About – Held & Shine

Who am I

I’m Vasilka, and I see you.

I’m a grief coach with a particular depth of experience in partner loss. I know this path not only through professional training, but through lived experience.

My role is not to fix you or push you forward. It’s to walk beside you with steadiness and care, as you find your way at your own pace.

"When my husband died, my world shattered."

I remember feeling adrift, struggling to breathe under the weight of grief, unsure how to exist in a life that no longer resembled the one I had known.

I searched for support that felt real. What I often found instead were rushed conversations, well-meaning clichés, and subtle pressure to “be okay.” People cared, but they didn’t understand the depth of what I was carrying or the slow nature of real healing.

I came to see how uncomfortable our culture is with grief, how quickly we try to tidy it up or treat it like a problem to be solved.

"When my husband died, my world shattered."

It’s an expression of love and loss that needs patience and care.

Finding my way through

I remember feeling adrift, struggling to breathe under the weight of grief, unsure how to exist in a life that no longer resembled the one I had known.

I came to see how uncomfortable our culture is with grief, how quickly we try to tidy it up or treat it like a problem to be solved.

Why I stared Held & Shine

I created Held & Shine to be the space I couldn’t find in those early years. A place where grief isn’t rushed or minimised, where you’re never told to “get over it,” and where your love is honoured as much as your loss.

Ways to work together

Grief is personal, and support needs to meet you where you are. Some people prefer the quiet intimacy of one-to-one sessions, others find comfort in shared group spaces, and some are drawn to creative, art-based support.

Being held

You are met exactly as you are. There is no need to perform, explain, or hold it together. This is a space where your grief has room, where you can cry, speak, or sit in silence, and where you are heard and held.

Unfolding

As steadiness returns, we explore what has shifted. Who you are now. What still matters. What you want your life to look like. Together, we honour what has changed and what remains, allowing clarity, direction, and quiet hope to emerge.

Shining

Shining isn’t about going back. It’s about learning how to live fully in a life that now holds both grief and joy. You begin to carry your love forward, reclaiming meaning, trust, and aliveness, gently and without guilt. You are not broken. You do not need fixing.

My Promise to You

If we work together, you can expect empathy, patience, and genuine care. I will listen deeply, respect your story, and never rush your process.

“You are not broken, and you are not alone. Your grief matters because your love matters.”

Ready to be heard?

You don’t have to carry it all on your own. Let’s find a time to speak.