The ‘Holding Space’ podcast is a mental health & mindfulness podcast designed to support families after the loss of a child. Founder Lucy Livesey invited Katie to talk about working with difficult thoughts and emotions in a context applicable to every situation, regardless of what type of loss we have experienced.

Katie shares her personal journey with mindfulness, which began after the death of her brother-in-law in 2006 and deepened during her own cancer treatment in 2015. She discusses how mindfulness has provided her with the anchor she needed to cope with difficult thoughts and emotions during these challenging times, as well as enhancing the joyful moments of life.

If you prefer to listen on another podcast platform you can search for “Series 1, Episode 2 – Holding Space – Katie – Working with difficult Thoughts and Emotions” and the Podcast’s full title is “Holding Space – Baby Loss, Mindfulness and Mental Health Podcast – The Ellie’s Gift Project”.

Background & Further Information

Katie first met Lucy Livesey in 2020, during their Advanced Teacher Training with Breathworks in Manchester. Lucy invited Katie to become part of her team delivering mindfulness sessions online during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 as part of a funded programme for the people of Oldham designed by Relax with Lucy & Co.

Relax with Lucy & Co is a not-for-profit organization founded by Lucy, who personally experienced the devastating loss of her own baby, and wanted to provide support for others to find healing and support.

Relax with Lucy & Co provide mindfulness and wellbeing interventions through the Ellie’s Gift project and their free baby loss app , The Ellies Gift app. The app is designed to provide families with baby loss guided meditations, breathing exercises, and other mindfulness techniques that can help reduce anxiety to support individuals pre and post birth. The app also features additional in-app support.

In addition to the app, Relax with Lucy & Co provide a range of other services to support families who have experienced baby loss. These include online mindfulness weekly support groups, mindfulness in grief courses and also the ‘Holding Space’ podcast, a mental health & mindfulness podcast to support families after the loss of a child. The organization also partners with healthcare providers and hospitals who refer families into the service in addition to providing training and support.

One of the unique aspects of Relax with Lucy & Co is that it is entirely run by volunteers, including mental health professionals and the services provided by the organization are free, and all donations go directly towards supporting families who have experienced baby loss.