief, loss, change and uncertainty. Life gets tricky and hard at times. Whilst we can’t change what has happened, we can learn ways to respond that help make the tough moments easier to navigate and cope with.
A highly experienced speaker and facilitator, I take complex research and theory and break it down into tangible insights and tools that can make a real difference, effective immediately.
Whether I’m on stage delivering a keynote, facilitating a masterclass or hosting a webinar, I talk about the most difficult, yet most human, of life experiences. This means my work resonates deeply with audiences.
Work with me
Which of these best describes you? Click on the relevant button below to explore ways we can work together.
HR Professional / Leader
seeking to support your people by equipping them to:
- navigate grief and loss following a workplace or personal bereavement
OR
- navigate times of uncertainty and change within the work environment
OR
- support themselves and each other, when life gets messy and hard (as life does, at home and at work).
Professional working with young people
seeking PD on how to support children and teens navigating tough life stuff.
Individual seeking support after a suicide
seeking support:
- for yourself
OR
- for a child
OR
- for yourself, as a parent, supporting a grieving child.
“Just amazing - research, knowledge, practical, passionate, authentic. Thank you Shelley.”“All teachers and school counsellors need to attend this. I wish I'd known what I do now years ago!"“Articulate, informative and highly practical. This session was a real game-changer for me. Thank you!"“A quality workshop; the information was invaluable, the authentic delivery with passion and no apology was amazing."“Shelley radiated such a 'heart' for the subject matter. I came in with very little knowledge and now feel equipped."“Brilliant. Please present to the Government to help shape policy."My Bio
Global authority on children’s grief support and postvention
20 years experience providing grief support and education to individuals and teams
Founder of the Mattering-Reinforcing Care approach to grief support
PhD: Mattering: Children’s Experiences of Care & Support After Suicide
TEDx Speaker - topic: “Rethinking Care and Support for Grieving Children”
Creator of ‘You Are Not Alone’ (YANA) and ‘See Me, Hear Me’ education and support programmes for adults
Creator of the ‘My Grief, My Way’ range of children’s grief resources
Creator of Skylight Trust’s children’s group education and support programme, ‘Matika’
Co-Founder & Director of Tony’s Place (www.tonysplace.org.nz), a charity that supports adults and children affected by suicide
Founder & Owner of The Grief Shop (www.thegriefshop.co.nz), launching soon.