The Grief Cocoon was founded in October 2020 by Gabriela Georges - a writer, musician, grief guide, and facilitator with over 6 years experience working with people who are grieving.

When she was 20 years old, her Mum was diagnosed with metastatic duodenal cancer (a very rare form of cancer). In four short months, Gabriela’s life changed forever as she watched her Mum quickly become someone she couldn’t recognise as she lost her battle with the disease.

Grief was a very isolating experience and it took her years to find a way to process it, and live alongside it in a way that wasn't debilitating. After years of feeling lost and sad, she eventually started sharing her experiences of losing her Mum through poetry and music, and then through community events where people could come together, share their creative work, and have open conversations about grief and loss.

In 2017, she researched and wrote a thesis about the impact of poetry and performance on the experience of grief and loss. She discovered that connecting with others who've experienced similar experiences is vital to learning how to deal with grief, processing it, and knowing you're not alone. 

Grief has no linear path - it's messy. There are no timelines to follow or a step-by-step guide. With this in mind, she stepped forward into the unknown and attempted to create a space for grieving people that is welcoming, warm, supportive, and transforming - a place they belonged and knew they were weren’t alone. This became The Grief Cocoon.