Episodes
Thursday May 28, 2020
#14 Kajol -The journey of a young carer and identity.
Thursday May 28, 2020
Thursday May 28, 2020
This week Callsuma is joined by 3rd year Birmingham University student Kajol Desai. Kajol is taking us through her journey as a young carer for her mum from the age of 10. Kajol's story is also one of dual reality and how this impacted her over the years and the beauty in finding her way back to her identity.
Thank you for listening.
Your host
Callsuma Ali
@bereavementroom
Sunday Jun 07, 2020
#15 Keri Pugh - The role of a caretaker and the endurance that came with it.
Sunday Jun 07, 2020
Sunday Jun 07, 2020
We are pleased to say that @BereavementRoom has a worldwide listen with the USA being our second biggest listening base. This week Callsuma is joined by our first African American guest Keri Pugh from Baltimore, Maryland. Keri is talking to us about her Father-in-law who died of Colon Cancer and Leukemia. Keri was her Father-in laws caretaker, we discuss what it means to be an advocate and the endurance that comes with it.
Thank you for listening.
You can reach Keri on IG @LifeInAClutch
Your host
Callsuma Ali
@BereavementRoom
Sunday Jun 14, 2020
#16 Sue Guerrieri - Mental illness and suicide.
Sunday Jun 14, 2020
Sunday Jun 14, 2020
PLEASE NOTE TODAY'S EPISODE HAS EXPLICIT REFERENCES TO SUICIDE.
Today's episode is in memory of Geneva Guerrieri.
Sue Guerrieri a Mindset & Grief Coach joins Callsuma to talk about who Geneva was before she died of suicide in 2018, age just 22. We also discuss emotions and are black and brown ethnic groups doing the emotional work to heal from generational trauma?
Is medication doing more harm than good instead of actually talking about how we truly feel? Is the student population under an immense amount of burden and pressure and are institutions doing enough to support our student population? Food for thought.
Geneva was incredibly bright, active at University as a student trustee and a member of the Democracy and Equality department, she left Bournemouth University with a 1st class honours degree. Geneva then went on to be CIM qualified before she went onto study her Masters at Imperial College, London.
I leave you all with a final quote from the episode:
"i'm fine" The chameleon of all emotions - Sue Guerrieri.
The songs for today's episode on our Spotify Playlist Bereavement Room Podcast include Sade, King of Sorrow and Lady Gaga, Million Reasons.
If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned for a young person you can call Papyrus Hopelink for confidential support and practical advice on 0800 068 4141
As always, thank you for listening.
Your Host.
Callsuma Ali
Sunday Jun 21, 2020
#17 Darwyn Dave - Father's Day Special Episode.
Sunday Jun 21, 2020
Sunday Jun 21, 2020
We continue to talk to our guests from across the African American diaspora, today's episode is a Father's Day special with Darwyn Dave from Dealing with my grief podcast. Darwyn was 10 years old when his father was murdered. We discuss what unraveled on that day and what followed over the years since that day.
We look at gun laws, apology letters and what it was like for Darwyn's parents living during the time of Jim Crow Law that enforced racial segregation.
This episode is dedicated to Mansfield Dave and all of our Grandfathers and Fathers.
You can reach Darwyn at http://www.dealingwithmygrief.com/
Thank you for listening.
Your host
Callsuma Ali
Sunday Jun 28, 2020
#18 Linda - Father figures and grieving in the workplace.
Sunday Jun 28, 2020
Sunday Jun 28, 2020
Today's guest is British Ghanaian Linda , Linda is talking to Callsuma about her uncle who died of Cancer in 2017. Linda takes us through how she navigated her grief, thinking that her Uncle was getting better and coming home but in actual fact he was dying. We open up about the fact that all families are convoluted and how this adds to journey of grief that we experience. We also discuss the option of Linda moving back to Ghana after the recent events of the murder of George Floyd that has sparked worldwide outcry of the impact of systemic racism has on Black communities. We look at whether we can show our grief in the workplace and what this means about truly being ourselves, is it possible to grieve at work? Is counselling and therapy easily accessible for the communities of the diaspora in comparison to our white counterparts?
To find a therapist that works for you reach out to the following organisations that might be able to help with your needs and requirements;
Black, African and Asian Therapy Network
Muslim Counsellor and Psychotherapist Network
Please note the above are not endorsements, please ensure you do your own research in order to find what best suits your therapy needs.
Thanks for listening and don't forget to give us a follow on twitter and ig @bereavementroom
Your host
Callsuma ali
Thursday Jul 09, 2020
#19 Penultimate Episode - My story, the grieving daughter - Callsuma
Thursday Jul 09, 2020
Thursday Jul 09, 2020
We return to the Bereavement Room for the Penultimate episode of Series 1.
Former guest Lekhani Chirwa returns to the show to facilitate today's episode where host Callsuma Ali takes the guest seat. Callsuma goes back in time, 10 years since her Mother's death in December 2010. We discuss the challenges we face with healthcare, advocating for ourselves and our loved ones, the complexities of grieving in the workplace with 1 days compassionate leave and insensitive questions from friends that don't know what to say or do when when we grieve. The joy of solo travelling, and the lessons we learn that lead us to where we are today.
I would like to thank everyone that wrote letters and dms to tell me how they feel about Bereavement Room Podcast, i appreciate you all so much.
I'm your guest, Callsuma Ali
I'm your host, Lekhani Chirwa
tweet us @bereavementroom
Sunday Jul 19, 2020
Sunday Jul 19, 2020
Today we release the final episode of Series 1 of Bereavement Room podcast. The first part of 2020 has been a journey, with the unexpected death of my father and then covid-19 followed by a global lockedown and now life slowly starting to resume it's new normal, it's been a rollercoaster.
The final episode is part 2 of my own story, former guest Vaishnavi Ramu returns to host the space for Callsuma as she takes the guest seat once more. We talk openly about sibling loss, Callsuma's younger brother died of Leukemia in January 2018. We discuss what it means to grow up with a brother who is non verbal and autistic, grief in the workplace where compassionate leave is not very compassionate and the problem with people managers.
Knowing that we are not born with empathy and compassion but are taught it, how do we learn our empathy and compassionate skills and do we use them enough? The importance of communicating with family members during difficult times, and the need for review of current structures of the Psychotherapy and Counselling world.
Food for thought; can we truly grieve in the workplace? Is it realistic for workplaces to do more for mental health and bereavement? People of colour with disabilities face so many challenges in society, is the system working hard enough to understand the needs of our most vulnerable? Is the caring profession actually caring? Why are there so many white female therapists? Do we actively exercise our listening skills during the most crucial moments in our lives?
In the final episode we also discuss the BAME poll results, is it time to dismantle BAME?
You can find Bereavement Room on twitter and instagram @bereavementroom
Wishing you a peaceful summer, see you in September!
Thanks for listening.
Your guest Callsuma Ali
Your host Vaishnavi Ramu
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
#1 Series 2 Trailer: Why we do what we do with Callsuma Ali
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
Welcome to Series 2 of @BereavementRoom Podcast!
A little welcome back from me, I hope you had a peaceful summer!
In this episode I take you through what to expect, Series 2 is about Why we do what we do, the new theme in the slightly adjusted format. We all have a story, I certainly have a story that's why we are here. Of course we will still be running with the usual format of sharing our experiences of grief and loss too. I will be covering the ongoing conversations we need to have in order to drive change.
I will be talking to guests about Grief, Loss, Racism, Identity, Religion, Culture and how our experiences have shaped us and lead us to where we are now and why we do what we do ending our conversations with our favourite challenge, Gratitude.
A massive hello to our worldwide listeners!
As always you can find Bereavement Room on twitter and instagram just search bereavementroom. Since you're here please tap that star rating on Apple, leave us a review let me know what you are thinking.
Thank you for listening.
I'm your host,
Callsuma Ali x
Sunday Sep 20, 2020
#2 James Boston Co-founder of Talking Wellbeing App
Sunday Sep 20, 2020
Sunday Sep 20, 2020
In today's episode of Why we do what we do I am joined in the Bereavement Room by the Co-founder of Talking Wellbeing App, James Boston. Having heard James speak about Identity at a webinar I knew I just had to get him in the room!
James takes me through what lead to a meant to be partnership with Godfrid Bosse and the journey that continues. Packed with tips to train your mindset, podcasts, blogs and events to sign up to, you can tailor what you see in your feed by downloading the Talking Wellbeing App for free.
James and I discuss what identity means for us and the politics that can surround it, including how he started his journey into decolonising his mind to later in life teaching his fellow students about the transatlantic slave trade at the University of Gloucestershire.
A master of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics, James takes me back to how loss impacted his life when his grandmother died in 2013 from hospital negligence. The great influence she had on his life growing up and the love that now lives on in his memory.
We also speak openly about the problematic ways in which employers deal with bereaved employees and how this needs to change fast.
James Boston on IG - @iam_jamesboston
Talking Wellbeing App on IG - @talkingwellbeing
Bereavement Room on IG - @bereavementroom
As always thank you for listening.
Your host
Callsuma Ali
Sunday Sep 27, 2020
#3 Baffour Ababio - Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre
Sunday Sep 27, 2020
Sunday Sep 27, 2020
Today's guest in the Bereavement Room is Baffour Ababio, a psychoanalytic intercultural psychotherapist and clinical supervisor in private practice and at Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre.
Baffour completed his training at University College London and the Guild of Psychotherapists and is a member of UKCP and BAPPS (British Association for Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Supervision). Alongside his clinical role Baffour developed a career in managing mental health services integrating a community based response to support recovery from a broad range of mental health problems. He has written articles and co-edited a volume on psychotherapy: ‘Ababio, B. and Littlewood, R. (eds) (2019) Intercultural Therapy: Challenges, Insights and Developments. London: Routledge’.
In this episode Baffour reflects on his journey that lead him to therapy, his conflict with his majority and minority Ghanaian background, colonialism, Grenfell fire and frustration around representation in Psychotherapy.
There is poor racial representation across Psychotherapy and Counselling and I conclude this is related to financial inequality and discrimination, in order to be representative we need to find out how many ethnic minority students progress on to continue training after their foundation year and how many drop out and why.
During our chat I couldn't help but think about shocking levels of economic and racial inequality that was revealed in The Colour of Money, a Runnymede report released in April 2020. For example, Black African and Bangladeshi households have 10 times less wealth than White British people.
Recommendations from the report include strengthening discrimination law, as well as the need for targeted policies to tackle longstanding inequalities, and for ensuring racial inequalities are considered in thinking about how to design a fairer, more resilient economy.
With this in mind we need to be mindful that this isn't about students giving up halfway through but individual circumstances that need to be taken into account why student's do not progress on with training for example financial hardships and experiences of racism during training that can force students to drop out.
Training to be a Psychotherapist or Counsellor at a top school is the equivalent of a deposit on a property in London. (13k-25k) sometimes exc other costs such as being in approved therapy throughout the duration of the training.
As always thank you for listening.
@bereavementroom on IG.
@bereavementroom on twitter.
Your host
Callsuma Ali