Our Mission
Mission Statement
At Grief Guardians, our mission is to safeguard hope and wellness by guiding individuals through the reconciliation and transformation of traumatic loss, grief and bereavement.
We provide compassionate, bespoke and holistic
support, rooted in empathy and understanding.
Reconcile Loss With Grief Guardians
Welcome
Hello and welcome to our website. My hope is that this space offers you a soft and gentle landing place. A place where you can simply be …catch your breath, re-group and gently consider your next steps.
Please know: you are in good hands, Grief Guardians is here for you, and we have much to offer.
Before anything else, I want to express my heartfelt condolences for the sorrow you maybe carrying. Grief is mourning what once was…often in the midst of profound uncertainty…
It can raise questions with no clear answers, no roadmap and no timeline. You may feel overwhelmed, confused, or even frozen in fear- all of this is entirely human.
Breathe…
Here, you are not alone. We are here to walk beside you.
My guess is that you have found your way to Grief Guardians for a reason. Perhaps it’s timing, or maybe something deeper, a kind of divine intervention or a wish for things to be different.
Maybe, in this moment, you have realised you have been holding your breath…, feeling exhausted,… and needing to talk.
Please give yourself permission to reach out, to receive the support you need. It is ok to slow down, to take time to reflect and pay postive regard to your intuition.
Gently ask “What do I need right now“? This is your invitation to focus on you - your wellbeing, your healing, your self- care.
Grief changes us. It distrupts life as we knew it. And often, there’s pressure - spoken or silent - to
“Go back to normal.”
But the truth is: you will not go back. You can‘t.
There will always be the before … and after… of a traumatic loss
The change is real.
In saying that, let me assure you: you’re not going to stay stuck.
I have had the honour of walking alongside many individuals as they have mourned, reflected and reconciled with their grief. Healing is possible.
Grief, as painful as it is, can also be profoundly transformative.
Bespoke Loss and Grief Counselling Services
Our compassionate, trauma informed Loss and Grief Counselling Services are designed to support individuals navigating sorrow and emotional pain- particularly during times of existential crisis.
Whether your are experiencing grief connected to:
- Childhood trauma or abuse
- Sexual identity or gender expression
- Relationship breakdowns or separation
- Relocation or migration
- Job loss, career transition or retirement
- empty nesting
- A health diagnosis
- The loss of a loved one or beloved pet
We are here to walk beside you.
Our goal is to help you:
- Develop healthier coping mechanisms
- Learn supportive strategies
- Reduce anxiety, stress and suffering
- Improve your overall sense of wellbeing
Disenfranchised Grief Psychotherapy
We specialise in supporting individuals journeying through disenfranchised grief- a form of bereavement that is often unacknowledged, misunderstood, or invalidated by family, social networks or the wider community.
Disenfranchised Grief can arise from losses that carry stigma or are considered taboo, such as:
- Suicides
- Murder suicides
- Intimate partner violence fatalities
- Drug overdoses
- Euthanasia
- Pregnancy terminations
- Deaths during childbirth
- Losses involving estranged parents, family members, ex-partners and ex- family members
- Relationship losses with married partners or non-traditional connections.
These complex experiences can leave people feeling isolated, judged or silenced.
We provide a non-judgemental, compassionate space where you can safely process your grief, no matter how complicated or socially unrecognised it may be.
Our therapeutic support focuses on:
- Identifying internalised and social stigmas
- Understanding relationship dynamics and their emotional impacts
- Reframing unhelpful or self critical thought patterns
- Exploring pathways towards post- traumatic growth
- Improve self-esteem and rebuilding confidence
You deserve to have your grief witnessed, honoured and supported with empathy and non-judgement.
Group Processing Workshops
Connect with others who are experiencing loss and trying to make sense of their grief journey through our Group Processing Workshops.
At Grief Guardians, we facilitate safe, supportive and kre8tive conversations in a welcoming group setting. These workshops provide a space where participants can share their hope, stories, express emotions and exchange personal insights and coping strategies.
Our goal is to foster a sense of community, connections and mutual understanding,.
Remember you are not alone in your grief journey.
Whether you are seeking support, companionship, or simply a place to be heard, our group workshops offer hope, comfort, validation and the healing power of shared experience.
Death Doula Services
At Grief Guardians, we offer a calming, compassionate presence to individuals who are terminally ill and provide ongoing support to their families, throughout the dying process.
Our Death Doula Services are grounded in dignity, respect and personal care. We offer
- Specialised social work support
- Comprehensive end-of-life need assessments
- Individualised action and care management planning.
We collaborate closely with medical, legal, financial, and care teams, as well as funeral service providers, to ensure that all aspects of the journey are supported and aligned with the individuals and family wishes.
In addition, we provide emotional and spiritual guidance, helping to:
- Ease fears around death and dying
- Create space for meaningful reflection
- Facilitate reconciliation of past regrets or unfinished emotional business
At Grief Guardians, we deeply value the right to die with comfort, peace, and dignity- surrounded by care that honours each person’s life, choices and legacy.
Gorgeous Gatherings Signature Events
At Grief Guardians, we are proud to lead with heart and purpose in creating Gorgeous Gathering Signature Events- soulful, meaningful occasions that honour life, love and legacy.
Our events are known for their authentic connection, thoughtful attention to detail, and compassionate storytelling.
Whether you are planning a:
- Living memorial tribute
- Remembrance gathering
- Anniversary of a loss
- Ceremony to mark personal transformation or healing
We work closely with you to ensure your wishes are honoured every step of the way.
We celebrate each individual‘s strengths, life achievements, and commitments with warmth, elegance, and a touch of joy. Our gatherings are designed to offer comfort, reflection, and even moments of light- heartness and celebration. Always grounded in respect and integrity.
Sanctuary House:Your Partner In Creating Inner Peace
Sanctuary House
You are warmly invited to stay with us at Sanctuary House, a peaceful retreat in the heart of leafy suburb of Mt Cotton, nestled within the picturesque Redlands Coast, south -east Queensland‘s best kept secret. With easy access to Moreton Bay Islands, national parks and conservation areas. Sanctuary House offers a serene escape just 45 minutes from both Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Guest have described Sanctuary House as charming, tranquil and soulfully uplifting, a place of positivity spiritual energy that gently invites you to unwind, relax and reconnect with your authentic self.
Zencation Stays: Bespoke Healing Retreats
Grief Guardian protects wellness by offering a range of therapeutic zencation stays - carefully curated healing experiences designed to reconcile the harsh realities of traumatic grief with gentleness and intention.
You can choose from a range of stay options:
- Daycation (half or full day)
- Eveningcation
- Overnightcation
Each stay includes access to Sanctuary's house peaceful grounds and be customised to meet your unique needs for rest, healing and restoration.
Zentaury Wellbeing Treatment Options
During your zencation, we will co-design a tailored therapeutic package that can evolve as your needs shift. Your bespoke stay may include any combination of the following:
- Loss and Grief Counselling
- Gestalt Psychotherapy
- Artistic Therapies
- Social Work Support
- Reiki Energy Healing
- Meditation and Mindfulness
- Breathwork Practices
- Private Luxury Hot Tub sessions
Optional Enhancements (Subject to availability)
- Yoga
- Massage therapy
- Relexology
- Kinesiology
Come home to yourself: Whether you are seeking solitude, soulful reflection or gently theraputic support. Sanctuary House offers a safe, sacred space to feel rejuvinated, grounded and whole.
Come and experience pure tranquility - your personalised zencation retreat awaits.
About Grief Guardians Founder
Kelly Playford-Veal
My name is Kelly and grief has knocked on my door many times throughout my life. Around 18 months of age my grandparents were both tragically killed in motor vehicle accident. Then, in my early 20’s, I lost my mother to suicide. Her death, stopped me in my tracks! It was like I was placed in a washing machine, I was turned upside down and inside out.
Back in the mid 1990’s, suicide and the grief that follows, was rarely spoken about. It was a taboo subject. Honestly, it still is. I felt the weight of stigma, social disconnect and deep isolation. In those painful years, I evaluated and re-evaluated everything in my life as I made a promise to mum, that when it's my turn to die, I would do so…happy and have had led a fulfilling and purposeful life. I had also hoped that mum could see the world through m eyes.
Grief has become my teacher.
Over time, I experienced post- traumatic growth firsthand. I met others who had been impacted by suicide and I saw both our shared experiences and our differences. This connection inspired my passion for learning and inturn led me to found the Redlands Suicide Bereavement Group. I held onto hope that one day people could speak openly about suicide and its impact, just like they may talk about cancer or divorce.
I have always believed that no one should have to grieve alone. That belief, combined with my own lived experiences- including divorce, family estrangement and caring for a child with a disability, has deepened my understanding of the many faces of loss
Over the past three decades, I have built career working with individuals, families and communities. I have seen grief in its many forms and I have learnt two universal truths:
Tears are all the same colour, and they speak the same language, regardless of race and culture.
Eventually, I surrendered to what I can only describe as the quiet whispers of the universe. I felt called- nudged- to fully step into my purpose. That calling led me to create Grief Guardians; a soul led business devoted to supporting others through sorrow, with compassion, integrity and deep empathy.
I became a student of the following qualifications -
Masters Education
Griffith University: Masters of Social Work
Gestalt Therapy Brisbane: Masters of Gestalt Psychotherapy
Post Graduate Education
Columbia University Centre for Complicated Grief: Practice Focused Training in Complicated Grief Therapy
Sophia College: Graduate Cert in Artistic Therapies
Diploma Education
Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors: Diploma of Professional Counsellors
Bremer TAFE: Diploma of Community Development
Bremer TAFE: Diploma of Human Services
Certification
Udemy: Accredited Death Doula Certificate
Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE: Community Services Practice Certificate
Youth Sector Training Council: Youth Work Certificate
Motivational Interviewing Certificate
Livingworks: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Certificate
Mental Health First Aid Certificate
Seasons for Growth: Teenage Program Certificate
Alternatives to Violence Program Certificate
Help Increase the Peace Program Certificate
Reiki Level 1&11 Certificate
(there is so much to learn, may it continue)
Previous Employment-
Queensland Health: Adult Community Mental Health
Healthscope: Pinerivers Private Hospital
Headspace National: Graduate Program
Uniting Care: StandBy - Support After Suicide
Mind Australia: Gailes Community Care Unit
Aftercare: Floresco Mental Health Service
Wesley Mission: Youth Support Coordinator Program & Futures in Focus Housing and Employment Program
BABI Youth Services
Anglicare: In-SYNC Youth Service
Founder;
Grief Guardians
Redlands Suicide Bereavement Group
Professional Memberships:
Australian Association of Social Workers
Grief Guardians Resources
Crisis Supports
Grief Guardians is by appointment only and does not provide immediate crisis support.
If you are experiencing suicidal distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
If you are being harmed or if someone is requiring medical assistance please call 000
Online Grief Supports
under construction