Wellbeing
Breathe – Relax – Be
What is Wellbeing advice & therapy?
Facing the loss of a loved one is a very individual journey and the experience of grief often affects the whole person – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Wellbeing therapies & advice pay attention to where and how your grief is affecting you in your mind and body. They aim to support you in becoming more relaxed and positive in life.
Wellbeing Sessions with Sophie (16yrs +)
Our Wellbeing Therapist
Sophie Skipp is a personal trainer, well-being therapist/masseur and experienced bereavement counsellor. She was central to our award winning Take A Moment wellbeing initiative during the pandemic. Sophie brings an infectious energy and sense of fun to looking at healthier living and offers a flexible approach to fitness and well-being that will suit you.
Sophie Skipp
Personal, mindfulness and yoga can take place indoors or outdoors. We welcome both beginners and those who want to improve their practice.
I found my well-being session really relaxing, it helped remove a lot of tenseness. Sophie is such a lovely person, so friendly and encouraging.
My yoga session with Sophie was also brilliant – one to one tuition was great and so relaxing!
‘Take A Moment’ felt like an acknowledgment that my grief is always ongoing, and that the situation with the pandemic would be having an impact. The pack and sessions with Sophie made me take a bit of time for myself at a really difficult time. I’m very grateful.
The Process
1. Contact Sophie via email (sophie.skipp@edwardstrust.org.uk) or by phoning Edward’s Trust on 0121 4541705. Please note she only works part-time but will get back to you to arrange your well-being welcome chat. If you want more information then phone Edward’s Trust.
2. Have your 30 mins well-being chat & complete your well-being check-up & arrange session dates.
3. Enjoy your sessions (on Zoom or in person)
We understand it can be quite a big step to take up exercise again, or maybe for the first time. In order for you to take full advantage of the wellbeing sessions please feel free to bring someone with you! Working with wellbeing together can be great fun and has made all the difference for some of our families. Quite a few mentioned feeling far more comfortable being able to do the sessions with someone they knew. This is an option for everyone, we are trying to make your wellbeing journey as relaxing and comfortable as possible.
If you would like to book with someone from your support network that hasn’t been supported by Edwards’s Trust before – Don’t worry! As long as we have a connection through you, you can bring who you choose.
First session
Meet Sophie – 30 mins welcome session (via phone or zoom)
This will include:
A health & well-being check
A chat about any particular areas of health and well-being you would like to focus on and what you would like to achieve.
Talking through session options & any questions you may have
Booking time slots for your wellbeing sessions
Yoga
(On Zoom, at a park near to you, in your garden or home)
Yoga combines both breath work and mindfulness in an effort to connect body and mind. Yoga focusses on flexibility, strength and a sense of calm. These sessions will also work with your own personal fitness level.
(60 mins)
Personal Training
(On Zoom, at a park near to you, in your garden or home)
Perhaps you have an area of fitness you would like to know more about or be introduced to. Sophie can organise a Personal Training session for your flexibility, strength or fitness. If you feel a programme would be beneficial for you to follow, this can also be provided and geared personally towards your goals.
(60 mins)
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a natural way of paying attention to the present moment, and encouraging a sense of gentle, non-judgmental. compassionate acceptance. Regular practice of mindfulness can be beneficial for our physical, mental & emotional wellbeing. Learn simple breathing and meditation practices to help calm both body and mind. We will explore different ways of practicing mindfulness in everyday life, and find what helps nourish and support your wellbeing. These sessions can take place both indoors and outdoors, with the option of mindfulness walking in the tranquil natural environment of our local Botanical Gardens. Mindfulness sessions can be offered one-to-one or as part of a small group.
Therapeutic massage
Therapeutic massage can provide an opportunity for deep relaxation, restoring a sense of balance & health. Feelings of anxiety, fear or irritability that often accompany grief may begin to soften and dispel. People often experience physical stress-related symptoms; headaches, insomnia, soreness in the neck & shoulders, breathing difficulties or colds. Massage can help your body to recover; as your body starts to relax, physical and emotional tension may ease.
Together we will do a careful assessment of your needs and then decide what sort of treatment you would like. Essential oils or plain unscented oil can be used. Whether you have a simple hand massage, neck and shoulder, or full body massage many people start to feel the benefits after the first session. Sophie offers a choice of Aromatherapy massage and Swedish massage. These session can be tailor made to target particular areas of tension in the body.
Open air open mind
A Birmingham Botanical Gardens based mindfulness session around the subject of nature. (60 mins)
Walk and Talk
A walk in the Birmingham Botanical gardens, a talk about your overall well-being, whether this be diet related, fitness related or routine related. (60 mins)
Wellbeing Workshops
Edward’s Trust offers 1:1 sessions and half day wellbeing workshops in small groups.
Whether you need some time to just be, relax and begin your recovery after a loss, or you want to learn some new techniques that you can use yourself to bring about a sense of inner peace and calm, our wellbeing therapists can support you.
‘Wellbeing Sessions’ with Sophie enable us to explore different ways we can look after ourselves whilst coping with grief during these challenging times. Open to anyone currently receiving support from Edward’s Trust, as well as those who have received support from us in the past. Family members are also welcome.
No previous experience is necessary– These sessions can be done on Zoom as an alternative to face to face. To express interest email: admin@edwardstrust.org.uk
Here is what some people say about our work
I found my well-being session really relaxing, it helped remove a lot of tenseness. Sophie is such a lovely person, so friendly and encouraging.
My yoga session with Sophie was also brilliant – one to one tuition was great and so relaxing!
