Therapy inspired me to face my Chapter 2
Last Christmas, 2024, I found myself at lunch with four lovely actors I’d worked with a decade ago. All women now in their sixties — all still happily married. Except me.
Not that I wasn’t happily married. I was. Deeply. My husband was my best friend, my writing and business partner, my home.
But as life keeps reminding us, nothing is forever. In April 2022, after a short and brutal encounter with cancer, he was gone.
Since then, I’ve been learning how to live again — not in the shadow of loss, but in the light of love that remains.
Therapy didn’t erase the grief, but it opened the door to something new: the possibility that Chapter 2 could still be written, and that I’m the one holding the pen.
Embracing Intimacy After Loss: Your Guide to Rebuilding Connection
Embracing Intimacy After Loss: A Gentle Guide by Angela Vossen
Rebuilding emotional and physical connection after the loss of a partner is a deeply personal journey—one often filled with hope, hesitation, and healing. In this heartfelt guide, relationship and sex coach Angela Vossen (from sextasy) offers supportive, practical steps to help you reconnect with your body, open up to new relationships, and embrace intimacy at your own pace.
Drawing from Chapter 2’s research and her coaching experience, Angela shares how to navigate guilt, rebuild trust, and rediscover your spark—with compassion and courage.
Ready to take your next small step?
Read the full guide and join the conversation in the Chapter 2 forum.
From Hacienda to Heartbreak…to Healing
In her rawest and most revealing conversation yet, Nicky joins Sarah Knight on the It’s Got Pockets podcast to unpack the unimaginable…losing the love of her life, navigating solo parenting through grief, getting sober, and rediscovering purpose in the aftermath of heartbreak.
From the darkest moments to rebuilding with humour, grit, and honesty, Nicky shares what it really means to begin again at any age.
If you’ve ever wondered how to keep going when life falls apart, this story is for you.
Ditch the Small Talk: 5 Conversation Starters For First Dates
Here are five conversation starters designed to help you and your date move beyond small talk and start building a real connection.
A Guide to After Life: Key Insights from Dr. Monika Wieliczko’s Podcast
A Guide to After Life: Key Insights from Dr. Monika Wieliczko’s Podcast “As widows, we don’t move on. We move forward.” – Nicky Wake [00:23:48] Dating after loss can feel […]
Finding Love Again: A Gentle Guide to Making the Best of Your Profile
Finding Love Again: A Gentle Guide to Making the Best of Your Profile Dating after loss requires courage, hope, and sensitivity. Whether you’re taking your first steps or ready to […]
If you’ve ever thought, “Is my child really grieving? They seem fine—but are they?” You’re not alone. – Sarah Gallagher
Grief in kids doesn’t always look the way we expect. They don’t have the words or tools to express their feelings as we do, so their grief often shows up in ways we might not recognize. It’s one of the hardest parts of solo parenting through loss—trying to support your child while also managing your own grief.
Sorrow and Stigma: One Third of Widows Don’t Disclose Their Widow Status When Meeting New People, Survey Finds
In our recent Chapter 2 community survey, it was revealed that many still faced multiple challenges and stigmas associated with being a widow or widower.
The research found that almost a third of widows (30%) still struggled with disclosing their widow status when meeting new people.
What Not to Say to a Widow – As Widows and Widowers Reveal the Worst Things Said to Them Since Losing a Partner
In a new survey conducted by Chapter 2, people reveal the worst things that others have said to them since losing their partner.
Navigating the Dating World – Beware of Romance Scammers
Entering the world of dating can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. While meeting new people and potentially finding another love is your goal, it’s essential to be cautious and aware of potential pitfalls, such as dating scammers. We’ll explore the ins and outs of online dating safety, focusing on the importance of recognising and avoiding dating scams. We’ll also introduce a powerful campaign that sheds light on this issue.
New to online dating? We reveal the dating jargon you need to know…
With more and more people turning to online dating in the wake of the digital era, the number of online dating apps, too, is growing.
If you’re navigating the dating world and want to brush up on your dating lingo, here are some of the terms and top dating jargon you’ll need to know for 2024.
Holidays are coming… Surviving the summer as a widow or widower
Sunny skies, warm evenings, BBQ’s, holidays, fish ‘n’ chips on the beach, lighter nights and ice cream – all things which were once relished and enjoyed as a couple, or conventional family, can be incredibly challenging as a widow or widower. It is at times a painful reminder of those lost future plans and happy memories…
Widow’s Fire: The unspoken truths of sexual intimacy after grief
Chapter 2 have surveyed over 500 widows and widowers to explore “widow’s fire” and intimacy after grief.
Real Widows and Widowers
We recognise that real widows come from all walks of life. We comprise all genders and all sexual preferences, all races, all demographics, all age ranges, married and cohabiting, parents or not. Unfortunately love and loss do not discriminate and affects us all. Here at Chapter 2 want to celebrate the reality of what real widows look like, we want to smash the stereotypes.
Widows & Widowers on screen
Love and loss are universally big themes, and as widows and widowers they have in some way undoubtedly defined our lives. It is perhaps inevitable that scriptwriters, producers, and directors often include these themes as entertainment for both the big and small screen.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Chapter 2 Membership
At Chapter 2, we are creating a safe and secure space to explore what your next chapter may look like but recognising and respecting what has gone before.
We’ve put together a few helpful tips to ensure you get the most benefit from your membership, for both Basic and Premium Access members.
Getting Financial Help
Here at Chapter 2, we know just how challenging managing your finances as a widow or widowers can be. Added to the the cost-of-living crisis, times can be incredibly tough.
We want to ensure our community is getting the financial help they are entitled to.
A Widow’s Guide to Surviving Valentine’s
Here at Chapter 2, we know and understand how challenging dates like Valentine’s can be… Whether it is the first Valentine’s Day after death of your partner, or decades have passed, we wanted to share with you a few thoughts, tips, and hints to help you cope with what can be a very painful milestone and a reminder of all that we have lost. We hope you find this useful.
The 2nd Chapter
When it comes to moving forward into your journey of dating again after the loss of a partner, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The internet isn’t exactly over-saturated with dating advice for widows and widowers. That’s where Chapter 2 comes in.
Telling friends and family you are dating….
One of the most challenging aspects of starting dating is knowing when to share this news with friends and family. There really is no right or wrong time, the timing will depend on who you are telling, your relationship with them and their relationship with your late spouse.
Is there ever a right time to start dating again?
As widows, we face many dilemmas and question literally everything in life! Our reason for being? The meaning of life? Why me? And, once the raw initial grief and shockwaves have subsided widows and widowers naturally consider what the future hold.
