We continue to meet our fellow coaches, get inspired and build coach community with our “Meet the Coach” features! This month we meet Rhonda Cornwall MA. She is a “From Grief to Gratitude Certified Coach” and Grief Recovery Method Specialist.

About Rhonda

Lives In: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Company: Hope”s Dwelling

Type of Coach: Grief Coach

Describe your coaching business in one sentence: I am a grief and loss coach taking a holistic approach to partnering with women who have experienced loss and want to learn how to thrive in the aftermath of loss.

Meet Rhonda

QUESTION 1. What one book should every coach read – and why?

Grief Recovery Method Handbook. I may be a little biased but I believe that every coach should have a working knowledge of grief. Because at some point we will work with persons who have experienced a loss, whether it be from death or a broken relationship.

QUESTION 2. Which website do you visit the most?

I visit a lot of sites for grief resources online, but I especially like to use YouTube because there are many helpful educational videos that give clients a visual way to understand their grief.

QUESTION 3. Whom do you admire most and why?

My parents. I admire them because they have demonstrated the work ethics and care for others that are the cornerstone of the work I do.

I understood the importance of loyalty, treating others with respect, and being industrious from an early age. And that is all due to their teaching.

QUESTION 4. What’s your vision for your life? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

The future is exciting because it presents opportunities to continue grief awareness and provide resources to those suffering from loss. I also want to develop the retreat part of my business that focuses on self-care retreats for ladies, both land-based and online.

QUESTION 5. What is your “big project” at the moment?

Last year I launched my self-care retreat business. And I hosted my first land based retreat at a beautiful seaside cottage at the end of 2021.

I am excited about this because it gives the ladies I work with the opportunity to de-stress and learn new tools to equip them better for life’s challenges.

QUESTION 6. What has been your favourite coaching moment so far?

I love when my clients have that first realization that change has happened. For example, I worked with a lady who recently had an experience that would have left her feeling defeated and hopeless. Instead of reacting the way she would typically, she chose to take steps to care for herself and ask others what she needed.

It wasn’t until our coaching session that she realized what she had done differently. That moment of realization was so empowering for her.

QUESTION 7. What are your Top 3 favourite coaching tools and/or resources?

I use an adapted form of the Wheel of Life for grief, and it is such a powerful tool to help clients see how suffering impacts their lives.

The Grief Recovery Method utilizes a number of tools that assist persons in completing undelivered communications in relationships. These tools help those grieving begin to move forward and become unstuck from their grief.

But the one tool that is most effective for me is simply being present with my clients in their pain—not shying away from their hurt but providing a safe space for them to share what they are feeling.

QUESTION 8. What do you love most about being a coach?

Being able to partner with clients to see things happen in their lives that they didn’t think was possible.

QUESTION 9. Tell us a secret about you…

Grief coaching seems to come naturally for me, but it wasn’t my first choice for a niche. After the loss of my father, I couldn’t turn away from the hurt I saw in others dealing with grief. I knew what grief felt like, so I knew I had to help others with their grief.

QUESTION 10. If you could change one thing in our world, what would it be? And how would you go about it?

I would change the way we support and treat those grieving. There are so many hurtful things said and done to those suffering. For example, many avoid the bereaved because of their own discomfort surrounding grief.

I would change the way we educate persons to deal with grief. Instead of avoidance, I advocate for early school education and an openness to embracing those hurting from loss.