Grief & Trauma Therapy
I practice trauma-informed, depth-oriented therapy using Compassionate Inquiry (I trained directly in Gabor Maté’s method), alongside Internal Family Systems and somatic therapy. Grief runs through all of it: I’ve spent the last five years working closely with grief in its many forms, and I facilitate grief work alongside my trauma therapy practice.
We work with the parts of you that learned to survive: the vigilance, the people-pleasing, the shutdown. Not to eliminate them, but to listen to what they’ve been carrying.
Grief work looks a little different. It’s less about parts, more about making room, for the losses that never got acknowledged, the ones you’re still carrying years later, the grief that sits underneath other grief. There’s no timeline here, and no expectation that you should be “over it.”
This isn’t about managing symptoms. It’s about meeting what’s underneath with compassion instead of shame.
What moves me most in this work is watching people come back into contact with who they actually are, underneath the coping, underneath the grief that hasn’t had room to move. I’ve worked with clients across different countries, cultures, and religions, and what protects us, and what we grieve, looks different for everyone, shaped by where we come from, how we were raised, what we were taught was safe. But underneath it, I think we’re all reaching for the same thing: to be seen, accepted, loved as we are.
Living with grief or trauma can feel like this
- You’re grieving — a person, a relationship, a version of yourself — and the world expects you to be over it by now
- You feel things deeply, perhaps too deeply, and you’ve spent a lifetime managing that
- Something from your past keeps showing up in your present, in your relationships, your body, your patterns
- You’ve tried to understand it, talk about it, think your way through it — but it won’t shift
- You feel anxious, numb, untethered, or all three at once
- You’ve been told you’re too sensitive — but you know your pain is real
- You sense there’s something in you that has never been seen, never been heard, never been allowed
If something in you recognised itself just now — that’s not an accident.
Who is Rachelle?
I am deeply fascinated by the subtle parts of us that define who we are, and what we do. The simplicity in being, if one takes the time to learn to sit in discomfort, in darkness, which allows the light to return again. Every time I see two grownups argue, I can see the toddlers that take over within them. All driven by the same desires, but moulded by their own experiences and backgrounds.
I’ve lived through grief, trauma, and the long quiet unraveling of a self that had been surviving for too long. I’ve crossed my own thresholds of loss, identity, and continue to dive deep within myself. That’s not a footnote to my work. It’s the foundation of it.
I am always aware that life often does not go how we expect, and that time is not a given. This is one of the reasons I do this work, to help people get to the core, so that they can use their individual gifts in their own lives, and in this world.
I trained directly in Gabor Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry method. I work with Internal Family Systems, somatic therapy, mindfulness, and what I can only describe as deep, unhurried presence.
I work globally online via Zoom, and occasionally in person in Malta & France.
Sliding scale pricing available.
Who I work with
Grief and loss. Complex trauma and CPTSD. Anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and nervous system dysregulation. Attachment patterns and relationship wounds. Life transitions and identity shifts. Depression and emotional numbness.
I’m not a clinical psychologist or medical provider, and I don’t diagnose or prescribe. If you’re in acute crisis, please contact a mental health professional or crisis service.
Feedback & Reviews
“Rachelle is a damn good coach. She listens with so much compassion that it is contagious. A gift so scarce in today’s society.
She has guided me into having the same compassion with myself and those around me, strengthening my connections and lifting the heavy weight of shame and self judgement.
We wasted no time, her therapy methods made a beeline for my trauma. There were a lot of tears and a hell of a lot of anger but most importantly, a depth of healing. I would recommend her hands down without any reservations. Her personal experiences have collided with her training with Gabor Mate and created a beautiful symphony of therapeutic magic.”
“I have attended several sessions with Rachelle, and honestly they became the time of the week that I am looking forward to.
Her presence is calming, grounded, and I can feel I am safely dropping into my body, into the space ready to be held.
I have had some eye-opening moments during the seasons and because of Rachelle’s guidance I could walk away from the room with clearer mind and open heart.
I feel very grateful to find the therapist with whom I feel safe and understood.”
“This form of therapy has made me understand myself more; my own patterns, insecurities, judgements and has shown me how to be more compassionate towards myself.
It has taught me (and still is) to recognise emotions that are linked to past experiences and how they can trigger certain patterns and behaviours. This in return has been very helpful in my relationships with other people.”
“Cannot recommend it enough. This mode of therapy is truly transformational, and I was one of the fortunate ones who can testify to this groundbreaking work and Rachelle is an amazingly talented coach.”
How we work together
1. Book a free 30-minute discovery call
No obligation. Just a conversation to see if this feels right.
2. If it’s aligned, we begin
You schedule sessions at your own rhythm. I never prescribe frequency or pace.
3. We go at your pace
Sessions are online (Zoom) or occasionally in person in Malta / France. Sliding scale pricing available.
Book a free discovery call (30 minutes)
What is Compassionate Inquiry?
Compassionate Inquiry reveals what lies beneath the appearance to the world. It is a (somatic) therapy which exposes and shows the masks that we wear and unconsciously hide behind. Compassionate Inquiry is a method of guided inquiry that looks at the essence of trauma, which is the disconnection from the authentic self.
MANIFESTO
I practice with ongoing supervision and continual self-reflection.
I commit to anti-oppressive, decolonizing, and harm-reduction frameworks.
I acknowledge the limits of my training and identity and remain accountable for my blind spots.
I make clear that I am not a clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, or medical provider and cannot diagnose or prescribe.
I honor cultural origins of the practices I engage with and strive to prevent appropriation.
I welcome clients of all identities and backgrounds with respect for your culture, history, and lived experience.
I center presence, compassion, and humility in all my work.