By Rebecca Mason, Client of Christine Kennett
I was a client of Christine's for nearly eight years and was still seeing her when she tragically died. I’ve been devastated by her death, and I’m still in the process of coming to terms with it. I have no words to describe the gratitude that I owe to her and the huge loss I feel.
I am aware that many therapists will have also been very shocked and feel a loss too, particularly as Christine was a supervising and teaching member of the GPTI and was a big influence on many Gestalt therapists.
Christine herself had bequeathed money in her will to go to Cancer Research UK, as she had a diagnosis of cancer. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has left Cancer Research UK facing a big challenge, as research funding has already been cut by £44 million because of the pandemic.
To honour the huge amount of help that I received from her, I have started fundraising for Cancer Research UK via my new Batik Art website shop. I am donating approximately 40% of the price of each item to the charity, hoping that those that knew Christine will be happy to support me. It means a lot to me to have got to this stage, and now to have my fundraising shop live. In normal times, I would do face-to-face exhibitions and moving online has been a lot of work; however, I have had pleasure in doing it.
I make colourful scarves, ties, framed pictures, cards and many other items using Batik: a traditional Indonesian art that uses wax to resist dyes. Christine was always extremely encouraging of my creativity and art practice. In her retirement, she said that she hoped to do some art herself; she had a framed painting that she did, aged fourteen, in the therapy room.
Without Christine’s therapy I am completely unable to imagine how I would have been able to get through the ending of a 37-year long relationship and start to make a new life in York, in 2015. It feels to me as if I owe my life to her. I felt deeply and completely understood, held, and supported even through the most difficult, desperate, and suicidal times. The therapy was filled with so many very personal and special touches, together with her massive warmth and love.
Support Rebecca’s campaign by either buying some of her Batik art through her website’s Batik shop or by simply making a donation directly to Cancer Research UK, via her Giving Page.